San Diegans rush to grocery stores for last-minute Christmas, Hanukkah essentials

In the final hours before Christmas and Hanukkah, San Diegans flocked to grocery stores across the region to pick up their final – and some forgotten – items ahead of their holiday feasts.

“We’re getting some rye bread, some turkey, some tongue, which is a Jewish deli specialty. It may turn some folks off, but it’s delicious,” Zach Bunshaft said.

Bunshaft was part of a group of 16 relatives gathering Tuesday at D.Z. Akin’s deli in La Mesa for their annual Hanukkah celebration.

“Family,” he and his mother, Lori, said in unison, when asked about their favorite part of the holidays.

“And food — memories of good food,” she added. “The latkes, fried foods, brisket, getting together with family.”

At El Indio Mexican Restaurant, that same love of food and family meant the line for tamales and masa stretched out the door.

“It’s been fun,” El Indio manager Ed Sanchez said. “Seeing the people happy, getting here with their families, and I know they’re getting together tonight, so yeah, that’s the happiest thing for us.”

Sanchez said the restaurant — which has been open since 1940 — has sold more than 25,000 tamales in December alone and sold at least 5,000 pounds of masa on Tuesday for families to gather and make tamales themselves on Christmas Eve.

“I remember making them with my great-grandmother, my grandmother, my mom, my whole extended family, and now we make it with our nieces and nephews and just, it’s a really nice tradition,” Diana Cantu said.