Vince's Spaghetti

If Frank Cuccia's uncle hadn't eaten that plate of Grandmother Rose's spaghetti in front of the customers, Vince's Restaurant might still be a French Dip Stand. Cuccia, the owner and operator of Vince's Spaghetti restaurant said his mother and father, Uncle George and Vince and his Aunt Louise started as a French Dip and orange juice stand over 50 years ago. Once in California, the Cuccias opened a family sandwich stand in late Summer 1945. Frank Cuccia's father, John, was still in Europe in the Army when theCuccia uncles and aunt opened the stand. Two months later Cuccia says, one of those uncles happened to be eating a plate of his mother's spaghetti when a customer spied it and asked if the plate of pasta and meatballs was on the menu. It wasn't, but anything for a good customer and a plate of spaghetti was brought in from the family's home. The rest is history. The sandwich stand didn't have a kitchen at that time, but one was built soon after as it became ever more difficult to lug the spaghetti from Rose's kitchen at home over to the stand. So what began as something of a fluke soon grew into the 425-seat restaurant currently on Holt. In mid-1946, the menu boasted a plate of "real spaghetti and meatballs" for 65 cents or40 cents for a "medium order" for those with smaller stomachs. Toasted garlic bread or the restaurant's cheese bread cost an extra 15 cents at the time. Vince's soon attracted a large and loyal following, particularly among families, a tradition that continues to this day, Cuccia says. "We're open only until 9pm and we don't serve alcohol without food," he says. "So it lends itself easily to families. We've been here so long, we have patrons who used to be children bringing in not only their children but their grandchildren as well." Cuccia's parents' legacy lives on. Frank Cuccia says he intends to be making the sauce for many years to come - at 66, retirement is not in his near future. "Oh no," he says. "I love the restaurant business. You can touch a lot of people. I like being involved in my community.