At this point, I would argue that I’ve been to Grana more times than I’ve been to the Emory Student Center. Whether via Door Dash or dining in at the restaurant, I think I probably have the menu committed to memory, and I wouldn’t be lying if I said Grana has appeared in my dreams. So, without further ado, here are the staples from this spectacular spot that I can’t go more than a month without.
Appetizers
In my mind, the beauty of Grana is in the appetizers. On multiple occasions, I’ve turned the whole experience into a tapas night, just sharing appetizers with friends. However, these are my top three.
Brussels Sprouts
A fall special, these might be my favorite thing on the whole Grana menu. Imagine the crispiest, most flavorful brussels sprouts you’ve ever had, and then cover them in parmesan cheese. Is your mouth watering yet?
Meatballs
I’ll admit, the first few times I went to Grana, I skipped the meatballs. That was easily one of the biggest mistakes I’ve made; after all, the whole restaurant is covered with slogans, posters, and t-shirts about this one dish. In my opinion, the only way to order these right is to get the whole flight, but if pressed to choose just one, I’d pick the classic Mommy’s meatballs. Each of the six meatball varieties is made with different meat and toppings, making it so fun to try them all. The whole flight is beautiful and was enough to make my sister break her two-year vegetarian streak. If that doesn’t tell you how amazing these are, the picture below will definitely prove my point.
Crispy Potatoes
I could write a whole article about the best potatoes/patatas bravas in Atlanta, and Grana would top the list every time. These potatoes are smashed, loaded with salt and parmesan, and then covered in a spicy aioli. They also make the best leftovers I’ve ever encountered.
Honorable Mentions: Arancini (seasonal), Burrata
Not My Favorites: Broccolini, Baby Gem Salad, Green Beans
Pasta
The pasta at Grana is arguably the main attraction. Every single pasta dish has shattered my expectations, and these dishes are the reason I keep going back, time and time again. However, whether it’s comfort food in the middle of finals or a nice dinner out, there’s one dish I will always order without fail.
Cavatelli
I am a huge pasta person, and this is easily my favorite bowl of pasta in the world. The noodles are amazing, the bolognese is perfect, and the sage velouté sauce is out of this world. My friends and I have cried in the past when this has left the menu rotation, and I don’t even want to know how many times I’ve ordered this dish alone. If you’re going to Grana, this is the one thing that must be in your order.
Honorable Mentions: Rigatoni, Spaghetti
Not My Favorites: Gemelli, Gnocchi
Pizza
When my parents come to visit, there’s one thing they beg to do no matter how short of a period they’re in ATL for: eat Grana pizza. Personally, I’m more of a pasta girl, but I did call them for their recommendations as they’ve tried every pizza on the menu at this point. Here are their all-time favorites and their no-goes.
Roni
Everything that a classic pepperoni pizza does, only better. This pizza has the best pepperoni covering the whole thing and is then drizzled with Calabrian chili honey. I never thought I would say that honey makes a pizza 100 times better until I met the Roni pizza from Grana.
Drunk Uncle
If you’ve never tried a pizza with a vodka sauce base, I’m going to need you to add this to your next Grana night. This twist on a classic cheese pizza makes it all the more satisfying, and I can tell you that even I save a little room for a slice of this. With two different types of cheese, oregano, and that spicy vodka sauce base, you cannot go wrong with this pie.
Honorable Mentions: Fibonacci, The Green Machine, Potato, Prosciutto & Arugula (seasonal)
Not My Favorites: Salsiccia Bianco, The New Yorker
Dessert
If you’re only going to put one thing on your dessert menu, you better do it well. Grana knocks it out of the park with their build-your-own cannolis (or as my server Max once described them, choose your own adventure cannolis). I think the most fun way to do dessert at Grana is to order a bunch of different cannolis with different shells, fillings, and toppings, but I’ll leave that up to you!