Friday was a warm opening day on Washington Boulevard in Pasadena when Gary Chaglasyan, a restaurant veteran with roots in global franchising, stepped out of his gleaming new storefront and looked down the block. The former home of The George has been reborn — not as another fast-casual concept, but as something much rarer: a neighborhood Italian deli-meets-ristorante, complete with Italian-style sandwiches made with fresh bread, imported espresso, and, yes, a chef named Enzo in the kitchen.
At The Italian Deli Co., the menu reads like a love letter to Italy.
“This place was born from a love of Italian food, Italian lifestyle, Italian coffee,” Gary said, sitting at a corner table near the bar at The Italian Deli Co., the brand-new eatery he co-founded with two partners. “I missed real coffee. I wanted a place where you could just have a proper espresso — simple, easy, no gimmicks. Just like in Italy.”
If the idea sounds romantic, the execution is rigorously detailed.
Everything, from the handmade panini and baked-daily bread to the Caffè Vergnano coffee — a 140-year-old Italian roastery little known outside connoisseur circles — is imported or made fresh onsite.
“We serve coffee in proper ceramic cups, not paper,” Gary noted. “Just like Italy. Unless you’re taking it to go, that’s how it’s meant to be enjoyed.”
Gary’s culinary journey began in Glendale in the 1990s, but it stretched across continents. He was once the master franchisee for major American brands like Chili’s and Johnny Rockets in Europe, bringing burgers and fries to cities across Spain, the Czech Republic, and southern Italy. But it was during those Italian summers that he found himself seduced by something quieter: a morning espresso, a folded piadina, a bit of cheese and prosciutto shared with strangers on a breezy piazza.
“I’m not Italian by blood,” he said with a smile, “but in my heart — absolutely.”
Inside, the deli’s concept is a marriage of two traditions: the no-nonsense, cured-meat counter of a New York Italian-American deli, and the sit-down warmth of a full-service trattoria. There’s wine and beer. There’s pasta. There are sandwiches stuffed with mortadella and buffalo mozzarella, and every combination thereof, but always traditional.
The Italian Deli operates like the all-day trattorias of Manhattan – the kind where construction workers grab morning espresso and bankers close deals over late-night linguine. From breakfast bruschetta through lunch antipasti to dinner’s truffle-topped pinsa and grilled New York steak, the kitchen never shifts gears from its Italian focus.
“We didn’t want to be too precious or too old-school,” Gary said. “You can have shrimp fra diavolo, but you can also grab a grinder and a Coke. It should feel fun.”
On opening day, Gary was happily surprised by the neighborhood’s reaction.
“People were stopping in, saying thank you for opening,” he said. “After what this area has been through, it felt like people wanted something new, but also something familiar.”
His team — including an Italian-born chef and co-founder — is still getting into the groove, learning the cadence of ciao and grazie, understanding that the espresso machine is not just equipment but ritual.
“It’s coming along,” Gary said. “We’re still new. But I think people can feel the love that went into it.”
The scent of baking bread, tomato sauce, and sharp Parmigiano wafted through the air. Gary nodded toward the kitchen, then smiled.
“Now, what kind of pizza are you going to have?” he asked.
The Italian Deli Co. is at 1615 East Washington Blvd., Pasadena, CA. reservations@theitaliandeli.co. (626) 345-5300.
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