Given the origins of focaccia, there are no prizes for guessing why the sandwich shops fluffing up Melbourne’s focaccia scene are putting Italian fillings front and centre. But while six-month-old Collingwood focaccia bar The Continental – by the same team as next-door bar Gum – definitely has a bit of la dolce vita about it, Spain is the main game. “That was our whole point of difference,” says co-owner Miles Brooks.
In a refurbed Turkish kebab shop on Johnston Street, the mostly made-to-order sangers star Spanish imports such as jamon and manchego. And, most excitingly for Sandwich watch (a column dedicated to the essential sandwiches you need to know about), Melbourne’s favourite fish in a white anchovy focaccia that strays from the pack. It’s essentially a tapas sandwich Every element required for a good tapas bar order is ticked off in this creation – except the ice-cold pint of Estrella.
There’s something carby (a wad of focaccia from Brunswick bakery Iris), something fishy (marinated white anchovy fillets), something cheesy (a liberal dollop of whipped ricotta), something briny (capers), something fresh (red onion and herbaceous verde sauce) and something leafy (a pile of rocket). A tradie hotspot makes one of Melbourne’s top chicken schnitzel sangers But it’s all about the optional add-on (which, let’s face it, isn’t actually optional) The above ingredients make for an enviable lunch. But there’s one thing missing: an almighty crunch.
So, i.
