Inspired by childhood memories of hanging out and eating at Italian-style delis in New Jersey, a trio of lifelong best friends are continuing to bring a taste of the East Coast to Los Angeles with a new Ggiata Delicatessen location.

“For us, delis were more than just about food. I think for us it almost felt like a family vibe, like you were going to your uncle’s or grandfather’s house where everything felt like homemade and made with love,” said Max Bahramipour, who with Noah Holton-Raphael and Jack Biebel opened their newest and largest location in Highland Park on July 17.

“The neighborhood deli was such a fixture for us growing up, and when we moved to L.A. we just found ourselves missing that experience of having that neighborhood Italian deli that you went to to engage with your community but ultimately to eat these sandwiches that we’ve loved our whole lives. So we had this vision to bring it to L.A.,” Biebel said.

The new spot is serving a menu by chef Celerino Cruz that includes breakfast sandwiches, salads, sides and of course Italian American heroes and desserts. It’s the fourth Ggiata deli location to open since the friends started selling sandwiches and Italian heroes out of a ghost kitchen in Koreatown during the pandemic.

“We opened in the middle of a pandemic just trying to figure out if L.A. was interested in this menu,” Biebel said.

It turned out that L.A. eaters were interested.

After delivering sandwiches for months, the friends opened their first eatery in the Melrose Hill neighborhood in 2021. Then came a second location in West Hollywood in 2022, and a third in Venice in 2023 before they headed northeast to Highland Park.

The food

The menu at the new place will be familiar to those who know the deli and will include the signature Spicy P sandwich, made with a chicken cutlet, spicy vodka sauce, fresh mozzarella, grated Romano, basil pesto and basil on a charred, seeded baguette.

But there is a challenger to the throne: the Perfect Chicken Caesar Wrap, which is made with romaine lettuce, house Caesar dressing, Parmesan herb croutons, chopped pepperoncini, shaved Parmesan and a breaded chicken cutlet wrapped in a Burritos La Palma tortilla.

This is a deli, so a leading dish is obviously the Classic Italian, in which a charred, seeded baguette is stuffed with Cotto ham, salami, hot capicola, smoked Muenster, shredded romaine, heirloom tomato and shredded onion, with red wine vinaigrette and Calabrian aioli.

“The food is really a testament, or a menu derived from the greatest hits of what we grew up on,” Holton-Raphael said. “I think what really takes us to the next level is that every single thing, every single sauce and spread is made from scratch in-house,” he added.

The desserts

Since part of the tradition of going to a deli is having a sweet dessert after a sandwich, the friends called on pastry chef Christy Erickson to create a menu that includes a Limoncello olive cake with almond frosting and candied pistachios, a coconut carrot cake, and Rainbow cookies.

“This was a tradition we wanted to carry on,” Holton-Raphael said.

The vibe

Don’t expect a tiny hole in the wall, but a comfortable, modern, 1,500-square foot space with 21 seats inside and another 10 outside.

It’s Ggiata’s first seated dining room, and the restaurant has kept it local by tapping area talent to design the look, which includes custom mosaic floors, leather granite countertops and vintage diner stools.

There’s also banquette-style seating and white oak furniture designed by Highland Park resident Logan Douangsitthi. All that sits under custom light fixtures from Danny D’s Mud Shop. The place is decorated with hand-painted graphics, menu boards, and signs by artists who are friends with the owners.

“It’s meant to be a comfortable space that folks who have lived in the neighborhood for decades and decades feel excited about coming, as well as some of the younger families,” Holton-Raphael said.

But how would their L.A. delis fit in with the New Jersey originals?

“I think it would definitely be well-received,” Biebel said. “I think people would appreciate the culinary strategy we’ve gone to, which is taking these East Coast classics but elevating them with what we are able to do in California with fresh California produce and all the great vendors we’re able to work with out here.”