Review: Smith & Deli

Address: 111 Moor Street, Fitzroy, VIC 3065

It’s actually a freaking travesty that I hadn’t been able to visit Smith & Deli until just before their one year anniversary (when they opened I had just returned from Europe so couldn’t swing it) but I sure made up for lost time with a record three visits within a 24 hour period.

Just a short walk from the epic Smith & Daughters on Brunswick Street, Smith & Deli is set up in a dope, old brick building with the now iconic S&D Eat Vegan sign out the front.

Walk through the doors and you’re greeted with a visual feast of amazing food, adorably dressed staff and badass signage. Shelves, fridges and freezers are not only stocked with vegan favourites but take-home meals made on site as well as a massive selection of accidentally vegan items from all over the world, a task that required Mo and Shannon spending hours reading labels in delis all over Melbourne to find!

The cases lining the counter are packed with freshly baked treats such as donuts, slices and cookies plus other pre-packaged food items, ready to grab and go. The real highlight is the epic breakfast and lunch sandwich menu, boasting a selection of traditional deli inspired faves that will bring a tear to your eye. I had heard rumours about the Rubenstein so decided it was time to see if they were true (hint: it’s probs the best sanga I’ve ever had). Pastrami, sauerkraut, pickles and Russian dressing on rye come together to create a hearty and tangy taste sensation that has to be eaten to be believed. Somehow I managed to find room for a classic cinnamon donut, cooked to perfection and washed it all down with a kombucha because I’m pretty sure that’s how a balanced diet is achieved.

Mo told me I had to come back later that day for a surprise and boy was I glad I did! Shannon presented me with two of the most insane almond croissants I’ve ever seen, eaten, read about or dreamed of in my entire life. These bad boys take a whopping five days to make, which is why they’re a) only available on Saturdays and b) actual croissants, “not puff pastry rolled into a croissant shape” as Shannon so kindly pointed out (and she’s right).

Little did any of us know but I managed to swing by again the following morning en route to the airport to get my hands on some awesome Field Roast products, some lollies and of course another croissant. Mo even slipped a secret cheese, ham and tomato croissant into my bag for the plane because she’s a deadset legend.

From the first time I walked into Smith & Daughters I knew that these gals were going to take the world by storm and now I’m more convinced than ever. With a cookbook on its way and more exciting plans to be realised in the future, it’s so damned awesome to see two badass, passionate ladies doing what they love and getting shit done.