The Brief

There are food names in Los Angeles that thrill the soul. Canter’s. Pink’s hot dogs. Roma Market. They’re all known for quality, tasty food. But if you look closer, there’s a common theme — they all get their meat from the same supplier: RC Provisions.

Which probably should be as well known as the other marquee names.

It seems like everyone in Los Angeles uses it. Old-school Jewish delis like Factors, Canters and Langers. New-school Jewish delis like Wexler’s and Belle’s.

That world-famous chili used by Original Tommy’s, Pink’s Hot Dogs and Dodger Dogs? The capocollo served at Italian delis like Bay Cities and Roma Market?

Pink's Classic Chili Dog — chili courtesy of RC Provisions

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Courtesy Pink's

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Yup. RC Provisions.

It all comes from a 25,000-square-foot facility on Victory Boulevard, right off the Burbank exit of the 5 Freeway. The company just bought the building on the corner, which will add 2,500 square feet. It’s such a large operation that the federal government requires they have a USDA office on site.

RC Provisions "our best in the west" pastrami

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Josh Heller

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LAist

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Owner Matt Giamela says, “We’re extremely honored and privileged to be a part of such a large organization of great establishments.”

Missing Italian subs

Matt Giamela’s grandparents left Plainfield, N.J., for Southern California in the early '50s because they "heard the weather was so beautiful out here.” They moved to Olive Avenue and Beachwood Drive in Burbank, where there already was a small enclave of Italian Americans.

His dad, Bill Giamela, “loved the submarine sandwiches back home as a kid, growing up in an Italian American family,” Matt Giamela said. “You eat pasta on Sundays and you eat Italian sandwiches a couple of times a week. So there’s delis all over New Jersey. He missed those Italian-style sandwiches.”

The only spot he could get his fix was at Santoro’s Submarine Sandwiches, which has been open on Burbank Boulevard since 1956.

So at about 20 years old, Bill Giamela opened his own shop on Riverside Drive in 1964.

“He got an old O’Keefe and Merritt stove that he bought at a flea market,” Matt Giamela said.

Bill Giamela eventually grew Giamela’s into a regional sub sandwich empire with nine stores.

Giamela’s sold Italian cold-cut classics, pepper steaks and their famous meatballs. Matt Giamela says, “My grandma would wake up at 3 or 4 in the morning and make the meatballs at the house on Beachwood, and then would take the bus to the Riverside Drive location and help my dad make the sandwiches.”

These days, there are three locations left, but Matt Giamela says they’ve recently expanded the dining room at Giamela’s in Atwater Village to allow more people to dine in and host events and dinner parties.

Italian dishes were the family’s natural calling. However, pastrami, of Eastern European origin, was less familiar. The Giamelas didn’t always know what to do with it. Matt Giamela says, “My dad used to serve pastrami cold. He didn’t know any better. He’d just put the cold meat directly on the slicer.”

But that would soon change.

“Being an Italian-American hustler, [he] wanted to go straight to the source — so he came here to RC Provisions,” Matt Giamela said.

The business originally was founded in 1958 by Alex Russak and Lou Cholodenko, who lent their last initials to the brand name. By 1966, the business had been sold to Ron Fisher, who became Bill Giamela’s friend.

“They developed a relationship over the decades, and then in 2000, Ron wanted to retire, so he sold it to my father, and we’ve been running it ever since,” Matt Giamela said.

A slice of pastrami heaven

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Josh Heller

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LAist

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Best pastrami of my life

Today, the RC Provisions team makes sure it can serve the exact specifications that each restaurant is looking for. (If you sell over 500 pounds per week, RC will make your own white label custom blend, like they do for the big boys Langer’s, Canter’s or Brent’s.)

The specific flavor is determined by the amount of time the meat spends being brined — it can take four to five days — and smoked and how it’s cut and prepared by the end user.

In the pastrami category alone, RC Provisions sells a range of styles: navel pastrami, New York pastrami, brisket pastrami, pepper beef pastrami, eye of the round and pastrami pepper beef flats.

And nothing goes to waste — all the trim goes into making that world famous chili.

When I visited the factory, I got a chance to try one of the newer recipes: Wagyu pastrami, with meat sourced from Brandt Beef in Brawley. It had been heating up in a makeshift steamer for a few hours, so that the fat marbling in this fine cut of meat could become undeniably buttery.

Matt Giamela — who’s been making professional sandwiches since he was 12 years old — toasted the rye bread, loaded it with the meat and added some Swiss cheese and Russian dressing, which came from a deli account they’ve been trying to lock in.

It was no doubt the best pastrami I’ve ever had in my life.

On my way out the door, Giamela offered me a 2-pound hunk of meat.

