e stretto
Permanently Closed
Sandwiches, wine, espresso, and house-baked ciabatta bread
Sandwiches, wine, espresso, and house-baked ciabatta bread
"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 There are a lot of poor imitators of the ubiquitous Godmother from Bay Cities. This is less an imitator, and more of a remix (chorizo and manchego are not usually involved in an Italian sandwich). We’re extremely into it. photo credit: Jakob Layman Roast Beef This pressed sandwich has excellent roast beef and comes with a melty cheese dip on the side. There’s nothing not to like. Calabrian Caesar Our favorite non-sandwich thing here, this is a surprisingly spicy salad that we’ll order anytime we want something that doesn’t come between pieces of bread. Spicy Turkey Pesto House-smoked turkey on house-baked bread with very good pesto. We wish it was a little heavier on the spice, but this is still a good choice if you don’t want red meat." - Brett Keating
"Good Subs Tee, $30 OK, don’t tell the other items on this list, but this might just be our favorite shirt. Created by Downtown LA (and now East Hollywood) sandwich shop, E Stretto, this “Good Subs Only” tee (get it? Get it??) is perfect for anyone with a sense of humor… and maybe an interest in kink play?" - Kat Hong
"If you’re tired of ordering from Bay Cities, but you’re still in the mood for an Italian sub, then it’s time to head to E Stretto. Everything on the menu at this tiny Downtown shop comes on their excellent house-baked ciabatta, but we’re especially partial to their spicy turkey pesto and pressed roast beef. However - the real reason you travelled here is for the Il Papa, a giant sub filled with mortadella, chorizo, manchego, and giardiniera, which serves as their remix to the ubiquitous Godmother. And much like the cinematic, Western stylings of the Violents version of Kacey Musgraves’ “High Horse,” this is one of the few remixes that are just as good as the original. Available for takeout and delivery - call (213) 265-7017 or find them on the apps." - Kat Hong
"E Stretto, a Los Angeles sandwich shop boarded up all of their windows to prevent damage during the first weekend of protests in late May, but looters still broke into the restaurant through a back entrance, making off with equipment and alcohol. 'I don’t know what to do anymore,' Joel David Miller, the restaurant’s co-owner, told Eater at the time. Nevertheless, the restaurant provided free sandwiches to protesters this past weekend, telling their followers on Instagram in all caps to 'DM us for a free sandwich if you’re on the vanguard of the right side of history.'" - Elazar Sontag
"E Stretto is a tiny sandwich counter at the front of Bar Clacson and the Slipper Clutch in Downtown, and a great option when you don’t feel like dealing with the hordes of tourists and power-lunchers at Grand Central Market. The menu has about eight sandwiches on it (plus some salads that you don’t need to order), and we tend to go for the chorizo-and-manchego-filled Ill Papa or the roast beef that comes with a cup of melted cheese on the side." - Brant Cox
