It sounds like the setup for a joke: a pizzaman walks into an ice cream parlor and exits as a sandwich shop owner. That’s the story behind the new Mission City Sandwich Shop, a charming new addition to the Mesa (where Sweetie’s most recently scooped frozen treats). Born-and-raised Santa Barbarans Nate and Paige Simandle hope the spot becomes a go-to for those looking for delicious sandwiches in an atmosphere that Nate calls “fun and inviting, comfortable, nostalgic, but not crowded or claustrophobic — the walls won’t have rabbit heads with antlers.”
Since graduating from Santa Barbara City College Culinary School, Simandle has done his time at numerous beloved restaurants, including but not limited to bouchon, Eladio’s, Arch Rock Fish, Kanaloa Seafood, and Yellow Belly. Most recently, he was brought in by Corner Tap owner Chris Chiarappa to help upgrade that spot’s food program in fall of 2023. One of the hits there was his Detroit-style pizza — you know, the rectangular, thick-doughed stuff that gets all cheese-caramelized on its scrumptious edges — so when the Simandles hoped to open a restaurant of their own, they were thinking pizza was the way to go.
Finding the spot for a new pizzeria wasn’t as easy, though. In the meantime, Chiarappa felt like his Sweetie’s dreams were melting (sorry), and he hoped to convert the space into a sandwich shop. At first, he brought in Simandle just for advice, but feeling under pressure with his numerous other projects, from Mesa Burger to all the Lighthouse Coffees in the region, Chiarappa asked him, “Would you consider buying it and doing it yourself?”…