Sam's Italian Deli & Market is a family-owned Italian deli, market, and catering destination at 2415 N First Street in Fresno, California, opened in May 1980 by Sam and Angela Marziliano. Today it is led by their son Nick and daughter-in-law Kathryn, with their grandson Saverio representing the third generation.
Quick Answer
Five things to know about Sam's Italian Deli & Market:
- Founded in May 1980 by Saverio "Sam" and Angela Marziliano, who took over a small neighborhood market in Fresno and built it into a full Italian deli, grocery, and catering operation for 45+ years now. The original location at First and Clinton in Fresno is still the home of the business today.
- Family-owned and multi-generational. Nick and Kathryn Marziliano lead the business today, and their son Saverio represents the third generation learning it from the ground up. Sam passed away in March 2011, and the family has continued the business by staying close to what he built.
- More than a deli. Sam's is a real Italian market with a deli counter, prepared foods, imported groceries, fresh pasta, catering, and Nick's Wine Bar Cafe, all under one roof. Customers come in for a sandwich and leave with dinner for that night and a tray for Sunday.
- Award-winning. Named Best Deli by the California Restaurant Association Fresno Chapter in 2023 and 2025, and the only Central Valley restaurant to make Yelp's Top 100 list in 2023 at #68. Also won Fresno Bee People's Choice 1st place Best Delicatessen in 2017 and 2020, plus multiple Best of Central California awards across 2022 to 2025.
- Growing. A second Sam's location is under construction at Villaggio Shopping Center in North Fresno. The new space combines three adjacent units into more than 7,000 square feet, with construction starting May 2026 and an opening target of February or March 2027.
How did Sam's Italian Deli start in Fresno?
Sam's opened in May 1980, when Saverio "Sam" and Angela Marziliano took over a small neighborhood market at First and Clinton in Fresno. It was not a deli yet. It was a corner grocery, and the original plan was to run it as a market. The shape of the business changed fast because of what Angela started doing in the back.
The early years at a glance:
- May 1980 opening. Sam and Angela Marziliano take over a neighborhood market at First and Clinton in Fresno.
- Original concept. The business launched as a grocery and market, not a deli or restaurant.
- The hot plate moment. Angela cooked simple Italian meals in the back, and customers asked to buy what they smelled cooking.
- A deli grows around the kitchen. The market kept its shelves, but a sandwich counter and prepared foods kitchen built up around Angela's cooking.
- Same corner, 45+ years later. Sam's still operates from the original First and Clinton address today.
That hot plate moment is where Sam's actually began. The market kept its shelves, but a kitchen and a deli counter grew around Angela's cooking because that is what people came in asking for.
Over 45+ years the business has grown into Italian prepared foods, catering, imported meats and cheeses, house-made pasta, signature focaccia sandwiches, and Nick's Wine Bar Cafe. The through line has always been the same thing that started it: real Italian food people wanted to bring home. Sam's Italian Deli & Market Our Story
Sam's family-owned and multi-generational tradition
Sam's has been run by the Marziliano family for its entire 45+ year history. Sam and Angela opened the business in 1980. Sam passed away in March 2011, and the family continued the business by staying close to what he had built instead of reinventing it. Today, Nick and Kathryn Marziliano lead day-to-day operations, and their son Saverio Marziliano represents the third generation.
Three generations of the Marziliano family:
- First generation (1980 to 2011). Saverio "Sam" and Angela Marziliano founded the business and ran it together for over 30 years until Sam's passing in March 2011.
- Second generation (current). Nick and Kathryn Marziliano now lead day-to-day operations, including catering, the deli, the market, and Nick's Wine Bar Cafe.
- Third generation (in training). Saverio Marziliano, named after his grandfather, is learning the business from the ground up at the counter and in the kitchen.
When The Business Journal covered Sam's making Yelp's Top 100 list in 2023, Nick Marziliano said: "We couldn't do it without the support of our friends and our community." That is the short version of how the family thinks about the business. Sam's exists because Fresno keeps showing up for it. The Business Journal: Fresno restaurant makes Yelp Top-100 list
Being multi-generational matters in a practical way too. When a business has been in one family for nearly 50 years, the recipes, the sourcing relationships, and the product knowledge are not written in a manual, they are lived.
