Giulianos Italian Deli, Torrance, CA

I grew up in the South Bay, and my uncle used to take me to the Giuliano’s in Redondo Beach.  He would always get the signature Torpedo: a combination of italian mortadella, cotto salami, italian dry salami, capocollo, provolone cheese, pepperoni, and crisp lettuce. served on a fresh torpedo roll.

I moved away from the South Bay, and completely forgot about Giuliano’s until my friend Karen mentioned there is a location in downtown Gardena.  We went there to pick up a Torpedo, and childhood memories came flooding back.  I didn’t realize that there’s also a Guiliano’s in Torrance, located near the Little Company of Mary hospital.  Although the menu is similar, and the sandwiches are pretty much the same, I was told that this is not owned by the same people.

While not owned by the same people, the layout of the 2 stores are seriously similar.  They both have a deli counter, where you can get salads, meats and cheese.  They also have a counter where you can order their famous Torpedo sandwiches, hot and cold Italian entrees, and catering items.  They have a small refrigerator section where you can pick up prepacked food, like salads, and they also have a market where you can pick up Italian products like pasta, sauce, beverages, and sweets. And, in both locations, you pay for your purchase at the cashier.

One thing different about the Torrance location is they recently remodeled.  They have a large indoor  sit down area where you can order your food to dine in.  This past weekend, the weather in Southern California has been unbearably hot, and a nice cool sandwich would have hit the spot.

We decided to stop here for a large Torpedo, which is a 16-inch sandwich, and had them cut it in half.  They offer a combo meal where for a $1.75 more, you can add chips and a soda.  Stephen and I shared the sandwich and chips, and added one more drink for $1.25.  The total came to just over $12, which made it a cheap eats sort of lunch.