Grano has a restaurant down the street, where they have a full menu and superb lasagna.   I love BYOB. I also like pasta.  And on a cold chilly night, this was a great spot to catch up with a good friend.  These guys are not fancy.

“1 + 1 = your Grano meal — choose one sauce style + one pasta style”

We started with their bread. Obvi. The fresh Italian bread is served with olive oil with a roasted garlic clove and herbs. The flavor was most definitely infused in oil, giving it and extra kick.

I went with Aglio-olio e Peperoncino, a red sauce with a little spice made with roasted garlic, some hot chili peppers for a little kick and my most favorite cheese – Pecorino Romano. The spice wasn’t overwhelming at all, just adding a hint of something extra to a classic tomato sauce.  They have 6 or 7 different pasta styles, and gnocchi if you want. I chose fusilli cause I like corkscrew shape and there is a lot less twirling.

My good friend chose the penne and the puttanesca. They have a traditional preparation with olive oil, garlic, capers, anchovies, peeled tomatoes, and spices. She loved it.  There wasn’t much left over as evidenced by the tiniest take out container in the world.