For the last 50 years, Dru Alexander has served her hefty submarine sandwiches from a dainty Italian shack called DeFranko’s Submarines, tucked a block away from the Van Nuys Airport.
The front of this old shack sits just a bit wider than your average 10x10 pop-up tent, held up by large windows, wooden frames, and a doorway shaded by a petite red canopy. The shack is so tiny it has the optical effect of making the DeFranko's Submarines sign look like a billboard on top of its little roof.
Take more than one step inside and you’ll bump your knee against the counter, where five stools provide the only sitting area. During lunch hour, you might have to order over someone's shoulders.
"If you want to sound like a regular there, order a Large ‘Yes Yes,’" says loyal local submariner Nshan Kenjoia about the large, thinly-sliced, steamed pastrami sandwich.