Founded in 1965 by Pauline Poma and her son Leonard, Poma's Italian Deli is now a third-generation operation run by Nick Poma from the same Bacon Street corner at 1846 Bacon Street. The meatball sub—built on rolls baked fresh by San Diego's Solunto's Bakery in Little Italy—anchors a menu of old-family-recipe Italian subs, pastas, and pizzas that predates every other Italian kitchen in the 92107 ZIP, including the newer fine-dining approach at Ulivo Restaurant. Slow-roasted, marinated beef for the roast beef sub is prepared in-house and sliced to order, not sourced from a distributor. Cash-only operation and a health score of 97 out of 100 reflect a kitchen that prioritizes ingredients over overhead. Sixty-one years of continuous service on the same block put Poma's in the same category of OB institutions as Old Townhouse Restaurant, both surviving every wave of neighborhood turnover since the 1960s. Full pasta dinner platters—lasagna, ravioli, baked ziti—serve family-sized portions built from Pauline's original Sicilian recipes.