When I got home, I called my great buddy Mike, whom I’ve known since Hebrew school but who hasn’t been able to hang out for months because he’s been too busy with Law School. Within a moment's notice, he said he was coming over and bringing a corn rye loaf from Bea’s Bakery. This future lawyer has a lot of notes about a lot of things, but this was also the best pastrami he’s ever had.

My mom happened to be at the house, and she doesn’t eat red meat unless she’s on vacation in Europe. But she tasted this and loved it so much she wanted to bring home some meat for my dad. Later, he literally broke his veganness to give this a try, which he absolutely loved.

So when a friend from out of town marvels at the pastrami at Langer's — you can hold the secret to your chest — or you can spill. Up to you.

This story first appeared on The LA Local.

Since 1977, Richard Santillan has been to every Opening Day game at Dodger Stadium. 

“The tradition goes from my father, to me, to my children and grandchildren. Some of my best memories are with my father and children here at Dodger Stadium,” Santillan told The LA Local, smiling under the shade of palm trees near the entrance to the ballpark Wednesday morning. He was there to protest the team less than 24 hours before Opening Day.

Santillan, like countless other loyal Dodgers fans, is grappling with his fan identity over the team’s decision to accept an invitation to the White House and owner Mark Walter’s ties to ICE detention facilities.

More than 30 people joined Santillan on Wednesday morning for a press conference held near 1000 Vin Scully Drive to convey a message directly to the team. 

“We are demanding the Dodgers stop participating in funding of inhumane treatment of families and do not go to the White House to celebrate with the criminal in chief,” Evelyn Escatiola told the crowd. “Together, we have the power to make a change.”

Escatiola, a former dean of East Los Angeles College and longtime community organizer, urged fans to flex their economic power by “letting the Dodgers know that we do not support repression.”

Jorge “Coqui” Rodriguez, a lifelong Dodgers fan, spoke to the crowd and called on Dodgers ownership to divest from immigration detention centers owned and operated by GEO Group and CoreCivic.

Jorge Coqui H Rodriguez speaks at a press conference outside Dodger Stadium on March 25, 2026, to demand the Dodgers not to visit the White House following their 2025 World Series win.

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J.W. Hendricks

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The LA Local

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In a phone interview a day before the protest, Rodriguez told The LA Local he did not want the Dodgers using his “cheve” or beer money to fund detention centers. 

“They can’t take our parking money, our cacahuate money, our cheve money, our Dodger Dog money and invest those funds into corporations that are imprisoning people. It’s wrong,” Rodriguez said. 

Rodriguez considers the Dodgers one of the most racially diverse teams and said the players need to support fans at a time when heightened immigration enforcement has become more common across L.A.

The team’s 2025’s visit to the White House drew ire from the largely Latino fan base, citing the Trump administration’s ongoing attacks on immigrants. 

In June, the team came under further scrutiny when rumors swirled online that federal immigration agents were using the stadium’s parking, which immigration authorities later denied in statements posted on social media accounts.

The team again came under fire after not releasing a statement on the impacts of ICE raids on its mostly Latino fan base at the height of immigration enforcement last summer. The team later agreed to invest $1 million to support families affected by immigration enforcement.

When he learned the Dodgers were pledging only $1 million to families in need, Rodriguez called the amount a  “slap in the face.” 

“These guys just bought the Lakers for billions of dollars and they give a million dollars to fight for legal services? That’s a joke,” Rodriguez said. “They need to have a moral backbone and not be investing in those companies.”

According to reporting from the Los Angeles Times, former Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershawsaid last week that he is looking forward to the trip.

“I went when President [Joe] Biden was in office. I’m going to go when President [Donald] Trump is in office,” Kershaw said. “To me, it’s just about getting to go to the White House. You don’t get that opportunity every day, so I’m excited to go.”

The Dodgers have yet to announce when their planned visit will take place. 

Santillan sometimes laments his decision to give up his season tickets in protest of the team. His connection to the stadium and the memories he has made there with family and friends will last a lifetime, he said. On Thursday, he will uphold his tradition and be there for the first pitch of the season, but with a heavy heart.

“It’s a family tradition, but the Dodgers have a lot of work to do,” he said.

A local favorite mom-and-pop bookshop in Eagle Rock is facing displacement due to a steep rent hike. The owners say theirs is just one of several small businesses along Eagle Rock Boulevard struggling to keep up with lease increases.

Over the past 19 years, many in the neighborhood have come to love READ Books for its eclectic collection of used titles and shop dog Florence.

Co-owner Jeremy Kaplan said it’s been a delight to grow with the community over the years.

