In the new video game Mafia II, Cengiz Karachua plays The Fat Man, wears a Hawaiian shirt and wields a Tommy gun. At Papa’s Place, his new restaurant in Los Feliz, he brandishes a knife and spatula to prepare down-home Eastern European favorites like Bavarian Loaf, which is similar to Bologna, produced in-house using pork and veal, and served on a wheat roll with sauerkraut, onions, mustard and fennel seeds. His Papera Bowl features croutons piled with cubes of Angus steak, yogurt and garlic sauce and burnt butter. You’ll also find sandwiches packed with beef tongue, pastrami and more, plus sausages from a German butcher in Orange County. Think chicken with jalapeno, turkey with coriander and Bratwurst crafted from veal and pork.
The small space, which housed his father’s Golden Needle Tailoring for 23 years, now features a fast casual deli-style set-up. Order at the counter and grab a seat at one of four high-top tables, or at the four-seat outdoor counter. Images of Constantinople line the walls, along with vintage Coca-Cola signs and photos of Karachua’s parents, pictured in front of the tailoring shop. Karachua dedicated the cafe to Papa’s memory, since he passed away almost two years ago. CLICK HERE FOR MORE BACKGROUND ON PAPA’S PLACE. [The Feast]
