Canters in Los Angeles, served half and half sandwiches. I ordered half my sandwich with chopped liver and the other half with hot brisket on fresh baked corn rye. A bowl of freshly grated horseradish and another of mayonnaise made those sandwiches sing. Tangy coleslaw and a plate of rugelach for dessert and I was truly happy. Of course, if it was breakfast time, freshly made lox and bagels, with oodles of cream cheese and plenty of capers was my order.

One year we took gramma to lunch at Canters, when Tom Bradley came in on a campaign stop. Bradley stopped at our table, and noticed the tattoo on gramma's arm, got down on his knees (Bradley was really tall and gramma was barely 5 feet) and whispered something in her ear. Gramma smiled, nodded her agreement, they shook hands and he went on his way. Gramma never told any of us what he said to her, but she made sure we voted for him.

A lot of good history between the black and Jewish communities in Los Angeles has been lost. If I had not lived that history, I'd find it hard to believe any of it ever happened.

Of course, you are talking about Italian delis and I am talking about Jewish delis, but its all comfort food if you ask me. Thanks for the trip down memory lane.