“Like seeing kids come back in, who were in grade school and now they’re in college,” Kaplan said.

But the building where Kaplan and wife Debbie rent was recently sold, and the rent increased by more than 130% to $2,805 a month, Kaplan said. He told LAist it was an increase his small business simply could not absorb.

Kaplan said he originally was given 30 days notice of the rent increase. After some research, assistance from Councilmember Ysabel Jurado’s office and some pro-bono legal help, Kaplan said he pushed back and got the 90-day notice he’s afforded by state law.

California Senate Bill 1103 requires landlords to give businesses with five or less employees 90 days’ notice for rent increases exceeding 10%, among other protections.

Systems Real Estate, the property management company, did not immediately respond to LAist’s request for comment.

What can small businesses do? 

Nadia Segura, directing attorney of the Small Business Program at pro bono legal aid non-profit Bet Tzedek said California law does not currently allow for rent control for commercial tenancies.

Outside of the protections under SB 1103, Segura said small businesses like READ Books don’t have much other recourse. And even then, commercial landlords are not required to inform their tenants of their protections under the law.

“There’s still a lot of people that don’t know about SB 1103. And then it’s very sad that they tell them they have these rent increases and within a month they have to leave,” Segura said.

She said her group is seeing steep rent hikes like this for commercial tenants across the city.

“We are seeing this even more with the World Cup coming up, the Olympics coming up. And I will say it was very sad to see that also after the wildfires,” Segura said.

Part of Bet Tzedek’s ongoing work is to advocate for small businesses, working with landlords who are increasing rents to see if they are willing to give business owners longer leases that lock in rents.

What’s next 

After READ Books posted about their situation on social media, commenters chimed in to express their outrage and love for the little shop.

While he looks for a new spot, Kaplan says he’s forming a coalition of local businesses and activist groups to see what can be done to help other small businesses facing similar displacement. He wants to address the displacement issue for businesses like his, which have made Eagle Rock the distinctive neighborhood that it is today.

Owl Talk, a longtime Eagle Rock staple selling clothing and accessories in a unit in the same building as READ Books, is facing a “more than double” rent increase, according to a post on their Instagram account.

Kaplan said he’s been in touch with the office of state Assemblywoman Jessica Caloza and wants to explore the possibility of introducing legislation to set up protections for small businesses like his, including rent-control measures or a vacancy tax for landlords. Kaplan said he also reached out to the office of state Sen. Maria Durazo.

By his count, Kaplan said there are about a dozen businesses within surrounding blocks that are at risk of closing their doors or have shuttered due to rent increases or other struggles.

When READ Books was founded during the Great Recession, Kaplan said he knew it was a longshot to open a bookstore at the same time so many were struggling to stay in business.

“It was kind of interesting to be doing something that neighborhoods needed. That was important to me growing up, that was important to my children, that was important to my wife growing up,” Kaplan said.

“And then somebody comes in and says, ‘We’re gonna over double your rent.”

Topline:

Frozen budget: Most of the city’s Bureau of Street Lighting budget comes from an assessment that people who own property illuminated by lights pay on their county property tax bill. The amount people pay depends on the kind of property they own and how much they benefit from lighting. A typical single-family home currently pays $53 annually, and in total, the assessments bring in about $45 million annually for the city to repair and maintain streetlights. Changing the amount the Bureau of Street Lighting gets from the assessment requires a vote among property owners who benefit from the lights.

Ballots: L.A. City Council’s vote gives city staff the green light to prepare and send out those ballots. Miguel Sangalang, who oversees the bureau, said at a committee meeting earlier this month that he expects to send out ballots by April 17. Notices about the ballots will be sent out prior to the ballots themselves.

Near unanimous vote: L.A. City Councilmember Monica Rodriguez was the only “No” vote Tuesday, saying she wanted to see a more current strategic plan for the bureau. Sangalang said the bureau developed a plan in 2022 that lays out how money will be spent. Councilmember Imelda Padilla was absent for the vote.

Vote count: Votes will be weighted according to the assessment amount. Basically, the more you’re asked to pay yearly to maintain streetlights, the more your vote will count. Ballots received before June 2 will be tabulated by the L.A. City Clerk.

How much more money: According to a report, the amount needed in assessments from property owners to meet the repair and maintenance needs of the city’s streetlighting in the next fiscal year is nearly $112 million.

Use of the money: Sangalang said at a March 11 committee meeting that the extra funds would be used to double the number of staff to handle repairs and procure solar streetlights, which don’t face the threat of copper wire theft. That would all potentially reduce the time it takes to repair simple fixes down to a week. Currently, city residents wait for months to see broken streetlights repaired. The assessment would come with a three-year auditing mechanism.