Browse the shelves at Tutto for Italian groceries, wine, pasta, and more. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
In a city full of neighbourhood gems, Mawson must be a contender for Canberra’s most culinary suburb thanks to the many multicultural foodie stores at the thriving local shops.
Places like Jabal Halal Market, Cedars of Lebanon Groceries, Under Bakery, Al Manoosh Lebanese cafe and, of course, the beautiful Tutto Delicatessen.
This was my first time returning for a sit-down meal since the cafe at Tutto was renovated last year.
When I’m on that side of town, I drop in semi-regularly to grab a takeaway toasted Italian panini stuffed full of thinly shaved prosciutto, mortadella and cheese, or hearty homemade meatballs in tomato sugo with fresh basil.
You can also call ahead and order antipasto platters to take away; a great idea for a picnic, party, or present for a post-partum mum who’s been missing soft cheese!
Antipasto for one? Yes please! Photo: Lucy Ridge.
So it’s only fitting that I look past brunch classics like the avo toast or granola and quickly decide on the antipasto for one, along with coffee and a rare Italian treat: sfogliatella.
This shell-shaped pastry is made with thousands of thin layers of pastry filled with a semolina and citrus paste. Famously difficult to make, it’s unusual to find them in cafes, so I leap at the opportunity to enjoy the unrivalled bite of this crispy-as-hell pastry with my coffee.
There’s also a selection of other pastries in the cabinet – danishes, croissants, custard tarts and cakes – but I only had eyes for the sfogliatella.
‘Sfogliatella’ is a notoriously tricky pastry to make thanks to the many layers of thin pastry. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
As someone obsessed with food, I have thought long and hard about what my death-row meal or desert island dish would be. And if there was only one dish I could eat for the rest of my life, an antipasto plate would probably be my choice.
They aren’t usually served in single portions, so my bank balance (and waistline) was grateful for Tutto’s antipasto ‘for one’.
This particular plate comes with a mix of shaved meats (fresh from the deli section) including prosciutto, salami and mortadella, a scattering of pickled vegetables, slices of fresh baguette and a large ball of fresh bocconcini cheese.
It’s good value for $16 and a delightful lunch to eat in the sunshine.
With a mother and daughter duo speaking rapid Italian at the table next to me – far too quick to understand with my high school level Italian – I could almost imagine I was at a cafe in Roma or Firenze, just for a minute.
Mountains of meats are available for slicing in the deli fridge at Tutto. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
No trip to Tutto is complete without browsing through the shelves and gazing longingly at the mountains of meats in the deli fridge. Dried pastas of all shapes and sizes, jars of pickles and sauces, Italian wines and specialty sweets tempt from every shelf!
They also sell mocha pots and other Italian kitchen items. Grab a bag of baci hazelnut-filled chocolates, or the ingredients for an authentic meal on your way out the door.
Tutto Delicatessen is located at 142-152 Mawson Place, Mawson. They are open from 8:30 am to 5 pm on weekdays, and from 8:30 am to 3 pm on weekends. Closed Tuesdays.
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