At first, $20 for a sandwich can seem pretty steep … until you get a look at the sandwich.
Located on the second floor of the 808 Center, Little G Café is popular for its pizzas. The eatery used to offer sandwiches on Wednesdays and Saturdays only, but recently started serving them from Wednesday to Saturday. While customers can usually order sandwiches all day on Wednesdays, on Saturdays, the business sells out quickly — especially if there’s a featured special.
Having sandwiches on the menu stemmed from business owner/chef Jared Brown’s craving for them.
“I just missed it,” he says. “These are the kinds of sandwiches I grew up with, back in New York.”
Currently, there are four different sandwiches on the menu. The lineup will be updated seasonally, but the two most popular sandwiches — the Italian combo and the chicken Parm — will stay on the menu because they’re staples, according to Brown. He says during the summer, the business will probably add a grilled vegetable sandwich on the menu as a vegetarian option.
The Italian combo is a meaty mix of prosciutto, mortadella, two types of salami, soppressata, red peppers, sundried tomatoes, lettuce and fresh tomatoes. In true Guy Fieri fashion, I had to smash down the bread a little and dislocate my jaw in order to get all the sandwich’s contents in one bite. Little G Café definitely doesn’t skimp on the meat, and the savory flavors are balanced by the bright flavors of the vinegary lettuce, peppers and fresh tomatoes.
Meanwhile, the chicken Parm features five generous pieces of chicken cutlet, fresh mozzarella, fresh basil, arugula and tomato sauce. The chicken cutlet boasts a perfect golden exterior — aka, a satisfying crunch — and juicy interior, which is only taken to the next level with the oozing, melted mozzarella and housemade tomato sauce.
“Quality bread, quality products, and a good contrast of flavors (make a good sandwich),” Brown says. “If you can do it, be conscientious of textures. If you finished it, at the end of it, you feel content … not like, ‘I should have gotten chips with this.’”
Showcasing quality products in both his pizzas and sandwiches is important to Brown.
“The mozzarella we use for the sandwiches is different from the one we use on the pizza,” he explains. “The one for pizza has more liquid. This (for sandwiches) is on the leaner side; it has a better chew to it.”
Other sandwiches that are currently on the menu include the Mortabella — burrata, pistachios, fresh parmesan, herbs and mortadella — and the caprese, a cheesy combo of fresh mozzarella, basil, tomato and balsamic glaze.
“All sandwiches are $20 for now,” Brown says. “People will stop at first — '$20?’ — but I’m putting quality stuff in it and good quantity.”
Stay tuned — the eatery will soon be launching a pasta special during lunch.
CONTACT
Little G Café
808 Center
808 Sheridan St. Ste. 208A, Honolulu
808-699-9116
Littlegcafe.com
Instagram: @littlegcafe
Open 12-7 p.m., Wednesdays-Saturdays
Sunday slice shop is 11 a.m. until sold out
Kelli Shiroma Braiotta can be reached at kelli@alohastatedaily.com.
