treat for those wanting to be a little sinful. “It’s just a very relaxed environment. Everyone is friendly and you get a lot of food for what you pay for. Some might think it is a little pricey to pay $12 for a sandwich, but once they get a look at the huge mound of pastrami in front of them, you can’t help but reconsider.”
For Stephanie Brownstein, a regular at Fromin’s who tried Izzy’s for the first time last week, the menu at Izzy’s proved more to her liking.
“It seems there are healthier options here than at Fromin’s,” Brownstein said after finishing her lunch — a “huge” salad. “It’s hard to say which one I like better. I think they’re both great.”
Then there’s Bagel Nosh, a hybrid of sorts, offering up fresh bagels daily along with the usual Kosher-style eats.Somewhat smaller than the other two delis, it doesn’t feature mainstay servers.Rather,folks are encouraged to order at the counter and wait for the food to be delivered to their table by a staff of loyal cooks.
For entertainment, owner Jack Braun provides a wide-screen television and free wireless Internet access.
“I come here to do the casual breakfast thing, bagels mostly,” said Nancy Greenstein, a Santa Monica College trustee who was leaving Bagel Nosh earlier this week with an armload of fresh bagels. “If I want Matzo ball soup, I’ll go to Fromin’s. Izzy’s, not so much, but they do have better hours.”
Bagel Nosh closes at 2:30 p.m. on weekdays while Fromin’s shuts its doors at 10 p.m. Izzy’s, meanwhile, stands alone as the only deli in Santa Monica open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, offering late-night revelers a place to satisfy their grumbling bellies.
For Hal Weiner, who is retired and living on a fixed income, it’s not about the hours of operation so much as the pricing. He finds Izzy’s to be too pricey, and prefers the java he gets at Bagel Nosh.
“We find Bagel Nosh and Fromin’s more to our liking,” Weiner said as he left the former with his wife. “Fromin’s kind of went overboard on the pricing for their coffee... If I want blintzes, I go to IHOP.”
THREE’S A CROWD How the three delis came to be located so close to one another is unclear, but it seems to boil down to the old adage that it’s all about location, location, location. Each found Wilshire Boulevard to be suitable for their needs, offering maximum exposure to those coming into and heading out of Santa Monica. There is also a lot of single-family homes nearby, providing each with a steady stream of loyal customers. Izzy’s opened first, in 1973, followed by Fromin’s in 1979 and Bagel Nosh a short time later.
“We had our heart set on Wilshire,” said Braun, who can often be seen behind the counter at Bagel Nosh serving up freshly-made bagels with onion, sesame seeds or raisins. “If we would have known (Fromin’s) was going to be here too, we probably would have looked elsewhere, but we’re here now and we’re doing really well.”
The delis’owners don’t seem too concerned about their competitors. Instead, each seemed to have only kind words for one another.
“I’ve eaten at Izzy’s,” said Maurice Solomon, co-owner of Fromin’s. “We don’t really view anyone as competition. We just try to do the best we can. I don’t want somebody opening up right next door to me, but we’re all friendly to one another.
“If you just concentrate on your service and on offering the best food you can, then the rest of it will take care of itself.”
Braun said each deli caters to a different clientele, and specializes in different foods, giving customers a variety.
Jim Lynch, president of the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce said it all boils down to free enterprise.
“I really admire them for being able to work together, clustered in such close proximity,” Lynch said. “They certainly know what they’re doing... Clearly, they are doing well and that is a testament to their quality and to their knowledge and outreach to their clientele.”
Of course, not everyone has fallen in love with the Wilshire Boulevard triumvirate. When it comes to delis, the three have nothing on those back on the East Coast, according to Harry “H”, who refused to give his last name because he still eats at the three delis, even though he finds them overpriced and somewhat bland.
“I grew up in Philadelphia and in New York, so I guess I’m spoiled,” he said, as he carried his young son on his shoulders along Wilshire Boulevard. “You would think in a city like Santa Monica there would be some more good coffee shops.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on January 20, 2007. Read the original PDF.