Bay Cities Italian Deli & Bakery is a century-old Italian market, bakery and delicatessen on Lincoln Boulevard, best known for its fresh-baked bread and legendary Godmother sandwich. The sandwich layers Genoa salami, mortadella, capicola, ham, prosciutto and provolone on the deli’s crusty house-baked Italian roll, usually topped with lettuce, tomato, pickles, onions, mustard, mayonnaise, Italian dressing and hot or mild peppers. Bay Cities also functions as a full Italian grocery, selling imported olive oils, cheeses, cured meats, wines, pastas and prepared foods. Long lines at the deli counter and a notoriously crowded parking lot are almost part of the experience, and the Los Angeles Times has repeatedly singled out the Godmother as one of the defining Italian sandwiches in Los Angeles.

Bay Cities was founded in 1925, originally operating at the corner of Broadway and Lincoln before moving to its current location at 1517 Lincoln Boulevard. By the 1980s and 1990s it had already become a destination for Italian specialty foods at a time when many imported ingredients were still difficult to find elsewhere on the Westside. Siblings Bobby Garacochea and Irene Howard purchased the business in 1994 and continued its family-owned tradition, preserving the deli, bakery and market format while Bay Cities’ reputation spread far beyond Santa Monica. The business celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2025, marking a century as one of the city’s best-known independent food institutions.

Bay Cities Italian Deli & Bakery

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