Grano’s Ftira is Better than your Ftira. No really… IT IS! 🏆
You know that feeling you get when you’re walking through Valletta, with a tonne of errands on your list and a rumbling in your stomach that you just can’t shake? You’ve got so much to do and there’s only so much time in the day, so getting a table at a restaurant will just take way too long… guess you’ll have to starve, huh? 😢
Wrong! There’s always a solution for the hungry foodie on the go and what, friends, is better than a sandwich stacked with fresh ingredients? A Grano ftira that’s layered with quality… imma quality… products that instantly set off on a who-tastes-better-showdown in your mouth. Never heard of Grano, well that means only one thing… you don’t follow FoodBlog as religiously as you should, we love this joint and always make sure to stop in for a visit and quick bite every time we’re in the capital. But if you haven’t tried it yet, we can still be friends… just as long as you try it though! 👉
The first time I tried Grano was not too long ago, not because I didn’t want to, but because Valletta and summer don’t mix well for my overheating temperament. It was a month ago when my life suddenly became complete… we walked into the city, ticked all our errands off the list, told ourselves we’ll behave and eat lunch at home, but broke down the moment my wife whispered, “I’m hungry.” Great, I know just where to go, exclaimed the ever-hungry me (who had been thinking about potential stops for a little snackipoo the minute we parked the car in Valletta). 😳
Off we went to Saint Lucy’s Street for the most delicious ftira you’ll even munch on. As we made our way to Grano, I searched my palette for the flavour flavs I desperately required at that moment and it landed on; something that screamed Italian… but I also really wanted something moreish that I knew would make me regret wearing a nice shirt that day. We decided to go halfsies, because you know… #foodiecouplegoals and we were both pleasantly surprised! 💣
We opted for the Tagliata and the Buzbieza, both of which were top notch on ftira crunch factor, filling to bread ratio, filling layers and quantity as well as overall ingredient combo deliciousness. Needless to say we were happy with our choice. 👏
The Tagliata comes with grilled flank steak, sweet potato mash, Grana Padano, rucola and truffle mayo - a combo that really hones in on that Sunday Roast vibe with a flash of flair and excellence. It’s the perfect division of soft and smooth with the sweet potato, the peppery rucola and umami bomb Grana. The stars of this ftira are definitely the perfectly medium rare flank steak, cut thin and smothered in a rich truffle mayo that gives you an initial hit, but doesn't quite overpower the ftira. This is probably the Grano king. But the Buzbieza was easily a winner too. 😋
Served with salame finnochiona for an earthy, smoked base, carciofi Romana that added so much flavour complexity with every chunky bite, mozzarella fior di latte which even served solo gives every real foodie life and a tart, spicy and sweet chilli tomato vinaigrette to tie it all together. We may have taken a Brontese home with us for a mid afternoon snack, but fell victim to its pistachio lures, burrata temptation and mortadella seduction as we walked back to the car. Just maybe though. 🤷♀️
Another beauty that we don’t often see on the menu of local sandwich shops is the Reuben. A Reuben is one of the classics that doesn’t get enough recognition, there are a few places who crack it out and do it well, but Grano’s Reuben is something else mates. 👍
The secret ingredient at Grano is that they only use the freshest of ingredients. From their choice of ftira to the stuff that goes inside, the display in their tiny nook is stacked with cold cuts waiting to be sliced, homemade sauces ready for the squeeze and a whole lot more quality ingredients that they also use for their Wraps and Salads, Multigrain Bread and Bagels. 🥯
If you happen to be a Bagel lover, try out their Breakfast Bagel for that Insta winning egg pop and crunchy slammer of a bacon rasher! 🥓
If we had to mention just one more thing about Grano’s excellence, it would probably be the way they honour the season and special occasions that give rise to a bangin’ specials menu that you know we at FoodBlog will head over to ASAP to share the news as fast as we can! Easter brought us the Pasquino that smashed out Lebanese spices running through a slow cooked lamb shoulder with their iconic sweet potato mash, grilled onions and a super-yum pistachio pesto. And just because it’s Easter, they slapped all this goddess between a freshly cut slab of Qaghaq tal-Appostli. Easter became our new fav holiday here for a minute. 🐑
You know we love a food spot when we decide to collaborate with them on a FoodBlog creation. It’s our way of telling the public that we’ve tried and tested a spot, love their produce, their story and their menu and want to be part of that creative process. The Exclusive Wild Boar & Truffle Sandwich is a Grano masterpiece that we collaborated with the team on in honour of their 1 year anniversary! 🥳
What better way to celebrate a whole year of success than with a wild boar meatball served with tomato sauce on a bed of creamy truffle polenta, fresh truffle shavings and a drizzle of truffle oil? 🤯
These two beauties might have come and gone, but there are tonnes of menu items that are yet to be discovered and savoured. Our next pick will probably be the Hogwich and the Castelli Romani, because pork in a sandwich is undoubtable life… unless the special of the day will be too good to pass up. Hmm, maybe we’ll get 3 Grano ftira again next time. 🤔
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