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“It is the mayor’s request that the application be trailed to an August date to allow the historical resources board to consider the matter.”

— Allen Jones, Mayor Filner’s deputy chief of staff, at last week’s Planning Commission

 

City Deli to close after nearly 30 years

Owners Mike Wright & Alan Bilmes officially announced today that their popular deli will be ending its long history at the colorful corner of Sixth & University. For almost three decades City Delicatessen has been a welcoming beacon at the Hillcrest gateway from southbound Highway 163. City Deli will still be open for Gay Pride weekend, but as the parade marches by, the popular San Diego deli with the multi-page menu offering everything from a nosh to a full meal will be gone forever.

After dreaming for years to open their own Hillcrest restaruant, entrepreneurs Alan Bilmes & Mike Wright served their first City Deli customers in 1984.

Alan grew up in a Montreal restaurant family, and Mike proudly hails from the farmlands of Minnesota, where he learned basic business practices at his family’s A&W drive-in. After hooking up in Miami Beach, the partners traveled cross-country to paradise where they worked at Shelter Island’s Kona Kai Club. While patiently waiting to build a restaurant of their own, Alan then took a job working for local restaurateur Stephen Zolezzi at La Petite Café on the corner of Fifth & University (now Chocolat). After a deal on for their first location choice (west of Jimmy Wong’s) fell through, Alan & Mike learned of a better opportunity at their location in the Kahn Building.

Constructed in 1919 at the height of the Egyptian Revival its frieze originally featured pharaohs, but two years later following a fire, the current cornucopia (initially covered in gold leaf) was added. This corner location has been home to restaurants since 1926. Most famous was Caesar’s, which the Pastori family operated until 1972. Next up was Cavalieri’s through 1978, then new owners struggled with the Summer Place before Mike & Alan opened City Deli’s doors on July 12, 1984, just a little over a month prior to the relighting of the Hillcrest sign (gone now, too).

Dozens attend Bankers Hill community meeting

Banker Hill Residents Group discussed issues ranging including the Muni Code (and supported motions put forward by former Balboa Park Committee chair Vicki Granowitz) to a safer pedestrian experience by Jim Frost. Here is the proposed crosswalk at Spruce & Sixth... before the featured presentation by Ingrid Croce. Read it all (and link to the YouTube video in the archives)

> Mark your calendars for the July meeting (7/15/13) when an update on plans for the 2015 centennial celebration in Balboa Park will be shared.