Izzy’s Deli Turns 40

2,890,737 Corned Beef on Rye and Still Counting

When Palisadian Izzy Freeman threw a party this month to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Izzy’s Deli, droves of people came to honor the man who, in the words of employee Ashley Flores, is the “the sweetest, kindest man I’ve ever met.”
Many friends and employees would second that sentiment.
When Izzy’s opened its doors on August 20, 1973 at the corner of Wilshire and 15th Street, Izzy had no idea how long he might stay in business. Ernie Auerbach, another longtime Palisadian, had encouraged Izzy to open a deli on property that Auerbach owned.
“The rest is history,” Izzy, 74, told the Palisadian-Post. “Ten years, 40 years—I had no clue.” Though new to the deli world, Izzy knew how to run a restaurant from being an IHOP franchisee, and he hasn’t been to another deli in Los Angeles for 39½ years.
“We had some rough times at the beginning. If it weren’t for Ernie behind us financially, we probably wouldn’t have lasted.”
Marquez Knolls resident Dennis Horlick was celebrating at Izzy’s party with his wife Jackie and friends. They have been friends with Izzy and his wife Marilyn since their kids were in preschool together, and have been eating at Izzy’s for 30 years. The Jackie and Dennis Grilled Jumbo All-Beef Frankfurter is named for the couple. “I’m from New York,” Dennis said. “This is the closest thing to a New York deli on the West Coast.”
Other celebrants included Palisadian Vicki Fox and her companion, Joe Gole, cantor emeritus at Sinai Temple. Jennifer’s Cheese Sandwich is named after Fox’s daughter, while she is the Vicki of Vicki’s Tuna Salad.
Debra Goldman, another old friend, enjoys Izzy’s “because it’s like a home: warm, friendly, great food. It’s welcoming, like ‘Cheers.’” Debra’s Cappuccinos offer patrons six different coffee drinks.
Izzy and Marilyn’s daughter, Marissa, who works in marketing at CBS Television, flew in from New York for the party. The Palisades High School grad (and former captain of the tennis team) said she “grew up in the deli. I used to call the deli my kitchen. Her parents passed on their hard-work ethic to her, and she considers her dad a wonderful role model.
“My mom and I have always worked every Christmas, because my dad feels if the employees are going to work, we’re going to work too. It’s a family tradition. I always work the cash register. My mom seats people.”
The deli, opened 24 hours every day, has always been the “centerpiece of our family,” Marissa said.
Family also came from Arizona and Oregon for the party, but longtime friends Clara (whose parents are on the menu) and Giacomo Valentini came the farthest—from Brussels. Every time the couple visits Los Angeles, they drive directly to the restaurant from the airport, and usually come more than once a day. “It’s our only restaurant here,” Clara said.
Santa Monica Mayor Pam O’Connor, who was on hand to present Freeman with a proclamation from the city, said, “It’s a real community kind of place, and a great anniversary. I’m looking forward to the 50th.”
When Izzy, who has lived in Pacific Palisades for 26 years with Marilyn, took the microphone he thanked the crowd. “I am overwhelmed, and so excited to be able to thank you for 40 great years.”
Izzy honored people who have helped him along the way, notably longtime employees such as Jose Urena (40 years), Tony Urena (39 years), Rafael Munoz (34 years), Juan Cuellar (32 years), Rene Urena (22 years), Alonso Lopez (18 years), Umberto Urena (15 years), Milo Lopez (14 years), Hilda Zelaya (12 years) and Hana Koudelka. “I opened on a Monday,” Freeman said. “Tuesday, Hana came to work here.”
Izzy’s sons, Jules and Rodney, spoke as well.
“When I was 12, I started scrubbing out deli cases,” Jules said. “From here, I started a career in the financial services industry. Everything I learned, I learned working behind the deli counter.”
“We grew up here and learned to work with people,” Rodney said. “I worked every facet of this restaurant. I know more about the kitchen than anyone, more than the builder, because I worked in the kitchen. I was mesmerized looking at plans.”
He continued, explaining that wherever he is in the world when he says he’s Izzy’s son, people say, ‘You mean Izzy?’”
Kehillat Israel’s Rabbis Steven Carr Reuben and Amy Bernstein were on hand to celebrate with their KI congregant. “Izzy’s is like being home for all of us,” said Rabbi Reuben, who is immortalized on the menu with Rabbi Reuben’s Reuben. (Cantor Chayim Frenkel is represented with two dishes, including Cantor Chayim’s Potato Pancakes.)

