It was just around the time Italian food was starting to gain popularity in the United States after World War II when Michael Angelo “Mickey” Mance decided to head to the beach and start serving pizza, spaghetti and sandwiches to the surfers and residents of Hermosa Beach.
Obviously the locals loved it as Mickey’s Italian Deli & Pizzeria is celebrating seven decades in business this month.
“This community made us,” said 65-year-old Paul Mance, the current deli owner and son of Mickey Mance, who opened the business at 101 Hermosa Avenue in 1953. “We are here to feed people … and we wouldn’t be who we are without them.”
Paul, along with his son Mickey Mance — who is named after his grandfather and helps run the business — will be celebrating the milestone anniversary from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. on Saturday, April 8 with raffles that include prizes like a free pizza per week for an entire year and a free sandwich once a week for a year. One lucky person will even win a new TV and others will get meal deals as the deli rolls back the price of their famous sauce sandwich and the Mickey’s Combo to just .70 cents.
“I think this is a place where people can just come and feel like family,” said 33-year-old Mickey, who started working at the deli as a teen before heading off to college and returning about six years ago to help run the place.
The senior Mance was just 22-years-old when he decided to open the joint, during a time when Italian cuisine wasn’t nearly as popular as it is today.
“At that time nobody really knew what pizza or lasagna, meatballs, spaghetti was,” Paul said. “It was very uncommon in the ’50s. If you were Italian, you knew that, but as a whole, not a lot of people knew.”
Some of Paul’s earliest memories include his dad, uncles and grandfather all hanging at the deli, cooking and just being part of the neighborhood.
“It was really cool,” he said. “Mickey’s has always been known as a place of community. There were always moms, kids, everybody coming here. It was like they were our family. We were their family and they were our family.”
He also remembers the story behind the sauce sandwich, one of the eatery’s staple dishes.
It was created back in the 50’s shortly after the deli opened when surfers would come into the place with about 5 cents looking for something to eat, Paul said.
So his dad grabbed a roll, added marinara sauce and served the simple, but tasty sandwich for a nickel.
“My dad would see these kids coming off of the beach freezing, so he would be like ‘Here, eat something hot,’” Paul said.
Sporting a surfboard-shaped sign out front and neon signs on two windows that read “Mickey’s” on one side and “Sandwiches, Catering, Pasta” on the other, not too much changes through the years when it comes to the old school feel at the deli. People order at the counter and can also do a bit of shopping since the establishment also serves as a small market selling marinara sauce, pastas and other items. A mural on the patio depicting Mickey Mance senior sitting alongside Frank Sinatra and Marlon Brando was added a few years ago and has become a popular selfie spot.
“Not only is it generations of our family coming here, there are generations of our guests’ families coming here,” Mickey said. “We have people coming in with their grandchildren that are telling us stories about when they came in when they were five-years-old.”
While Mickey’s may be well-known to the locals, those visiting from out of city, state or country should definitely try these five menu items, according to Paul and Mickey.
The Sauce
This is one of the original sandwiches at the deli. It’s just basically marinara sauce on a French roll. It’s simple, delicious, hot and filling.
Mickey’s Combo
This meaty beauty is one of their best-sellers and is made with cotto salami, chopped ham, bologna, Swiss cheese, plus mustard, mayo, lettuce, tomato, pickles, pepperoncinis and red onions on a roll.
Italian Combo
This is their fancy combo and the top-selling sandwich. It’s made with imported meats like Buon Gusto salami, plus mortadella, capicola, provolone with lettuce, tomatoes, pepperoncini, onions and it’s doused with oil and vinegar.
Hermosa Chicken Sandwich
This hot sandwich comes with a grilled chicken breast, mayo, Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, avocado and alfalfa sprouts.
Pastrami Deluxe Sandwich
“There are a ton of people that come in for this one,” Mickey said. “We grill the pastrami on a flat top griddle, so it kind of gets a little but of crispiness.” Besides pastrami, it includes mustard, mayo, provolone, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickles and pepperoncini.
For more information, call 310-376-2330 or go to mickeysdeli.com.
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