When it comes to tight curation and self-expression, delicatessens have the concept nailed. So what is it about these little shops—some of which have been operating longer than most readers have been buying mortadella—that are so very captivating?
Well, there’s our old pal Cost of Living, for one thing. Sure, there's the argument that you can blow a week's pay on a few tins of French peas and a wisp of ham in some of these places, but smarten up and think of the sandwiches.
Image credit: P.R. Raineri | Facebook
Gone are the days of people queuing for upwards of an hour for a casual mid-week dinner, unless they’re on the company dime. They will, however, queue up for the same amount of time for a $15 sandwich packed with deli meats, pickles, veg, and fresh burrata at P. R Raineri in Sydney's Five Dock. Not least because the sandwiches are so huge you can keep half for an afternoon snack.
There’s a sense of community with many delis, built with the intention of servicing their neighbourhood. It's a tale as old as time, and it’s still happening today, partly as an ode to the establishment, and partly for some to start traditions of their own.
Image credit: Marani Deli | Dexter Kim
Marani Deli in Sydney's buzzy Newtown is exactly that. On the shelves, Marani is about European and Australian smallgoods and tinned things, spanning from Georgia to Kiama. Owned and run by Alex Grenouiller, (last seen on the floor at Cafe Paci, and wielding the wire at Penny’s Cheese Shop) the brief is a shop to be treasured by generations, for generations. “What would a grandma buy when she goes to a Sicilian deli in the Inner West?” says Grenouiller.
The concept of what a deli could—or should—be has also changed swiftly, from koji-cured deli meats at Larder in Cleveland, Ohio to a shopping experience at Habitat by Honestbee in Singapore where you have to download an app before you’re even allowed to pick up a shopping basket. As the world becomes more diverse, so too do our shopping experiences.
Image credit: Moon Mart | Instagram
Melbourne’s freshly re-located Moon Mart is a love letter to the convenience stores of Korea that sell everything from butter, eggs and milk pudding to fresh bread and kimchi. A devotion to flavour, fun and originality, it's run by chef Eun Hee An (ex-Moon Park and Paper Bird) and her business partner Mei Onsamlee (ex-Momofuku Seiobo) who describes it as “a convenience store, with a cute little corner to eat.”
In the deli, shop for house-made kimchi; burnt teriyaki sauce; gojuchang, and two flavours of XO and in the cafe, order the house-baked rye shokupan with Japanese-style curried eggs and chicken sausages.
For hospitality workers such as Grenouiller, Hee An and Onsamlee who have all looked at opening their own venues, there are also more opportunities when it comes to the deli-hybrid. Not quite a restaurant, not quite a bar, not entirely a grocery store, they might serve food, they might serve smallgoods, and you might also be able to enjoy a little glass of wine.
Image credit: Mortadeli | Instagram
Newtown’s Continental Deli, with its shelves of canned goods and counters full of meats and cheeses, has the concept down pat. See also Mortadeli in Torquay where the merch is almost as delicious as the snacks, and Fremantle’s Ethos Deli where you can shop for house-made bresaola, and sit down to a post-surf Vegemite scroll.
There’s a very strong argument for delis being the beating heart of edible culture around the world. Personality-driven shopping experiences where customer service still lives. When was the last time anyone helped you buy cheese in a supermarket while handing you a glass of chablis and offering you an olive?
I rest my case.
Keen to see more? Check out
- The Best Delis In Sydney
- Melbourne's Best Deli Sandwiches
- Brisbane's Charming Small-Batch Grocer
- Perth's Iconic Italian Deli
- The Best Gourmet Delis On The Gold Coast
Main image credit: Marani Deli | Dexter Kim