There’s something a little bittersweet about friendships that begin thanks to a shared routine. You’re grateful to have them, but you know they could change at any moment if the routine changes.
For a while, my dance class gave a group of us a reason to consistently see one another every week. My life has its structure and its unpredictability at times, but showing up, moving with friends, laughing between songs, and slowly learning each other beyond introductions became a welcome addition to my world.
But when the class ended, none of us really wanted the friendship to go with it. So we made the decision to keep it alive. In a group chat on social media, we crack jokes and share details on our lives, but also plan for getting together. This time, the meeting spot was Sunday Gravy in Inglewood.
And honestly, it felt like exactly the right place for it.
The interior seating area of the restaurant may be small, but welcomes guests in all their ways; for us, we come with a lot of opinions, laughter, and decibels, but the restaurant was ok with that. Sunday Gravy is a kind of space where the menu leans into traditional items and those that come with a hint of uniqueness to make whatever you order feel special. If you love Italian food and want to explore it at Sunday Gravy, they have something for you.
When it came to us, we each ordered our own meals. But like any good group of friends, bites were shared and plates were passed back and forth amongst us all.
For myself, I had an idea of what I wanted and with a little help from the waiter I locked it in.
I started with the Cheesy Garlic Bread ($11.50 + $1.75 for marinara). Organic Cadoro Bakery ciabatta bread was covered with butter, garlic, parsley, and mozzarella cheese. It smelled delicious when it arrived to the table, but the taste is what really made me happy. It was golden, warm, cheesy, and the kind of appetizer that disappears quickly. It had that perfect balance of crisp edges and soft center, with enough cheese to make it feel indulgent without going overboard.
For my main dish, I ordered the Lasagne al Forno ($21).
Made of bolognese, besciamella sauce, Grana Padano cheese, and Pecorino Romano cheese, this plate was hearty. It was comforting in the way only baked pasta can be. Layers of sauce, cheese, and pasta all baked together into something that felt filling without weighing you down. It was a delicious dish that after eating so much of it made me know I made the right decision.
And then there was dessert: the Bread Pudding ($11.50).
King’s Hawaiian Rolls were topped with a large scoop of vanilla ice cream, drizzled with marsala caramel sauce, and sprinkled with pistachios. It was soft, incredibly sweet, and the perfect ending to a meal built around comfort and conversation.
What I loved most about our lunch at Sunday Gravy wasn’t just the food, although it was genuinely good. But it was the way the restaurant gave space for connection, catching up on life, and laughing loudly at stories that require all the best context. Maintaining friendships that can easily fade once the routine that created them disappears happens, but to be with people who all want to keep the relationships alive is wonderful. Doing so at Sunday Gravy, only helped us keep it growing. And now we continue with our new routine and on this lunch, it came with pasta
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Address: 1122 Centinela Ave, Inglewood, CA 90302
Phone: (424) 227-6500
Hours: Wednesday through Sunday – 11:00 am to 10:00 pm, and Closed Monday and Tuesday.
Social: Website and Instagram.
