First Look: Luigi Panini, a New Surry Hills Sandwich Window, Already Has Regulars

Three cousins walk into a sandwich shop. Most of them are named Alessandro. It’s like the start of a particularly corny joke, maybe. But it’s actually the genesis of Luigi Panini, the newest sandwich joint in Surry Hills.

The trio of Italian-born cousins are Alessandro Riillo, Alessandro Ranieri and Luigi Ranieri.

“Luigi and the other Alessandro have always worked in hospitality,” says Alessandro Ranieri, “but we all have a shared passion for serving good food. As Italians, we’re very proud of our food. We always dream of a little trip to Italy and then we thought maybe if we open our own space here, we can bring that slice of holiday to Sydney.”

The white-walled spot has a small clutch of indoor seats, a few outdoor tables and a window to the street for the cousins to pass takeaway orders through. It’s inspired by hole-in-the-wall panini shops in Italy, particularly Napoli and Calabria where they grew up.

“It’s funny, because I feel like panini is like a trend, but for us as Italians, it’s not. We grew up literally on panini,” he says.

Luigi Panini’s opening menu includes 11 staples named after regions in Italy, and one special. And while they’ve only been open for a few weeks, clear favourites have already emerged.

The Sicilia wins with mortadella, stracciatella, house-made pistachio pesto, pistachio crumbs and rocket; while the Calabria’s hot with salami, ricotta, a mix of olives, semi-dried tomatoes and rocket.

Another strong contender brings porchetta, burrata and grilled capsicum together. The porchetta is sourced from Giuseppe’s Gourmet Meats in Waverton. “We already knew this butcher,” he says. “He said he was too busy, but we convinced him.”

Some other cured meats are imported, as is the Parmigiano-Reggiano, but they’re staying local for fresh cheeses, tapping suppliers like Paesanella and Vannella.

Despite the Alessandros outnumbering Luigi 2:1, they named the shop Luigi Panini after their grandfather. Nonno Luigi, a butcher in Naples, was behind a lot of the boys’ understanding and appreciation of Italian ingredients. But it’s Nonna Carmela who has had the most influence on the menu.

The opening special is Nonna’s Polpette, where their grandmother’s meatballs are served with provolone, Parm, Napoli sauce and fresh basil in fresh, chewy bread. Family recipes are also being used to make the spreads, vegetables and sausages.

“They’re all Nonna’s recipes that got taught to us by our mothers,” Alessandro Ranieri says. “I wouldn’t even know how to make a meatball without asking family – I mean, I’m sure there are videos on Youtube, but I just asked my mum.”

The strength of the panini comes from the bread: specialty ciabatta loaves prepared to house specs by Brickfields. The bread is crusty, but you don’t feel like you’re at risk of ripping out a tooth with a vigorous bite. It’s soft inside and, most importantly, it’s sturdy. Even the slowest sandwich eater won’t be left with a soggy roll.

“We saw that a lot of Italian sandwich shops in Sydney are using focaccia – we love focaccia but it’s quite heavy and very oily. We really wanted to do something you can have daily.”

And people are returning daily. After just a few weeks, Luigi’s has regulars. “We really like this, to be honest, because for us it’s a very family business, and we feel like we’re creating that same sort of vibe in the community.”

And the hype’s coming from home, too: a Christmas trip on the cards will see three sets of parents travelling 23 hours to get a taste of their own parents’ recipe on the other side of the world.

Luigi Panini
75a Fitzroy Street, Surry Hills

Hours:
Daily 9am–4pm

@luigi_panini_sydney