With the hubbub surrounding Gram & Papa's as host to LudoBites 4.0 and the forthcoming 5.0, one might forget that the downtown breakfast and lunch joint is a restaurant in its own right. Well, for the record, it is. Daily since 2008, Gram & Papa's has dished up meals made with carefully sourced and fresh ingredients to scores of hungry patrons.
Given my affection for downtown Los Angeles and proclivity for sandwiches as my lunch of choice, Gram & Papa's and I were destined to be friends.
My hungry friend Diego and I waltzed into Gram & Papa's on a weekday around 12:30PM, expecting to immediately take a seat and order our sandwiches. Unfortunately, a large lunch crowd had already beaten us to both the tables and the ordering counter. Although the wait presented a slight inconvenience, I was pleased to see business booming in the restaurant.
Diego ordered the Grammy's Turkey Burger ($9.00). Given the restaurant's diverse offerings, I was somewhat surprised by his seemingly ho-hum choice. Gram & Papa's turkey burger, however, was anything but. With caramelized vidalias, a tangy "G&P sauce" and a flavorful turkey patty perched upon a fluffy rosemary focaccia bun, this sandwich was bursting with pleasant surprises. All the sandwich lacked, in Diego's opinion, was something to mix up the sandwich's all-around soft texture (he topped his sandwich with a few chips and was quite satisfied).
I decided to try the Ludo's Parisian Sandwich (Paris ham, Emmenthal cheese, honey butter, cornichons and radishes, $10.50), a limited-time offering crafted by Chef Ludo himself. Although I was disappointed by the sparing amount of cornichons and radishes, the perfectly crunchy bread, sweet ham and piquant cheese made up for it. The star of the sandwich, however, was the indulgent honey butter which was, unfortunately, concentrated only on one part of the sandwich. Well, perhaps, not too unfortunately--those were some tasty bites. Fittingly, Chef Ludo showed up just as I was finishing lunch, and I was able to share how much I enjoyed his creation.
With a sandwich and salad to fit every lunch mood, Gram & Papa's is a standout lunch location. And who knows? Chef Ludo may even pop by!
Gram & Papas
227 E. 9th St.
Los Angeles, CA 90015
(213) 624-7272
5 comments: