Home Care In Hermosa Beach, CA

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.

It started with a simple prompt: “Before I die, I want to …”

Stacia Costa wrote it in white on a chalkboard she placed outside her apartment building at 3rd Street and Hermosa Avenue last week.

It was a challenge of sorts.

The Redondo Beach library clerk filled in the first answer: “…be a grandma.” The rest was up to her neighbors and visitors to Fiesta Hermosa over the long Memorial Day weekend.

The people did not disappoint.

Costa’s chalkboard filled up quickly. After an hour or so, she added large poster boards with lines for more answers. People kept posting. Costa added more spaces. Eventually, she was relegated to putting up simple lined notebook paper. Costa estimates she’s received more than 350 responses so far.

“I was shocked at people,” Costa said. “Some of it was kind of deep.”

What people vow to do with their time left on god’s green earth varies.

There are, of course, the materialists: “Be a billionaire!,” “Go on a safari,” “Win the lottery!”

In every crowd, the smart alecks: “Become a K-pop idol!,” “Talk to the dead,” “Watch Gen-Z save democracy.”

But, there is also life-affirming, serious stuff: “I want my mom to get a kidney,” “Get over my fear of heights,” “See my daughter love herself and be truly happy.”

What was most striking for Costa, who had seen a similar thing done at a Ketchikan, Alaska blueberry festival, was how incredibly soulful many of the responses were.

“Sure, some of them have to do with things or money,” she said, “but many are just about how people want to conduct themselves for the rest of their lives.”

Hermosa Beach resident Stacia Costa made a “Before I die, I want to…” message board for people to write down the goals and experiences that they want to achieve and do before they die. (Photo by Gil-Castro-Petres, Contributing Photographer)

What Costa learned about her neighbors is many desire to live a full life and let go of resentments. They want to be the best version of themselves and live in the moment. They want to bless their families with a beautiful life of happiness and find true peace. Some want to forgive themselves. Some want to mend relationships.

In all, said Costa, most of the vows people made gave her hope in humanity.

“Some people get it,” she said. “Their life is not about some big, grand thing. It’s a day-to-day thing.”

When she’d return from playing beach volleyball, Costa said it was gratifying to see how people reacted to the posts. One man, who works nearby, stops by every day just to read what’s been added.

She loves the communal nature of people thinking deeply and sharing with others. She hears passersby exclaim “Me, too!” upon reading a vow and some have posted sticky notes with the same onto the chalkboard.

“Any time people can find connections with others, it’s wonderful,” she said.

What’s next for Costa? Maybe someone wants to “pay it forward,” she said. Come and take the chalkboard and write a new prompt. Get people thinking deeper, acting with good intention.

Perhaps her friend Hermosa Brewing Company chef Aaron DuBois will come reclaim the chalkboard. He gave it to her and is now sort of regretting not putting it outside his restaurant, instead.

Or maybe a journalist will help spread the word and get readers thinking.

“You have to think now about what you want to do before you die,” Costa said. “That should be your tag line.”

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.”

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The pastrami deluxe sandwich, shown here on Friday, Mar. 31, 2023, is a customer favorite at Mickey’s Deli in Hermosa Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)

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.

by Bethany Willetts and Kevin Cody

Monday morning, The Spot restaurant owner Tonya Beaudet emailed her loyal customers: “As most of you know, we have been struggling since COVID began. Today will be our last day to be open. Thanks so much for 43 years of food and fun. Love Tonya.”

“It’s time,” she said in a phone interview from her home that day. Though the restaurant was so busy it ran out of food, she did not want to go into work.

When Beaudet, and her late husband, Maurice, took over The Spot in south Hermosa Beach in 1981, it was one of three vegetarian/vegan restaurants in Los Angeles. The other two were The Golden Temple in the old Farmers Market, and Follow your heart Cafe, in the Valley.

In recent years, the choice of vegetarian/vegan restaurants in the Beach Cities, alone, has expanded to include lil’ Vegerie, Green Temple, Pura Vita, Veggie Grill, and Grain Cafe.

But despite the competition, The Spot continued to attract old and new customers with Beaudet’s original menu, based on her Southern grandmother’s use of beans, collard greens, and whole grains.

Customers spoke reverentially about The Spot’s savory sauce, served generously over the savory spud, presto pasta, and steamers (vegetables and brown rice.) The Spot Veggie Burger was featured in the Travel Channel’s “Hamburger Paradise Round-up.” Their mainstay comfort food, the Mushroom Walnut Loaf, was Sir Paul McCartney’s go-to take-out order.

McCartney became a Spot regular when the Beatles performed at the Forum, and Beaudet would hang out backstage with McCartney’s son James.

When the pandemic hit in 2020, The Spot, like other restaurants, survived on take out and government subsidies.

Last spring, as the pandemic receded, and her business began to recover, she received a $30,000 utility bill. She had thought the bill, accrued during COVID, would be forgiven, but subsequently learned the forgiveness applied to homeowners, but not business owners.

The repayment program, coupled with her regular utility bill, totaled $4,000 a month.

“I started to fall behind on rent. When you have to choose between keeping the power on or paying the rent, you pay to keep the power on,” she said.

“My landlords are kind people. They gave me so many breaks. My rent was already ridiculously low. They deserve the opportunity to remodel and get the same rent other Hermosa landlords get,” Beaudet said.

Beadeut was 26 in 1981, when she and her husband bought The Spot. They planned to keep the restaurant until its lease ran out, in three years. Her chef Louis has been with her 39 years.

“My staff is like family, and I love my customers. But it’s time to move on,” she said.

Beaudet said she’d like to open another restaurant, but has no immediate plans. ER

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Started in 2010 by two South Bay locals, The Rockefeller has expanded to all 3 Beach Cities serving homemade Gastropub cuisine.

Patch Spotlights, Brand Partner

|Updated Fri, Sep 29, 2023 at 6:08 am PT

This Patch article is sponsored by The Rockefeller.

Local businesses are the heart of our communities. Patch had a chance to talk with Chris Bredesen, Managing Partner, of The Rockefeller.

Patch: Tell us a bit about your business or organization: Chris Bredesen: The Rockefeller Started in 2010 by two South Bay locals, The Rockefeller has expanded to all 3 Beach Cities with the goal of serving homemade Gastropub cuisine in a upscale atmosphere with friendly local service. We are here to make our communities a better place.

Patch: How long have you been doing business in town?Chris Bredesen: We opened our Hermosa Location in 2010, then expanded to Manhattan Beach in 2014 and finally opened our Redondo Beach location in 2017.

Patch: What attracted you to the line of work you’re in, and how did you get started?Chris Bredesen: I began in the hospitality industry probably due to that fact that my father was a Burger King franchisee for over 30 years. I remember being in his locations and picking up trash, thinking a clean restaurant is good for business at 10 years old.

Find out what's happening in Hermosa Beachwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Patch: What's the most common piece of advice you give to customers?Chris Bredesen: If you stay focused, good things will happen.

Patch: What’s the most satisfying part of your job?Chris Bredesen: Watching people have a good time. People are not just paying for food and drinks, but also for a clean and fun atmosphere.

Patch: How would you say your business or organization distinguishes itself from the others?Chris Bredesen: I would say that The Rockefeller is known for good food and drinks in a clean and elevated atmosphere. We make a big effort, and I believe our customers recognize that.