Salumi - Seattle

~I was full after just a half of a sandwich! That certainly doesn’t happen often. ~

I had just picked up MIL Janice and FIL Dave from the airport, and we needed some lunch. The line was out the door when we arrived at Salumi around 2pm. You might think the lunch crowd would have dissipated by this time - not at Salumi. They are only open Tuesday – Friday from 11pm to 4pm, so you have to get while you can!

The line moved quickly. Just about the time you decide what you want, a voice calls, “Next person please.” The people are as friendly as can be, but I did feel a tiny bit of pressure to order fast and move on down. Once we got our food, finding a seat was another trick. Just make yourself at home, and sit where you can. You might even meet some new friends.

"Order like a regular."

I would really like to have one of these at home!

I ordered the prosciutto, fig, and goat cheese sandwich on chewy olive oil ciabatta. Just by looking at it, you might wonder where all the meat is. While I do wish there were a few more slices of that salty prosciutto, nothing was missing in the flavor category. The fig puree and goat cheese worked its way into the crevices in the bread, so you got a little bit in every bite. It was such a large sandwich that I was only able to eat half! Leftovers for Dear Ben; he’ll appreciate that.

Prosciutto, Fig, and Goat Cheese

MIL Janice picked the Porchetta Sandwich. She was still deciding what to get when it was her turn, so she ordered the same thing the person in front of her ordered. The Porchetta is juicy braised pork with peppers and onions and piled on a baguette. While the meat was perfectly prepared, it was missing some kind of zing. Is there a sauce or more spices that we can add to this?

Porchetta

FIL Dave went with the Grilled Lamb Sandwich. He’s not much of a foodie, and I think I mentioned that he is hard to win over. He did enjoy the olive oil ciabatta bread, but he mentioned that he would have liked more meat. It looked like it had just one thick slice of lamb topped with a roasted red pepper half.

Grilled Lamb Sandwich

Salami and Cheese

This sandwich was sitting right next to me, and the guy let me snap a shot.

Salumi isn’t just famous for its cured meats and long lines. Celebrity Chef Mario Batali’s father, Armandino, started this meat madness as a retirement project in 1999. He has since retired for the second time, and he passed down the business to daughter, Gina. While you might not see a Batali when you dine here, you can see all of their meats hanging from the ceiling in the back. You'll be equally impressed with that anyway.

Meat Curing in the Back

The next time I make my way down to Salumi, I’ll probably order a variety plate of salami and cheese. Seems like a good way to taste what Salumi is really all about, the cured meats. Better yet, maybe one of their five-course private lunches. Now doesn’t that sound like a great way to spend an afternoon?




Salumi
309 3rd Ave S
Seattle, WA 98104
206-621-8772
www.salumicuredmeats.com