Eats
L & M Deli in Chelsea keeping good food tradition alive
BY GABE HERMAN
There seem to be fewer local
neighborhood delis in Lower
Manhattan these days, as small
businesses often struggle to survive.
But L & M Delicatessen and Catering,
at 80 Seventh Ave. in Chelsea, is one
place still going strong — and has grown
over the last 49 years into a center of the
community.
Spending any time with owner Larry
Xerri in L & M will likely come with
interruptions, as he seemingly knows
everyone who comes into the store and
greets them, chats for a few minutes and
often exchanges a few inside jokes. On
a recent afternoon, he was preparing a
Super Bowl pool that he does with many
local residents, which now goes back 20
years.
“People come here and see their
neighbors,” said Xerri, “and talk about
what’s going on in the neighborhood.”
Xerri is a first-generation American,
his family coming here from Malta. His
father and uncle started the deli in 1971,
and Larry, 54, has been there for the
past 30 years. He helped out in the store
as early as age 13.
Larry is a true local, growing up on
Hudson and Leroy Streets. He attended
the Academy of St. Joseph in Greenwich
Village, then Stuyvesant High School
and NYU. His cousins are among
those who work at the deli, along with
other employees who have been there
for decades.
“Everyone’s trying to do the great
American success story,” Larry said.
“We’re more or less a family here.” He
added, “We pay our guys and charge a
fair price.”
The area in Chelsea has changed a
lot over the years, Larry said, becoming
more affluent and family-oriented. He
said the key to success is to remain a
consistent presence, while also adapting
to the times.
Twenty years ago, for example, they
offered six types of salami, but now
there are more varieties of turkey, as
people become more health-conscious.
Catering has become a growing part of
the deli operation as it now accounts for
15 percent of total business — something
that didn’t even exist two decades
ago.
“You gotta roll with whatever is working
and what the community is asking
for,” Larry said, adding that they get
about 80 percent repeat business.
Another key is not being priced out of
Larry Xerri in L&M Delicatessen and Catering.
the location, which happens to so many
businesses who can suddenly face a
skyrocketing rent, Larry said.
“I’ve seen everything change,” he
said. “There aren’t many places left.”
PHOTOS BY GABE HERMAN
But he said the landlord, Price Rahav
Realty, is reasonable. “They have been
very fair with us,” he said. “Fair is hard
to come by these days.” He added, “We’re
still here, knock on wood.”
The deli features three illustrations
near the entrance by caricature artist
Robert Risko, who is a regular. He drew
Larry, his Uncle Mike (now retired from
the deli) and employee Hugo Bustamante,
who has been there 30 years.
The deli’s location was also part of
Edward Hopper’s famous 1930 painting
“Early Sunday Morning,” though the
buildings in the painting were torn down
decades ago.
City Council Speaker Corey Johnson
gave L & M a shout-out in The New
York Times in 2018, saying it’s part of
his Sunday routine.
One of the many regulars is Eileen Millan,
a retired artist who has lived nearby
for decades. When she stops by, they
already know what she wants without
her having to say it: two scrambled eggs
with crispy bacon on an unseeded roll.
“They make the best breakfast sandwich,”
she said. “To me it’s the best in
town.”
Millan added that generations of
families have been going there. “It’s like a
neighborhood place,” she said. “Everyone
knows your name, it’s like ‘Cheers.’”
Larry still puts in 65 hours a week at
the store, he said, and used to work even
more. “That’s small business,” he said.
“You do things yourself.”
L&M at 80 Seventh Ave. in Chelsea.
Schneps Media January 30, 2020 21