The new Bay Cities exterior
Photo: Hadley Tomicki
It seems that nothing ever changes at Santa Monica’s legendary Bay Cities Italian Deli. Same long lines for the famous Godmother sub, same low-key displays of Argentine mate paraphernalia and Mediterranean cooking products, and same cluster-you-know-what in the parking lot. But the iconic lunchtime favorite does have a fancy new exterior do. Long gone are the 70’s-reminiscent browns and tans that we have enough of in L.A., replaced shortly before Xmas with a Tuscan paint job, fancy new signage, and new walls to replace the red brick. The new look makes Bay Cities leap out on Lincoln and brings a shade of slickness that is much more becoming of the classic. Inside, the scene remains the same: as chaotic as the parking lot.
