Chef Ian Marks is a meat man who fell in love with a butcher’s daughter and opened a tiny Italian deli with her. Eight days in, business is brisk, though the slicer just broke, they’re out of prosciutto and a line is growing in front of their sandwich shop, Genero’s Delicatessen.
“This is way beyond our expectations,” Marks said, smiling through visible exhaustion. “The feedback has been great and I think we made the right choice.”
Over opening weekend, Marks and his wife, Maggie, helped by her father and their two young daughters, sold more than 300 sandwiches, far exceeding their projections.
A longtime San Francisco chef, Marks has traded his restaurant whites for an apron and his skillets for sesame semolina heroes, realizing a long-held dream for someone who seems to have charcuterie in his veins. As lunchtime approaches, tickets pile up while he and his small staff assemble sandwiches with names that are hard not to giggle at: The Dottie, The Pool Boy and My Cousin Morty.
Genero’s Deli Friday, Jan. 30, 2026, in Sebastopol’s Barlow district. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
Chef/owner Ian Mark delivers an order to Kim Rothstein at Genero’s Deli Friday, Jan. 30, 2026, in Sebastopol’s Barlow district. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
The setting
Genero’s occupies the former Farmer’s Wife space at The Barlow. The footprint is modest: a walk-up counter, a deli case and a tight kitchen, where every inch is prime real estate and every sandwich has a story.
The deli sits in the food court section of the Sebastopol marketplace, flanked by a taco shop, poke bowls and an ice creamery. The outdoor area is a casual gathering place; it’s dog- and kid-friendly, designed for lingering over beer, cards and sandwiches while children roam the nearby grassy area.
With few places in Sebastopol offering substantial, chef-driven Italian sandwiches, Genero’s fills a noticeable gap in the local dining scene.
The deli’s name wasn’t pulled out of a hat. “Genero” means son-in-law in Italian, a reference to the three generations of Maggie’s family who owned Guerra Quality Meats in San Francisco.
“I grew up with cold-cut platters,” Maggie said. She spent much of her youth in the family deli and has a soft spot for mortadella and coppa. She also changed the course of her husband’s career with an Umbrian porchetta sandwich.
“He tried it and said, ‘This is a life-changing sandwich,’” she explained.
Thomas James makes the signature Genero’s sandwich from Genero’s Deli Friday, Jan. 30, 2026, in Sebastopol’s Barlow district. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
Making a Genero sandwich at Genero’s Deli Friday, Jan. 30, 2026, in Sebastopol’s Barlow district. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
The roasted pork — crispy, fatty and perfumed with herbs — is now the star of the Genero ($18), Marks’ signature sandwich, made daily and layered with herb relish, red onion and arugula on soft ciabatta.
It’s one of eight sandwiches on the menu, along with salads and antipasti sold by weight. The kale Caesar and beet salad with hot honey have quickly become customer favorites.
What’s in a name
Some sandwich names are personal. Others are practical. When Ian and Maggie polled friends about must-have deli offerings, one consensus emerged: a turkey sandwich was essential.
The result was the Pool Boy ($16), inspired by pickle-forward summer flavors, a wine of the same name and the appeal of a well-made turkey sandwich.
The Pool Boy with pickle-brined turkey, aged provolone, pepperoncini, shredduce, dilly mayo, pickles, and pickle potato chips on sesame semolina hero from Genero’s Deli Friday, Jan. 30, 2026, in Sebastopol’s Barlow district. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
Other names, such as Zia, Dottie and Ace, are family references. The Regina ($18), Maggie’s sandwich, leans heavily on imported Italian prosciutto and is appropriately indulgent.
So far, customer response has been enthusiastic, Maggie said, with repeat visits already underway as patrons work their way through the menu. Judging by the steady crowd at the counter, more bread — and a larger slicer — may soon be necessary.
Standouts
Regina ($18): Imported Italian prosciutto, creamy stracciatella with herbed relish, roasted tomato spread, arugula and balsamic glaze on ciabatta. Elegant and balanced.
The Regina with prosciutto, stracciatella, herb relish, roasted tomato spread, arugula and balsamic glaze on a ciabatta from Genero’s Deli Friday, Jan. 30, 2026 in Sebastopol’s Barlow district. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
Enzo ($20): This is the Italian sub of Italian subs, made with capicola (gabagool), two kinds of salami, provolone, garlicky mayonnaise and cherry peppers. Tony Soprano would approve.
My Cousin Morty ($17): If you think you hate mortadella, think again. The fact that a perfectly lovely pork sausage studded with fat and pistachios somehow became American bologna is criminal. This imported Italian charcuterie is delicate and light, served with provolone, giardiniera, garlic mayo and arugula.
Spicy Zia ($15): A no-compromise vegetarian option. Filled with roasted broccolini, spicy Calabrian chile, melty fontina cheese and arugula, this warm sandwich impresses.
Also worth ordering
The menu board at Genero’s Deli Friday, Jan. 30, 2026, in Sebastopol’s Barlow district. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
The selection of side dishes from Genero’s Deli Friday, Jan. 30, 2026, in Sebastopol’s Barlow district. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
Pool Boy ($16): Pickle-brined turkey, aged provolone, peperoncini, shredded lettuce, dill mayo, pickles and pickle potato chips on a sesame semolina hero from Red Bird Bakery. Summer in a sandwich.
Genero ($18): Marks’ homemade porchetta is impressive, though I’d like more meat and more juice running down my wrist.
Kids’ options: Grilled cheese on Pullman bread ($8) or the Dottie ($16), a cold tuna salad sandwich with melted cheddar.
Gluten-free bread is available. The kale Caesar stands out and everything is packaged for easy takeaway. Beer, wine, chips, drinks and picnic essentials round out the offerings. Open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.
Genero’s Delicatessen, 6760 McKinley St., Unit 120, Sebastopol, 707-329-6834, generosdeli.com
Heather Irwin is the Dining Editor and chief fork for The Press Democrat and Sonoma Magazine. You can reach her at heather.irwin@pressdemocrat.com.
Dining and Cooking