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<\/a>\u201cI drive in from Jamul all the time for these sandwiches,\u201d he said as an influx of locals approached the clean, brightly lit deli counter to place their orders. Though a couple of hours had passed since the lunch rush, business remained brisk.<\/p>\n
It isn\u2019t a clich\u00e9 when store owner Manny Keriakos says he strives for quality in the myriad sandwiches and salads his store cranks out.<\/p>\n
The breads and rolls (from La Jolla Baking Company) are ultra fresh and toast up superbly when ordering a hot sandwich. The cold cuts, sourced from various reputable companies, are lean and sliced ribbon-thin \u2014 a feat many San Diego deli workers can\u2019t seem to master. And the veggie garnishments such as tomatoes, red onions and avocados are of ideal ripeness.<\/p>\n Add extra bonus points for the deli\u2019s use of shredded iceberg lettuce, a preference of mine from growing up back East, where it\u2019s used prolifically on sandwiches so that oil-vinegar dressings can seep down through to the other ingredients. It also makes for crispier bites compared to those leafy sheets of softer lettuces, which cause everything inside a sandwich to slip and slide.<\/p>\n Keriakos is a highly likable guy who everyone seems to know. He never imagined three decades ago of opening a store, especially one that people refer to as a hidden gem.<\/p>\n At the time, he had just earned a degree in chemical engineering. It was at the end of the Cold War and jobs in his field were scarce.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was tough,\u201d he recalls. \u201cSo I opened the store and got into the groove of making money.\u201d<\/p>\n Soon after, he added the deli, offering only ham, turkey, and roast beef sandwiches. When those took off, he expanded the menu, began catering, and then by the late \u201990s, he opened Golden Bagel Cafe in Fletcher Hills, which still flourishes.<\/p>\n The store offers indoor-outdoor seating, with about 10 tables in total. A few of them are placed within the dimly lit \u201cChateau cellar,\u201d a cozy offshoot section housing more than 200 different wines.<\/p>\n I sat in view of the deli and its friendly, industrious employees. One of them, Frankie Antonelli from New Jersey, picked up on my general Northeast roots (Buffalo, New York to be exact) when I gushed over the well-endowed Reuben he made for me on toasted marble rye. He agreed good versions of the sandwich are hard to find in deli-deprived San Diego.<\/p>\n The corned beef inside was lean, fluffy and exquisitely spiced. The layer of finely shredded sauerkraut practically dissolved into the melted Swiss cheese. And the judicious smear of Thousand Island dressing imparted that coveted tinge of sweetness. Mustard is an option \u2014 or possibly a default condiment here. But it\u2019s a Reuben killer, in my opinion. Try it without, and you\u2019ll love it.<\/p>\n Intent on taking home copious leftovers, I beefed up my order with a spicy Italian hoagie constructed with a French roll, in addition to a \u201cmeatloaf supreme\u201d sandwich on sourdough bread. Both were exceptional, particularly the Italian sandwich, which Frankie strongly recommended I order hot instead of cold.<\/p>\n I\u2019m glad I did. It\u2019s constructed with pepperoni and capocollo, two piquant meats that taste orgasmic when shaved into airy pilings like this and then heated beneath a blanket of buttery mozzarella cheese. And yes, the lettuce, tomatoes and dressing were applied to the sandwich despu\u00e9s<\/em> it exited the toaster oven \u2014 a logical step that remarkably evades workers at certain submarine chains.<\/p>\n It was the best Italian hoagie I\u2019ve eaten in San Diego, and possibly better than any I\u2019ve ever encountered in the zillions of sub shops throughout my hometown too.<\/p>\n I haven\u2019t had a meatloaf sandwich since the days my mother made them from leftover dinners. And they surely didn\u2019t taste as good as this, given the melted cheddar, raw red onions and thin bacon strips perched atop the sliced beef loaf. The construct is normally tucked into an onion or French roll. But sourdough bread called, and I had no regrets.<\/p>\n All sandwiches include a side of macaroni, Italian pasta, potato, or ambrosia fruit salad. I tried the latter three and wouldn\u2019t have guessed they are outsourced.<\/p>\n Tuna, crab, egg and chicken salads, however, are made onsite. From that lineup, I ordered the chicken salad scooped onto a bed of romaine and iceberg lettuces. The arrangement also featured thickly sliced cucumbers, juicy tomatoes, and zippy balsamic dressing on the side. It made for a full, enjoyable lunch the next day.<\/p>\n Keriakos runs the store with his 88-year-old father and nine employees. Many of them devote their energies into fulfilling orders from a vast sandwich menu boasting eight categories, two of which include \u201ccombination\u201d proteins and \u201cvegetarian.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/a>