Grana with Papa

Growing up with an Italian-Armenian father meant a lot of our days were focused around food. Whether it was breakfast on Sunday mornings or having to be home at least five nights a week for dinner, we always made time to share a meal together, if nothing else.

Since I had to work for Father’s Day, I decided to take Dad out later in the week for dinner, just the two of us. He chose a small Italian spot called Grana, located on Main Street in Jamesport. We had both heard good things and decided to check it out. The small dining room housed mismatched wooden tables and chairs, with antique mirrors and frames along the walls. It was a charming yet casual place, good for families and couples.

We each started with a glass of house wine by Mattebella Vineyards – medium body, dry and fruit forward. Delicious. For our meal, we ordered mainly from the specials menu. For an appetizer, my father and I shared the grilled asparagus with lemon, EVVO, lemon and Parmesan over mixed greens. I normally do not like asparagus, but this was amazing! It was fresh, light and not overpowering. Since Grana is known for their wood oven fired pizzas, we had to try one of those as well. We ordered the special with mortadella, ricotta, prosciutto and peach compote. While it was a little messy to eat, it was absolutely delicious with the right amount of sweet and savory. The first course had to be wrapped to go – it was a lot of food and we needed room for pasta.

My father ordered the special fettuccine loaded with house-pulled Burrata, ricotta, tomato, onion and basil. It was refreshing and needed no additional seasoning. I tried the Tuscan pasta from the regular menu – fettuccine with crimini and porcini mushrooms and a touch of cream. The mushrooms were plentiful and had a nice earthy flavor. These dishes had to be wrapped up as well, and were just as tasty for lunch the next day. We skipped dessert… I can’t imagine how one could have room for it!

Grana is truly a neighborhood gem with great service and even better food. So good in fact, I didn’t even think to order another glass of wine. Shocking, I know. So whether you go with a group of pals or on a father-daughter date, this place is must.