Deli’s Continental

Deli’s Continental began as a pop-up running out of Maylands pizzeria Rossonero, with two of the restaurant’s own pizza-makers, Stev Makhlouta and Aldo Putzu, on the tools.

These days, the pair run their cult rolls, doorstopper-like focaccias and hefty toasties out of this permanent shop next door to the Inglewood Woolworths. And while the extra space has allowed them to ramp up the production of their pickles, conserva and house-made sauces, their focus remains the same: house-made deli goods at affordable prices.

Unsurprisingly, most people come here for the classic conti: a combination of cold cuts, bright capsicum conserva and salad tucked into a crunchy, house-baked roll. There’s also an eggplant parmy – built along the same lines as the conti except cold cuts are swapped out for rounds of roasted eggplant, sugo, fior di latte and a shower of grated pecorino cheese.

Other options might include a chicken cacciatore (an Aus-talian take on the chicken salad roll) and a mushroom roll featuring layers of roast mushrooms enhanced with confit garlic and a porcini cream sauce.

While the rolls come in a variety of fillings, the house-baked bread remains a study in achieving max crunch and weightlessness in bread-making. As they were during the pop-up, the rolls are flash-baked to order.

The shop has seating for around 20 people, but most of the real-estate is dedicated to the kitchen and espresso machine. Whether you’re eating in or taking away, this place is an ideal lunch pitstop worthy of the hype.