The best Italian sandwich is in Mildura, Victoria

Six hours is a long time to spend in the car just to get a bite to eat, but I think I’ve finally found the sandwich that would make such an arduous journey worth it.

Sandwich heaven awaits in Mildura. Image @theitalianmildura

When talking about country town fare, for most of us, the images that immediately spring to mind are hot pies, the classic salad sandwiches (with tinned beetroot, of course), and neenish tarts from the local bakery that’s been there for decades and where the staff know all of the regulars.

In Mildura, though, a new lunch spot is turning traditional Aussie country lunches on its head and taking things back to the region’s Mediterranean roots. 

I’m talking about The Italian, a modern take on the traditional paninoteca located in the heart of the town’s main drag on Langtree Avenue. 

Opened in April 2023 by local chefs Sandra Imbesi and Brad Fyfe, the cafe has quickly garnered a reputation for what could easily be considered some of the best sandwiches in Australia. 

 

 

 

 

 

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Combining Fyfe’s history as a former executive chef at Stefano’s with Imbesi’s expertise as the local go-to cannoli caterer, and inspired by the region’s Italian migrant roots and the its impeccable produce, the classic Italian lunch fare is everything you’d imagine - and want - from a paninoteca. 

Serving up antipasto boards, piadinas, calzones and made-to-order paninis on house-baked ciabatta, the menu reads like something out of an old-school Sicilian deli where timeless staples like prosciutto, mortadella, provolone and sous-vide chicken are paired with fresh mozzarella, roasted capsicums, pesto, and a locally made artichoke paste. 

 

 

 

 

 

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To experience The Italian’s very best, try the Bologna, where just four primary ingredients - mortadella, provolone, artichoke paste and pistachio - work in the kind of harmony that’s deliciously authentic in its flavours and knock-out in its simplicity. 

When the main event is over, be sure to round out your meal with their Seven Seeds coffee or with one of Imbesi’s famous cannoli. For those wanting to keep the party going, The Italian also offers take-away packs of lasagna, which, in addition to being wildly tasty, come from Imbesi’s handed-down family recipe. 

That’s amore worth traveling for.

Originally published as The best Italian sandwich is in Mildura, Victoria