What a difference a decade makes. It's been 10 years since Mitchell Delicatessen opened its doors in Inglewood's Riverside Village.

"We never thought we would be as busy as we are," says David Mitchell, the restaurant's owner. "I am happy and surprised that people enjoy us so much."

Certainly, the landscape of this East Side strip has changed. Mitchell originally opened the deli at 1402 McGavock (now the location of another one of his projects, Rudie's Seafood and Sausage), next door to Sip Cafe (now at 3939 Gallatin Pike). Riverside Village was more of an idea for retail renaissance back then. It seemed a little cutting-edge, if not crazy, to open a sandwich shop on a sleepy strip which once housed a defunct neighborhood grocery.

"We're really happy that we're in the neighborhood we're in. The neighborhood has changed," Mitchell says. "At first I was apprehensive when new restaurants opened in the area. But now the way I view it, the more people we can get into the area the better." Some of those "new" neighbors include Fort Louise, Village Pub and Beer Garden, and Dose Coffee and Tea.

To celebrate Mitchell Deli's milestone on Friday, March 23, sandwiches will revert to their 2008 prices, i.e. $2 off current prices. In addition, through the end of the month you can play sandwich bingo: Order (in-house, the deal doesn't work with online orders) five sandwiches in a row on a bingo card and win a T-shirt or hat or sticker.

Sandwiches from which you can choose include some of Mitchell's personal favorites, such as the Asian flank steak and the turkey avocado. In addition to its sandwiches, Mitchell's menu includes soups and a hot bar; many dishes use locally sourced ingredients, which is a pretty good excuse to order five sandwiches in order to win a prize. Grab your bingo card in the restaurant.



