Grana: Your new go-to spot for pizza and meatballs

Grana is an Italian restaurant in Midtown Atlanta known for pizza and meatballs © Anna Lanfreschi

Handmade pizza, from-scratch pasta, meatball flights, and make-your-own cannoli. These are just a few of the authentic Italian dishes you can expect from Grana.

Grana doesn’t just serve any Italian food: The Morningside restaurant specializes in true Neapolitan cuisine. If you’ve ever been to Naples, Italy, or met anyone from Naples, you will have undoubtedly heard that Neapolitan food is the best kind of Italian food. Afterall, Naples is the birthplace of pizza… and every Neapolitan dish, from antipasti to desert, tastes soulful, soothing, and oh-so-satisfying.

 And there’s no better person in Atlanta to bring the robust flavors of southern Italy to our city than Chef Pat Pascarella, who helms Grana’s kitchen (as well as White Bull in Decatur). Pascarella grew up tasting and cooking with the Italian matriarchs of his family, and you’ll see nods to his family recipes throughout Grana’s menu.

 Grana is known for its meatballs, and you’ll see both mom’s and grandma’s polpettes on the menu. Best not to choose through, and simply try one of each with the meatball tasting, which is a flight of all six meatballs on the menu and makes for a hearty start to your meal.

Crispy Brussels sprouts (R) and the meatball flight (L) at Grana © Anna Lanfreschi

Before you move onto the pizzas and the pastas, get your veggies in. There are several options on the antipasti menu section, and the crispy Brussels sprouts with truffle honey and ricotta are divine.

Now, for the delicious carbs… you really can’t go wrong with any of the pizzas or pastas at Grana! The truffle pizza is a memorable option because it comes with three types of cheese, including burrata (mozzarella’s fancier cousin), and is topped with black truffle sauce.

The truffle pizza at Grana © Anna Lanfreschi

Regardless of your main entrée selection, definitely, absolutely, categorically save room for dessert. There’s really only one item on the menu – cannoli – but your options are limitless because you get to fully customize your sweet treat. You can choose the type of ricotta it’s filled with (yes, there is more than one choice!), the various toppings to add to each side, and whether to top it with chocolate. Hands down, these are the best cannoli I’ve had in Atlanta!

Make-your-own cannoli (R); Grana’s rooftop patio (L) © Anna Lanfreschi

Grana is open for happy hour and dinner nightly, and also serves brunch on the weekends. When the weather is nice, do check out their expansive rooftop patio, especially during happy hour. Reservations are not required, but highly recommended.

Anna Lanfreschi is a digital content creator and strategist based in Atlanta. She posts about food and travel on her blog, AnnaFeasts, and on Instagram @AnnaFeasts. 

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