When you walk into a coffee shop and spy a meat aging room - lined with legs of prosciutto, links of salami and whopping rounds of mortadella on show - you know you’re in for a good time. Lombardo Café and Deli (heavy on the deli) is everything you didn’t realize you needed in a cafe, a special take on Italian fare by two brothers, Nick and Christian Lombardo.
At first blush it's just another takeaway joint but a quick glance at the menu hints at something a little more exciting. Sure, you could grab a BLT or some scrambled eggs but we suggest you sidestep the traditional café dishes in lieu of a sandwich that’s going to knock your socks off. The panini are toasted and seasoned with oregano and flakes of sea salt then loaded high with more cured meats than you can poke a stick at. Thin slices of porchetta with roasted capsicum, olives, basil pesto and provolone cheese; bresaola with gorgonzola cheese, artichoke and roquette; or the namesake sando, the Lombardo, of salami, coppa, artichoke, eggplant and ricotta cheese. Whichever turbo toastie you go for, you’re going to be stuffed to the gills and very, very happy for it.