Page 24 - foodservice magazine September 2019

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TPRAODFEILTEALK
RE STORE’S CONTI ROLL – PERTH
By Max Brearley
“There’s not really anything like the continental roll in Australia,” says Fiona Berti of Northbridge institution Re Store. A baguette-like roll and a mix of cold meats, cheeses and condiments, the “Conti Roll” has grown in stature since its inception in the 1950s. Back then, workers would buy diamond- shaped loose rolls, cold meats and antipasto, and make their own sandwich on the spot. Deli-founder John Re soon caught on.
While Re Store isn’t the only deli to make one, it’s arguably the most famous. Berti likens it to an American sub or hoagie – something Besha Rodell of the New York Times also noted about Australian sandwich culture. The American comparison has legs beyond the roll, and the experience has a distinctly New York feel: queuing with your number, faced mainly with ladies of Italian heritage who chide you good-naturedly should you slow the queue. While a crusty “banana roll” from Vastese bakery in North Perth was part of the equation for decades, the bakery’s closure in 2015 didn’t spell the end for this key component. Grainaissance in Osborne Park took on the recipe, the ovens and a former Vastese baker. Berti says that it’s “not exactly the same”, but pretty close.
The Conti Roll is made to order from a counter of choice, and Berti says you can spot the uninitiated. Other than
the bread, it’s about the meat – a choice of mild, hot or the traditional mix. Salami, coppa and mortadella are sourced from Australian smallgoods firms, while prosciutto is from San Daniele. Cheese is again a mix, from Italian provolone, to Swiss cheese and Australian cheddar. Building blocks in place, it’s onto antipasto: sundried tomato, artichoke, pickled capsicum and marinated eggplant, much of which made in store, and shredded iceberg lettuce get layered in, before the roll is closed with a hefty crunch.
DATA ANALYSIS
ACROSS AUSTRALIA, THE BEST AND MOST POPULAR SANDWICHES ARE INCREDIBLY DIVERSE, YET THEY DO SHARE SOME CHARACTERISTICS. HERE’S WHAT OUR COMPUTERS DEDUCED:
SOFT BREAD
CRUSTY BREAD
TOASTED
BREAD MADE IN HOUSE
HOT
COLD
MEAT
SEAFOOD
VEGETARIAN
CHEESE
PICKLES
MAYO
RAW VEGETABLE ELEMENT
CRISPY ELEMENT
0
0
1
1
2
2
3
3
3
3
4
5
5
6