"History can be hard to come by in Santa Monica—we still miss the old dinosaur topiary at The Promenade—and that’s exactly why Bay Cities is essential. This century-old Italian deli is a touchpoint for the entire Westside, as well as home to a deli counter that sells one of the city's elite sandwiches in existence: the Godmother. Waits can get long on weekends, so order ahead of time online or grab a pre-made sandwich up front to bypass the line. Also, if you don’t order your sandwich with “The Works” (choose hot or mild peppers), you can’t say you’ve eaten here. Rules are rules. Godmother, Little Don Lorenzo, meatball sub" - brant cox, cathy park, garrett snyder, sylvio martins