"When Corti Brothers grocery was almost priced out by a rival tenant in 2008, it created a tidal wave of angst and merited a write-up in the LA Times that quoted Ruth Reichl and Alice Waters. Thankfully, Corti Bros prevailed and is still going strong in its seventy-second year, especially the deli, especially at lunch time. Passions can run high when the throng of customers is three deep at the deli case, but the counter workers operate with factory-floor precision and the wait between order and sandwich gives you time to peruse exotic liqueurs that share the aisle. Many regulars are devotees of the Corti special, a kind of suicide sandwich with a tower of meats (prosciutto, ham, mortadella, salame) that changes from maker to maker. Grab a meatloaf sandwich or breaded, fried eggplant on a soft roll with fresh mozz and heck, a bottle of rompope or cardoon amaro for good measure." - Becky Grunewald
