Hollingshead’s Delicatessen

Sports bars are a special kind of breed of restaurant. Usually loud, crowded, and filled with people at varying levels of drunkenness – the food offerings are ordinarily heavy, fries concoctions that do little more than soak up the liquor being served. But Hollingshead’s Delicatessen is its own special breed – opting to serve delicious cold cuts and picnic inspired sides since 1963. Specializing in house-made roast beef, pastrami, and corned beef, they also serve German-influenced sandwich offerings not commonly found at your average sandwich shop.

Just down the block from Angeles stadium, the employees are friendly, the beer options plentiful , and the food is delicious. It feels less like a sports bar and more like a welcoming living room hanging out with your friends to watch the game – which, if your sports consumption is anything like mine, makes the whole experience just that much better.

Macaroni Salad – Tangy, creamy, with just a little sweetness. The elbow macaroni still had a good bite, and the welcome addition of a hint of red pepper was a perfect touch.

Deviled Eggs – A classic hors d’oeuvres that often gets overlooked at gatherings. The egg yolk is combined with mayo and what seems like a horseradish mustard. Good balance of the creamy filling, t he egg white is definitely more of a transportation method for the deviled filling but it houses it very well. Altogether, a great combo of flavors and textures that melds wonderfully with cold cuts. They also serve a sandwich that features deviled eggs, which sounds incredible.

Pip Squeak – imagine the surprise on finding a pickle slice nestled against a simple, but delicious, peanut butter and strawberry jelly sandwich. Was it a side? Did the fine people at Hollingshead intend for it to be combined with the sweet sandwich? Would they think I was crazy for combining them?

I had to roll the dice on this, if for no other reason that the beauty of culinary science and answering the question for you readers out there. A pregnancy trope on slightly sweet brown bread, the pickle was admittedly not bad with the PB&J but ached for more peanut butter to make it work. That brown bread paired with the classic schoolyard combo is an instant favorite.

Beef and Blue – Lean, tender roast beef nestled between soft white bread with just the right amount of chew, the sandwich was deliciously pungent with a heavy, creamy, chunky blue cheese slathered across the whole thing. The blue cheese is strong and lingers on the tongue – if you are a fan of blue cheese, this one is for you!

Exterminator – Definitely not for the weak at heart or tongue – this is one stinky sandwich. Liverwurst is one of those things that if you like it, you absolutely love it. A smooth paste of pork liver shaped into discs, it is the definition of an acquired taste but man is it good, and Hollingshead does it so well! Slapped on tangy rye bread with the perfect accompaniments of mayo, mustard, and onion, you do not want to order this on a date.

Smoked Turkey and Gouda – no fun name but. Delicious sandwich nevertheless! lightly smoked turkey and gouda are layered with the soft white bread. A fairly good condiment to protein balance. This is a simple but amazing sandwich that would satisfy even the pickiest of eaters.

Cold cuts, pates, cheese and veg –  the genius of a sandwich is in its ability to be incredibly complex within the confines of simple ingredients. When your foundations are built upon on tried and true recipes, without being afraid to mix it up with new takes and higher stakes, its really hard to miss. And since 1963, Hollingshead’s Delicatessen has been doing just that. And on those hot summer days in Southern California, where the temperatures can reach triple digits, it might not be a bad idea to skip the stadium and cheer on the Angels, all while tucking into a delicious sandwich and beer.