Big thanks to @A5KOBE for alerting me to the difference between the two sandwiches
My first ever visit to Gjusta was for the GPM shortly after the place opened, and it was not very good. Melting the cheese, and adding the onion and rapini, as is done on the GPM, takes away from the beauty and simplicity that is the GPB. The cracklin’ loses all it’s punch on the GBM but packs a wallup on the GPB. GPB is so much porkier too.
Great!
I should try it again - it was like the first week of operations. But the crunch I associate with great porchetta was sadly absent. If they changed the names to Porchetta Butcher // Philly Style Roast Pork with Fontina, perhaps I could live with the situation.
There is a certain connectivity between all of this. Wabi Sabi (on Abbot Kinney) was started by Robert Schwan. He went on to partner up and start Gjelina et al.
“Good for what it is” kind of place. Rolls, Japa-Cal dishes, lots of beer and driinks. It was very innovative for its time and locarion. Wabi Sabi was one of the early birds on Abbot Kinney. I don’t know if Schwan still owns it. The restaurant went through a lengthy major revamp.
I do see your point. There’s an expectations thing going on, especially after you’ve tried the butcher. There’s also some variation – sometimes it’s transcendent, other times just okay.
Tangential aside: Both the porchetta and turkey butcher sandwiches do well on plane trips.