Ggiata Delicatessen

"“It's my namesake,” Giada jokes of this sandwich shop serving up crispy chicken cutlets drenched in spicy vodka sauce, meatball parmesan, and tangy grilled balsamic chicken with roasted red peppers. They all feel like entrees on bread, a great attribute in our book." - brennan carley

"We published our Sandwich Takeout Guide earlier this week, and since I am a person who enjoys sliced meat on bread, I consulted said guide, and took my first trip to Ggiata, an Italian deli that firmly belongs on the shortlist for best new-school deli in town. Their Italian is loaded with ham, spicy capicola, salami, Muenster, and Calabrian chilies, and is appropriately drippy for any sauce sticklers out there. I also wanted to get something hot, and had to try the Spicy P - a chicken parm sandwich made with vodka sauce. The crispy chicken cutlets are crunchy and moist, and there’s a tiny kick of basil pesto in every bite, along with the sweet-and-spicy sauce. Both sandwiches are served on tremendous seeded baguettes, that somehow manage to contain all the sauces quite nicely. - BK" - the infatuation los angeles crew

"Verdict: Ggiata’s Perfect Chicken Caesar Wrap is a satisfying lunch, though the idea is better in theory than in practice. We prefer the version with buffalo chicken. We’ve been fans of Ggiata’s gussied-up Italian sandwiches for years, but this new-school deli chain recently dipped into the wrap game with its Perfect Chicken Caesar Wrap that promptly went viral. The reception has been divisive—not just online, but in our own office, too. We all agree this salad-stuffed bundle is great in theory, but less so in practice. The warm, chopped chicken cutlet wilts the romaine lettuce if it sits too long, the dressing tastes closer to ranch than ceasar (though it’s still delicious), and we’re on the fence whether big crunchy croutons inside a toasted flour tortilla is carb-on-carb overkill. That said, this is still a satisfying lunch, especially after you drizzle on the extra dressing you're given. Our real hot take, however, is that their buffalo chicken wrap—made with honey buffalo sauce, crunchy celery, and tangy pickles—is superior." - nikko duren, sylvio martins, brant cox

"Another spot that eschews marinara in favor of vodka sauce, Ggiata is an Italian deli in East Hollywood. Their chicken parm sandwich is called the Spicy P, and the breast cutlets are loaded with some extra-spicy and supremely Romano-heavy vodka sauce, then hit with just enough pesto that you get a bit of basil in every bite. The whole thing is served on a seeded baguette from LA’s Bread Bar, which contains the contents of the sandwich quite nicely." - kat hong, brett keating

"Ggiata is a new-school Italian deli with a decidedly old-school menu. You’ll find sandwiches filled with things like crispy chicken cutlets drenched in savory vodka sauce, meatball parmesan, and tangy grilled balsamic chicken with roasted red peppers. Though there are a few traditional cold cuts to be had, most of Ggiata’s sandwiches feel more like Italian suppers on bread. The bright space at Melrose and Western is mostly a to-go operation— there’s little in the way of seating—but before you head out with your sandwiches, be sure to spend a moment at the daily dessert case. Whether it’s a perfectly moist olive oil cake or a box of rainbow cookies, don’t leave Ggiata without at least one sweet item." - brant cox, nikko duren, sylvio martins