LAReview
photo credit: Jakob Layman
E Stretto
This spot is Permanently Closed.
Included In
It’s a bold move to open a lunch spot on the same block as Grand Central Market. But if you’re Downtown and looking for a break from the craziness of tourists and actively roosting pigeons at GCM, you’ll thank E Stretto for being that bold.
Located in front of Bar Clacson and Slipper Clutch, E Stretto is a small deli making sandwiches that are equally good for a quick lunch or a drunken second dinner. The Ill Papa - loaded with mortadella, chorizo, manchego, and giardiniera - is briny, cheesy, and somehow not too heavy. The Turkey Pesto is also great, especially when you make it spicy by adding Calabrian chilis, and the Prosciutto Di Parma has fantastic fresh mozzarella and orange balsamic vinegar on it. All of their sandwiches come on an excellent house-baked ciabatta that’s so good you’ll forget you just paid $12 for street parking.
photo credit: Jakob Layman
A deli counter in front of a bar sounds like it could be one of two things: a ploy to make an easy buck off drunk patrons, or a gimmicky entrance to a speakeasy. E Stretto is neither, and a place this good actually suffers from being so close to the touristy Grand Central Market. Drop it in Silver Lake, and you can practically visualize the line of barefoot Eastsiders snaking out the door.
But we’re glad they haven’t made the move. Downtown needs more spots like E Stretto, and when the sandwiches are this good, it’s almost enough to make us forget about all the tourists. Almost.
Food Rundown
photo credit: Jakob Layman
Ill Papa
photo credit: Jakob Layman