Treating all people with respect is key to Izzy’s philosophy. “I like to treat people the way I like to be treated,” he said over lunch. “My father told me when I was a teenager working for him, ‘You gotta take care of your employees. Not everybody can be a doctor, not everybody can be a lawyer, not everybody can be an owner.’”
Originally from Brooklyn, Izzy moved to Los Angeles with his family when he was 13, and attended Roosevelt High School in Boyle Heights. As a youngster, he sold newspapers on Brooklyn Avenue and Soto Street. His father owned a concession in the Grand Central Market downtown, with produce and deli counters. “I started working for him and I learned how to treat people nice, because that’s how he was,” Izzy said.
The longevity of his employees pleases Izzy, and he has rewarded them. “They make a good living. I have people that started here as busboys. Now they own their own homes, the kids go to college and they drive BMW’s. We give them the opportunity. We’ve had boys here that didn’t speak a word of English, but we saw that they were good kids, at 16 and 17, and we encouraged them to go to school, and learn English. We put them into other jobs beside the busboy. We taught them how to be a deli man, a cashier, a waiter, cook, chef—just gave them a chance.”
Ashley Flores, who has been working at Izzy’s for eight years, was brought in by her father, Jaime Castaneda, who has been there for over 25 years. She does a little of everything: cashier, waitress, working the deli, even working as manager for several nights a week. Her love of Izzy the man and Izzy’s the restaurant is palpable.
“It’s a great place, a stable place, and I have a great boss,” Flores said. “He’s always here, he’s here 24/7, unless he’s out of town.”
“There’s never a bad day,” she said. “Any time I try to leave, Izzy tells me, ‘No, don’t go. We want you to stay. I love you. Please.’”
Repeat customers are crucial to the survival of any restaurant. Some customers eat at Izzy’s several times a week, others eat there twice a day. “Two judges come in every morning before court,” Izzy said. His first customers still come in, though he haven’t seen the couple in a while.
“One sad thing about being here is that we have these steady customers that come in every single day, and one day they come in by themselves. It breaks your heart,” Izzy said. He and the staff realize the spouse has likely passed away. “After a while, they start coming with somebody else. They met somebody,” he said, with glee in his voice.
“It’s a life cycle,” Izzy said. Newborns are brought to the restaurant, people have their first dates there and some have even said “I Do” when asked.
He tells of expectant fathers who are sent to Izzy’s by doctors at Santa Monica Hospital across the street, who assure the men they have the phone number and will call when it’s time.
And of course there are the celebrities—President Ronald Reagan, Peter Graves, Paul Moyer, Larry David, Al Gore, Jack LaLanne and Shaquille O’Neal are all prominent on Izzy’s Celebrity Wall of Fame.

Many regulars have their preferred servers, and Juan Cuellar has especially loyal customers. “On Thursdays, sometimes I see people three times because I’m working 12 hours,” Cuellar said.
“Juan has his own following,” Marilyn said. “They only want to sit with him,” and will choose to wait a half-hour, passing on open tables in other sections, just to wait for him. Juan connects with his customers, asking questions without being intrusive. Izzy is proud of him.
“He owns a house, drives a BMW,” he said.
With such an extensive menu, it’s hard for Izzy to pinpoint one signature dish. However, they sell a lot of pastrami, corned beef, potato pancakes and matzo ball soup. Whether they sell more corned beef or pastrami is debatable: Izzy thinks corned beef wins while employee Jose Urena thinks it is pastrami. Urena was 18 when he started working for Izzy; now his two sons Rene and Umberto are longtime employees themselves. Jose didn’t speak any English when he began working for Izzy, but now he owns his own home and apartment houses.
Izzy, married to Marilyn for nearly 30 years, is active in the community and has always been involved in community service. Recently, he treated 40 Salvation Army Day Camp underprivileged children to a free breakfast, and is currently president of The Guardians, a support group for the Jewish Home for the Aging in Reseda. In the past, he has been president of the Sportsman’s Club and City of Hope, as well as a board member at Kehillat Israel.
In the end, in addition to the good food, “everybody just regards us as family,” Marilyn said.
“And they fight like family and they love like family,” Izzy adds.