Midtown Lunch

Over the weekend I had these words thrown at me by a good friend: “You’re a foodie a you haven’t been to Bay Cities yet!” First of all, don’t ever call me the F word. And if you ever hear me using the F word to describe myself, feel free to tell me to shut up.  (Unless I’m calling myself fat.  Because that is true.)  Second of all… uh… no.  I haven’t been to Bay Cities yes.  Is that bad? Is this is a challenge?  Do I need to fix this right away by scarfing a giant Italian sub with the works while sitting on a sidewalk in Santa Monica?  Yes, yes I do.

From the little but of research I put in on the interwebs machine it appears as if anybody who works, or lives, or has ever been to Santa Monica, even for a day, knows about Bay Cities. (And it seems as if everyone of them have yelped about it too.)  Every one of these people also know that the sandwich to get is the Godmother (featuring Genoa Salami, Mortadella Coppacola, Ham, Prosciutto, Provolone.)  Even the friend who recommended Bay Cities to me sent me the word “GODMOTHA!!!!!!!!” as the only contents of an email… and she’s a freakin’ vegetarian.  Really?  You don’t eat meat, but you’re exclaiming the virtues of a five meat + cheese Italian gutbomb?  How could this possibly be anything but amazing?

Oh right… the line.  Not only does everybody know about Bay Cities, but everybody eats at Bay Cities.  Every day.  Thankfully I ordered online.  That’s right…why are all these schmucks fighting each other at the deli counter?  I headed back to the super secret (it seemed that way anyway) kitchen in the back near the wine, where completed sandwiches were being stacked on a shelf ready to be paid for by those of us who had the forethought to order online before heading over.

You look for your name on the sheets of paper, and take whatever sandwich is yours.  Five minutes on line to pay at the cash register, and I was ready for the “GODMOTHA!!!!”

The small with “the works” (Mayo, Mustard, Onions, Pickles, Tomatoes, Lettuce, Italian Dressing & Mild or Hot Pepper Salad) was $6.45 and plenty of food, although I could see how there would be days when a large would be necessary (don’t worry, it’s not twice as big… because that would be insane.)  The bread is exactly what you’d expect from a sandwich like this, and unsurprisingly it’s a complete mess.  (That tends to happen with you top a sandwich with mayo, mustard AND Italian dressing.)  A revelation?  No. Revelations, for me, don’t happen at deli counters with Boar’s Head.  But it’s a fine sandwich, especially when you don’t have to wait in line to get it!

What was a revelation was the chicken parm!  Ok, maybe revelation is a strong word for it… but their chicken parm is damn good.  Super flavorful breading on the chicken and a great tasting sauce- which does wonders for the bread (especially if you find it too hard to chew.)  When I saw bell peppers I was totally skeptical, but it worked. I kind of loved it.

Sure, the chicken could be a little more moist in places, but all in all it was the best chicken parm I’ve had in awhile.  Kind of made me wonder why more people don’t go for the hot food just to the right of the deli counter (no line there! You can just walk up and order.)

In and out, and back to my car in under 40 minutes.  No joke.  Now I know what you’re saying.  “Zach!  Where the hell did you park?  Sometimes it takes 20 minutes just to get into that damn parking lot.”  Truthfully, I didn’t even bother with the parking lot.  Heading NW up Lincoln I stayed to the left, went past the deli and there were a ton of open 1 hour meters btw. Broadway and Santa Monica.  And since I ordered online, I didn’t have to worry about feeding the meter or lunch taking too long.  It was a Tuesday… so maybe it was a fluke?  Who knows.  All I know is, I either got incredibly lucky on all fronts, or an easy weekday Bay Cities lunch is possible if you work in the area and order online.

Just don’t go on Monday.  They’re closed.

THE +

• Order online, and there’s no wait! (Just make sure to do it 45 minutes before you pick it up.)
• I love giant, bready Italian American subs, with assorted meats and cheeses
• Their hot subs (chicken parm and meatball) are really good too, and the sauce helps to soften the bread up a bit
• The lines move pretty fast… even if you don’t order online.

THE –

• Overrated!!!
• For $6.35 you know they’ve giving you the domestic stuff.  Sorry- Boar’s Head is not my thing.
• The bread is way to chewy. Not into it.
• The chicken parm was a little dry and too thick.  I like it pounded thin.
• I’m really picky, and if you order online they don’t let you customize your sub.
• I have to think about lunch, and order it, 45 minutes before I actually get to eat it?  No way
• You went on a Tuesday!  Shit… find a parking space in under 40 minutes on a Friday and then I’ll believe it.
• Closed on Mondays?  WTF.

Bay Cities Deli,1517 Lincoln Blvd. (btw. Colorado & Broadway), 310-395-8279

Order online here.