Probably not as gritty as in the past, but I wouldn't go feeling safe at 2am. I'd say mildly gentrified, with the same Vietnamese community/black community sections it has always been.
I didn't eat lettuce on my sandwich until my twenties and I'm still not a huge fan of raw tomato (besides tacos) but a BLT with a slice of cheddar is one of the best sandwiches out there.
good question. there was moisture in the meat/veg pan that i didn't want to try to toast in, and spouse wanted to make her own so using the comal freed up the pan for her.