San Diego Magazine's Happy Half Hour

Welcome back to the Happy Half Hour! This week’s special guest is Barry Robbins, founder of Milton’s Delicatessen Restaurant in Del Mar. The New York–style deli is famous for its Reuben, matzo ball soup, homemade desserts, and breads; and it’s celebrating its 27th anniversary this year. You’ve most likely seen Milton’s multigrain bread and line of crackers in retailers like Costco: This national brand of baked goods was also launched by the deli. The company has a storied history, and we enjoyed learning about its origins and growth. Barry’s a Windy City native, and when he first moved here in the ’70s, he and his brother couldn’t find any deep dish pizza, so they started Chicago Brothers Pizza. They experimented with making frozen pizzas in the restaurant, and eventually distributed them nationally. Their pizza was one of the first frozen items sold at Costco (then called Price Club), and as many as 20 bakeries around the country were producing them—legendary Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda was even the compan