That is why the new Villaggio location will feature a mural of Sam and Angela at the entrance. The founders are part of how the next chapter gets built. The Business Journal: Sam's Italian Deli Villaggio expansion targets early 2027 opening
Why is Sam's more than a deli?
Sam's is a real Italian market, not a sandwich shop with some shelves. Customers can walk in for a sandwich and leave with dinner for that night, groceries for the week, a catering tray for Sunday, and a bottle of wine for later. Five things happen under one roof.
Five experiences under one roof at Sam's:
- Full-service deli counter. Imported meats and cheeses sliced to order by experienced clerks who offer samples and help customers choose.
- Prepared Italian foods. Lasagna, chicken Parmigiana, meatballs, fresh pasta dinners, and grab-and-go meals for tonight.
- Italian grocery market. Imported tomatoes, dry pasta, olive oil, flour, cheese, Calabrian chiles, and pantry staples that are hard to find elsewhere in Fresno.
- Catering department. Sandwich trays, antipasto platters, hot entrees, salads, and desserts for offices, holidays, and family gatherings in Fresno and Clovis.
- Nick's Wine Bar Cafe. Sit-down dining with pizza, pasta, seasonal plates, and wine, connected to the deli and market.
The market side is not an extra. Shelves and cases are built around the foods Italian kitchens actually use, so customers stock a real Italian kitchen at Sam's instead of piecing it together from multiple stops. The catering side grew out of Angela building trays for customers in the early days, and it is now one of the strongest parts of the business. Sam's Italian Deli & Market: Italian Market
What ties all five experiences together is that they are the same business. Same family, same counter, same people who know the products. A customer who comes in for a Tuscan focaccia sandwich at lunch and a meatball tray for Saturday is being served by the same team that can slice prosciutto to order, recommend a tomato for Sunday gravy, and open a bottle of wine for the table.
What awards and recognition has Sam's earned?
Sam's has been recognized by local and national programs across more than a decade. The most recent honors are the California Restaurant Association Fresno Chapter Best Deli award in 2025 and Yelp's Top 100 Restaurants in America list in 2023, where Sam's came in at #68 as the only Central Valley restaurant on the nationwide list. California Restaurant Association: Winners of the 2025 Best of the Valley Awards, The Business Journal: Fresno restaurant makes Yelp Top-100 list
The Yelp recognition is worth sitting with for a moment. The Yelp Top 100 list was in its 10th year when Sam's made it, featuring 28 California restaurants, more than any other state. Of those 28 California names, Sam's was the one representing Fresno and Central Valley.
Sam's awards and recognition over the years:
| Year | Recognition |
|---|---|
| May 1980 | Sam's Italian Deli & Market opens at First and Clinton |
| 2014 | Recognized by Assemblyman Henry Perea for small business contribution |
| 2017 | Fresno Bee People's Choice, 1st place Best Delicatessen |
| 2020 | Fresno Bee People's Choice, 1st place Best Delicatessen |
| 2022–2025 | Best of Central California Awards, multiple wins including Best Deli, Best Charcuterie, Best Sandwiches, Best Wine Bar, and Best Wine Selection |
| 2023 | California Restaurant Association Fresno Chapter, Best Deli |
| 2023 | Yelp Top 100 Restaurants in America, #68 (only Central Valley restaurant) |
| 2023 | CVLUX Magazine feature, "The Valley's Door to Italy" |
| 2025 | California Restaurant Association Fresno Chapter, Best Deli |
| 2025 | CVLUX Magazine Casual Dining recognition |
The awards matter to the family, but the reviews matter in a different way. Sam's holds a 4.8 out of 5 rating on TripAdvisor from 445+ reviews and a 4.8 rating on Yelp from over 1,298 reviews, ranking it among the top-rated specialty food markets and delis in Fresno. What customers keep coming back to in those reviews is the same thing people noticed when Angela was cooking on a hot plate in 1980: the food, the counter, and the fact that someone in the Marziliano family is usually there.
How is Sam's growing for the next generation?
Sam's is opening a second location at the Villaggio Shopping Center in North Fresno, combining three adjacent spaces and one upstairs space into a single location of over 7,000 square feet. The new space will carry the full deli and market experience that customers know from First and Clinton, including a pickup window for online orders and deliveries at the rear entrance. The Business Journal: Sam's Italian Deli Villaggio expansion targets early 2027 opening
What customers can expect at the Villaggio location:
- Over 7,000 square feet combining three adjacent spaces and one upstairs space at Villaggio Shopping Center in North Fresno.
