"La Villa has been like a second home to both my sister and myself. We've grown up hanging out here and working here," Bertucelli said.

La Villa was originally opened by Frank Giacomelli in 1947 and was purchased by the Bertucelli family in September 1988.

"Mr. Giacomelli died almost two years ago. Mrs. Giacomelli still comes in once in a while, and we all love to see her," Bertucelli said.

While there may be other delis in the Willow Glen area, few can boast the famous raviolis that are served at La Villa.

"We use the same recipe and even some of the same machines that the Giacomellis used when they first started making ravioli here. We take a lot of pride in our food and the way we prepare it," Bertucelli said.

La Villa's raviolis can be found on the menu at many of the local Willow Glen and San Jose restaurants.

"We came up with a special ravioli for the Tomato Thyme when they opened. Now they serve our cheese ravioli with their own marinara sauce," Bertucelli said.

Bertucelli has a favorite ravioli as well.

"I love the beef and spinach ravioli, but I think the chicken is my favorite," he said.

Aside from its raviolis, La Villa also has a great following for its sandwiches.

"I was trying to figure out what I wanted to eat one day while I was here and decided to make a sandwich. So I put on a couple of different meats and cheeses, warmed it up and it was great," Bertucelli said.

Not long after that he started making the sandwiches for his friends.

"Pretty soon I had customers asking what kind of sandwich that was and then ordering it. It turned out to be a big hit. One day a couple of guys from the Wave came in, tried the sandwich and the next thing I knew I had won an award for the Best Sandwich in the Bay Area!"

Bertucelli says that the recipe for his sandwich, which is now called the "Chris Combo," is a closely guarded secret.

"It's pretty cool to have a sandwich named after you," Bertucelli said.

There is a long list of other sandwiches available at La Villa, including some of the more popular ones like the Italian Combo, the Black Forest and Maple Ham, the Meatball, the imported Prosciutto and the specialty salami sandwiches.

La Villa's foods bring back the authentic deli-style days, with a large selection of chooses.

"We have lots of pasta dishes. Besides our five kinds of ravioli, we've got lasagna, eggplant Parmesan, stuffed zucchini and bell peppers and oven-roasted chicken, just to name a few dishes," Bertucelli said.

La Villa is the one-stop deli for those nights when cooking isn't an option and also for parties.

"We do a lot of catering. People call in, especially around the holidays, and order full dinners for parties," Bertucelli said.

From salads to desserts, La Villa is a good solution to the lunchtime or dinnertime doldrums.

"Working and growing up in Willow Glen has been great. I've made lots of friends while working here. I can't imagine doing anything else or working in any other city," Bertucelli said.

La Villa is located at 1819 Lincoln Ave. Open Tuesday and Wednesday from 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Thursday and Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Closed Sunday and Monday. Call 408.295.7851 or visit the website at http://www.wglavilla.com for more information.