Previous SlideNext Slide

There’s a little sandwich joint at the Brunswick East end of Lygon Street that’s so good it usually sells out before lunchtime on Fridays and Saturdays. Known as Stefanino Panino, it’s operated by former schoolteacher Stef Condello and his mum, Diana, whose parents migrated from Italy in the 1950s, making Brunswick their home.

A deli fridge filled with cheese, salumi and ricotta dominates the space. There’s nowhere to sit and the only contributions to the decor are a framed Essendon Bombers jersey and a few small, framed paintings and photographs, which merely add to the charm of this family-run spot.

The venue owes its popularity to its one-page list of 10 heavy-hitting Italian-inspired panini – ciabatta rolls stuffed with simple, high-quality ingredients paired together beautifully.

Salumi are sliced so thinly they melt in the mouth, creamy cheeses such as stracciatella from That’s Amore are applied liberally, and other ingredients such as fresh and marinated vegetables or ’nduja, spreadable fermented Calabrian chilli sausage, add further savour.

Carlton North’s Natural Tucker Bakery supplies the ciabattas, whose open, airy crumb provides the perfect platform for the rich fillings. Most are used to make up Bologna rolls ($15), two-handers packed with mortadella, stracciatella, pickled peppers and green olives.

I prefer its richer counterpart, Il Manzo ($16), loaded with rare roast beef, provolone, mild pickled peppers, roast capsicum, red onion and a sharp blanket of Dijon mustard.

Come lunchtime, the joint is heaving with locals, so grab your panino before 12.30pm or risk missing out.

Gluten-free and vegan options are available, and panini can be custom-made with either three ($13), four ($15) or five ($17) fillings. They include salumi such as mortadella, hot or fennel salami or porchetta, which are sliced to order (and can be ordered by weight to take home).

Rounding out the menu are cannoli from Cannoleria by That’s Amore, which are filled on-site with fresh ricotta, filter coffee ($4), and bottled Italian fruit juices ($4).

Come lunchtime, the joint is heaving with locals, so grab your panino before 12.30pm or risk missing out. This is set to change in the future when they move locally with hopes to open a licensed dine-in spot that opens for dinner too – with more to come later.