San Carlo Italian Deli

When my mother came and stayed a week with Nathan, I put San Carlo Deli (10178 Mason Ave, Chatsworth- Mason and Devonshire in the Vons Shopping Center) on my list of suggestions between the park and the indoor play place.  She texted me that week to ask if they always gave Nathan a free panzerotti. No, not always, but quite often they will give him a panzerotti or a sprinkle cookie.  Nathan's love for San Carlo Deli is intense- I usually avoid driving that stretch of Mason because if he sees it, he pitches a fit trying to get me to pull in.
Panzerotti are kind of like fried calzones, with mozzarella inside and the barest hint of tomato sauce.  Nathan loves them.  I am fairly certain if it were up to him, he'd have a panzerotti every day.  And I don't blame him- they are delicious. Greasy and messy and the perfect snack food. (Honestly, one would probably do you for lunch.)

One would do him, anyway.

Behind Nathan to the right you can see the deli case- Jeff would like to make sure that I mention that San Carlo has the "best Italian subs in the Valley."  We have only ever had the San Carlo special because it's so good we can't bring ourselves to branch out.  As I once overheard a woman say, "I can't decide. I think I'll just get the San Carlo Special because it's got everything on it."  We are partial to the soft rolls, which are chewy and baked on site.

Today, though, we got a small pizza, which is just the right size for two and a half to share for lunch, especially if the half is already stuffed full of panzerotti.  I am mainly partial to very thin crusted pizza, but Jeff, who likes a pizza with a crust, thinks this is better than Mozza.  It is easily the best "regular" pizza around, and well worth eating fresh from the oven.  The burns on the roof of your mouth will heal.   

You'll often bump into friends at San Carlo or neighbors who have yet to become friends- it's one place that everyone I know goes, and you'll see firemen next to bikers and always a good number of Italians. I count San Carlo as one of my favorite things about living in Chatsworth.  I am pretty sure it is Nathan's favorite thing, period.