Filled sandwich deli, worth the queue

Melbourne’s sandwich game is getting serious — and Essendon’s latest contender, 3 Salamis, is proof that the humble sanga can be a full-blown experience when it’s done right.

Owner Adam Demase swears the secret’s in the bread. He uses schiacciata — a Tuscan-style flatbread that sits somewhere between focaccia and heaven — baked fresh each morning by a local baker whose name he’s keeping firmly under wraps. “It’s not doughy or overpowering,” he says. “You don’t just feel like you’re eating bread.”

Each sandwich is built to order: the schiacciata is toasted till warm and crisp, then layered with fillings that melt into the bread and olive oil. There are ten combinations on the menu, but the clear crowd favourite is the namesake 3 Salamis — a triple threat of salami, prosciutto, and mortadella, plus green olives, provolone piccante, house-made marinated capsicum, and a spicy chilli spread that ties it all together.

All the cured meats are sliced to order and come from Puopolo Artisan Salumi, just down the road, while extras are totally flexible. Add or swap anything — pistachio pesto, truffle honey, spicy eggplant, whatever you’re vibing that day.

If you’ve still got room, grab one of the arancini made by Adam’s little brother (head chef across the street at Tutti). They come in classic bolognese or veggie, and they’re the kind of snack you tell yourself you’ll share but don’t.

Drinks? Expect good coffee, Italian sodas from San Pellegrino and Galvanina, and fresh juices.

The locals are already queuing — not surprising when you realise this isn’t Adam’s first rodeo. He’s also behind Tutti Trattoria, 2 Fat Greeks, and Neverland Gelato. This time he’s teamed up with his sister Carla Myers and friend Mitch Kargas — the three “salamis” behind the name (their Nonna’s affectionate nickname for the siblings when they were being silly).

They’ve turned what was once an office into a nostalgic Italian deli — checkerboard green-and-white floors, restored 1920s façade, stained glass, and deli fridges packed with produce. Chillies hang in the front window drying for a Demase family tradition: fry them till they puff like crisp chips, then eat them with bread, cheese, and, obviously, salami.

Pull up a stool inside or perch outside on a sunny day and you’ll quickly see why 3 Salamis already feels like a local classic.