When Jack Biebel moved to Los Angeles after college, there was one thing he missed about growing up in Montclair: delicious Jersey-style sandwiches.
So he and a couple of friends from back home who’d also moved to L.A. started up a food truck selling the same kinds of sandwiches. Many of them were based on the ones they’d grown up eating at their favorite Montclair spots: Watchung Deli (now closed) and Belgiovine’s Italian deli. There was nothing like them in L.A.
That was in 2020. Today, Biebel and two high-school pals, Noah Holton-Raphael and Max Bahramipour, own a string of what have become the city’s most popular New Jersey-inspired hipster delicatessens, called Ggiata.
“We’re all best friends and big foodies, and when we moved to L.A., we were amazed by the diversity of restaurants and the different culinary trends there. But at the same time, we felt like the neighborhood deli was not represented in the same way that we experienced it back home,” says Biebel, who just turned 30. “In L.A., they don’t have the deli that’s a fixture in the community the way Watchung was.”
For instance, Watchung Deli, which opened in 1926, had a special sandwich called the Angry Dwarf, which people still talk about today, even though the deli has been shuttered for five years now. It featured Salsalito (a spiced-herb turkey), melted Muenster cheese, tomato and onions.
“For those of us who grew up in Montclair, these sandwiches were like celebrities,” he says.
The friends, who have known each other since elementary school, found that their sandwiches and their story resonated with customers out West. They even forged celebrity connections; within a month, actor Jon Hamm was collaborating with them on a sandwich.
“It felt like every food publication was writing stories about three 25-year-old best friends from Jersey who were opening a deli in L.A. because they missed home,” says Biebel.
Shortly after they opened Ggiata Delicatessen in 2021, it was touted as one of the best sandwich shops in L.A. by food critics. This year, they plan to open their fifth location.
The menu is a nod to their Jersey roots; the ’Clair has Taylor ham, cheese and scrambled egg on an everything bagel. Other offerings include crispy chicken-cutlet and meatball Parm sandwiches, plus classic Italian subs.
“It’s been an amazing journey, and we have an incredible team that’s been developing this business alongside the three of us,” he says.
That team includes Biebel’s sister, Madeline, who does the social media marketing and event planning for Ggiata.
On a recent visit back home, Biebel was sure to bring his team to all his favorite spots: Hot Bagels Abroad and Belgiovine’s in Montclair, the Belmont Tavern in Belleville, and Star Tavern in Orange.
“A lot of our recipes are things we grew up eating. At times, we’ve been able to put a California flair on things we’re doing. But mostly, we like to add a Jersey twist,” he says.
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