Midtown Lunch

On April 27th, 2010 Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo, the chefs from Animal, served one of my favorite lunches of the year from the Cart For a Cause Truck: a fried chicken sandwich, modeled after the delicious specimen from Bakesale Betty’s in Oakland.  Starting the next day,  I began a campaign (occasionally in public but mostly just me praying privately to the food gods) to make that sandwich available for lunch somewhere in L.A.  Anywhere.  I didn’t care.  In Feburary, Son of a Gun opened and the chicken sandwich made it onto the menu.  But like Animal, they were only open for dinner. So my campaign praying begging to food baby Jeebus continued. Well, I’m happy to report that on Monday my campaign officially came to an end.   Son of a Gun is now open for lunch, and the chicken sandwich ($11) is on the menu along with two new sandwiches that are just as good (if not better.)

Let me first say that Son of a Gun is in no way, shape, or form a Midtown Lunch.  But back in April of 2010 I said that I would be willing to pay $12 (even $20) for this chicken sandwich.  And I don’t want to anger the food gods by going back on my word.  At $11 the chicken sandwich is still kind of a steal, especially when compared with the rest of the Son of a Gun menu- which is made up of expensive seafood, fashioned into pretty small bites.  It’s also hard to complain about the price when comparable sandwiches are being served for $9-12 at ML fave Fundamental L.A. in Westwood.   I could see downing one of these things as a light lunch and calling it a day… or maybe splitting it with somebody else, along with an order of french fries ($6).

Who am I kidding.  I will never be able to make it out of Son of a Gun just ordering the chicken sandwich.  Especially after trying their two new sandwiches… the $6 oyster loaf, and the $11 frita sub.

At $6 I guess I should have known that the oyster loaf was going to be small (like, one oyster small).

Well, when you show it me that way…

But I’d be lying if I didn’t say it was the four best bites of sandwich I’ve had in a long time. And compared to the Son of a Gun lobster roll, it’s actually a steal!   I’d put this bad boy up against any of the $6 sandwiches at ink.sack any day.

Objects in photo may appear smaller than they actually are.

In stark contrast to the oyster loaf, the frita is an absolute monstrosity.  Modeled after the popular potato stick topped Cuban burgers that are popular in Miami, Jon & Vinny’s version is made with chorizo, and comes topped with lettuce, tomato, potato sticks, and too many sauces to count (referred to on the menu simply as “special sauce”). If you want to spend $11 at Son of a Gun and leave as full as you possibly can, the Frita is your best shot.  Although let the presentation be a warning to all… eating this whole sandwich by yourself is like shoving a serrated knife into your heart.  (I actually felt like I had been hit by a car at the end of this lunch.)

As great as these sandwiches are, they are the only three things on the menu that I can post on this site without being completely embarrassed (and more than anything it just shows how much Fundamental and ink.sack have changed the lunchtime sandwich scene in L.A.)  Son of a Gun lunch is not really much different than Son of a Gun dinner. All of your old faves are there… including the shrimp toast ($11), the lobster roll ($7), the fish dip ($11), crudo ($17), and linguini w/ clams and uni ($18).  And many of the new dishes, like the fish and chips ($15) and cavatelli and meatballs ($14) fit the typical Son of a Gun mold.  Small portions with expensive ingredients that are meant to be shared. And don’t expect to get out of there for less than $25 a person.

In other words, I’m still holding out hope that Jon & Vinny will eventually open an ink.sack type place of their own.  A guy can dream, right?

Son of a Gun, 8370 W. 3rd Street. 323-782-9033