Somehow wafting through the closed entryway, a savory meaty, bacon-like aroma permeates the air at least a block down Jackson St. from Salumi. It's just a taste of what's to come at this classic brick-walled and wooden-floored sandwich shop on Occidental. Inside, a single kiosk guides guests through the ordering process, while an open kitchen invites all to see how the food is prepared. Four employees staff the kitchen - one in the back slicing fresh meat, one working the oven, loading it with beautiful slices of bacon (which explains the tantalizing aroma!), and two in the front, on sandwich duty.
Orders take around 10 to 15 minutes to assemble; there's plenty of seating both inside and out for the wait. I visited for lunch on a brisk but sunny Wednesday 30 minutes before noon. While Salumi wasn't too busy at that time, guests started filtering in after me and soon the shop was bustling.
Braised Porchetta ($17) - This is a huge sandwich, almost 10 inches in length on a rather large baguette, handily beating most of the competition around Seattle in terms of size. The baguette is served untoasted, instead being rather lukewarm to cold. There is barely any crust to speak of; it's probably been softened by sitting in the higher humidity of the Seattle autumn. The interior still remains relatively moist and chewy, with a clearly developed long dough ferment. I'm not sure who the supplier is, but I'm sure it's an excellent baguette when fresh.
On the interior, they spread a generous layer of their chimichurri. It adds a certain herbalness and the tiniest bit of heat along with a strong garlic forward flavor. It's fatty and not particularly tangy, making me think of it more like a garlic herb butter rather than chimichurri.
On the bottom of the sandwich they add a mixture of softened onions and pickled green peppers. Both are served cold. The onions add a bit of a sweet fragrance while the pickling of the peppers enhances the crunch and adds a bit of acidity, which is well needed to cut through some of the porky fat in the sandwich.
On top of the veggies is a veritable mound of pork, steaming with heat. It's less sliced porchetta, and more roasted pulled pork. Regardless of the name, the pork itself is outstanding. It's extremely tender and absolutely dripping with juices, with the oils squeezing out all over my fingers and landing on the butcher paper underneath.
Now that all sounds delicious, but there are two things holding it back from being a top tier sandwich. Firstly is the baguette - again it really needs that crusty exterior to hold everything together. Secondly, the cold mix of veggies on the bottom doesn't play well together temperature-wise with the hot pork on top. It's certainly clashes and was one of the first things I noticed with my initial bite. With that all being said, it's still definitely a great sandwich and easy worthy of a 5* review. (5/5)
I'll be back. I need to give that Cubano a try. And the Meatball Sub. And the Muffo. And the Grindhouse. I might as well go for the entire menu...
Bathrooms - Larger rooms with multiple stalls shared with the other businesses in the building. Requires a code that is posted on the door to the common area towards the back of the restaurant. read more