- Full deli and market. Same sliced-to-order meats and cheeses, prepared foods, imported groceries, and catering as the original location.
- Expanded patio seating. Outdoor seating footprint will grow beyond the current Villaggio patio.
- Pickup window. A dedicated rear-entrance window for online orders and deliveries, with parking located at the rear of the building.
- Mural of Sam and Angela. The founders are featured at the entrance of the new location.
The point of Villaggio is not to become a different business. It is to give Sam's more room to do what it already does, in a part of Fresno where the foot traffic is heavier. The original First and Clinton location is not going anywhere. Customers who have come to Sam's for generations will still come to the same counter, with the same family, slicing the same imported meats.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Sam's Italian Deli located in Fresno?
Sam's Italian Deli & Market is located at 2415 N First Street in Fresno, California 93703, at the corner of First and Clinton. A second location is under construction at Villaggio Shopping Center in North Fresno, with a target opening of early 2027. Sam's Italian Deli & Market
Who owns Sam's Italian Deli?
Sam's Italian Deli & Market is owned and operated by the Marziliano family. It was founded in May 1980 by Saverio "Sam" and Angela Marziliano. Today Nick and Kathryn Marziliano lead the business, with their son Saverio representing the third generation. Sam's Italian Deli & Market
How long has Sam's Italian Deli been in Fresno?
Sam's Italian Deli & Market has been in Fresno for 45+ years, opened in May 1980 by Sam and Angela Marziliano at First and Clinton. The business has remained family-owned and operated at the same original location throughout its history. The Business Journal: Villaggio expansion
Is Sam's Italian Deli a restaurant or a grocery store?
Sam's is both, and more. It is a full-service Italian deli and sandwich counter, a prepared foods kitchen, an Italian grocery market, a catering operation, and home to Nick's Wine Bar Cafe. Customers come for lunch, groceries, catering, and dinner for tonight in a single visit. Sam's Italian Deli & Market: Italian Market
What awards has Sam's Italian Deli won?
Sam's has been named Best Deli by the California Restaurant Association Fresno Chapter in 2023 and 2025, made Yelp's Top 100 Restaurants list in 2023 at #68 as the only Central Valley restaurant, won 1st place Best Delicatessen in the Fresno Bee People's Choice Awards in 2017 and 2020, and received multiple Best of Central California awards between 2022 and 2025 across categories including Best Deli, Best Charcuterie, Best Sandwiches, Best Wine Bar, and Best Wine Selection. California Restaurant Association: 2025 Best of the Valley Awards
Does Sam's Italian Deli offer catering in Fresno and Clovis?
Yes. Sam's offers full-service Italian catering in the Fresno and Clovis area, including sandwich trays, antipasto and charcuterie platters, hot entrees, deli salads, breads, and desserts. Pickup is available at the First and Clinton location and local delivery is available for qualifying orders. Sam's Italian Deli & Market
How to experience Sam's Italian Deli
The best way to understand Sam's is to walk in and use it. A few ways customers typically start:
- Visit the deli counter. Take a paper ticket, wait for your number, and order meats and cheeses sliced to your thickness. Ask for a sample before buying. This is the core of the Sam's experience.
- Pick up a sandwich. Try a signature focaccia sandwich (Crudo, Nicola, or Saverio) or a classic Sam's Special. Sandwiches are made on fresh daily tomato focaccia and fresh daily garlic herb butter white focaccia.
- Shop the market. Walk the shelves for imported Italian tomatoes, dry pasta, olive oil, cheese, flour, Calabrian chiles, and pantry staples that are hard to find elsewhere in Fresno.
- Order catering. For office lunches, holidays, or family gatherings, order trays and platters with 24 hours notice for Fresno and Clovis area pickup or delivery.
- Sit down at Nick's Wine Bar Cafe. For pizza, pasta, seasonal plates, and wine from the same family and the same kitchen, connected to the deli and market.
Forty-five years in, Sam's is still the same kind of place Angela started cooking in. A real Italian market in Fresno, worth bringing home.
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