Aimee Rizzo
Senior Staff Writer, Seattle
Aimee holds a degree in screenwriting, a WSET certification, and the opinion that whatever marinara can do, vodka sauce can do better.
SEAReview
photo credit: Makena Yee
5.6
The once-iconic sandwich spot is now a last resort
After the Batalis sold their long-time Italian sandwich shop in 2016, things went south. (Like Antarctica south.) Sweep nostalgia aside, and it’s as clear as the loose marinara that comes out of the current kitchen—Salumi is simply not a good deli.
The cold cuts are dry, stacked in wimpy layers dominated by lettuce and chalky supermarket-style ciabatta. The soup is a waterlogged tragedy. And Salumi’s eggplant parm has a decent crispy-crunchy texture, but is ultimately bland. When Pioneer Square is blessed with fantastic delis like Tat’s and Bottega Gabriele, Salumi fades into the background, ready to be forgotten about until you spot a pack of their Coro finocchiona at Whole Foods.
Food Rundown
Eggplant Parm
While being the least-bad option makes it the best by default, there are some key things wrong. The panko-crusted eggplant begs for a bump of salt, save for some delightful edge pieces that received a sprinkle post-fry. And the warm “marinara” dip it comes with is just sad tomato water.
photo credit: Makena Yee
Salami Sandwich
What used to be a staple of Seattle sandwich culture is now a flop, accented by a too-thin layer of muted salami and a too-thick layer of peppers and onions. Opt for the eggplant parm instead.
photo credit: Makena Yee
Grindhouse
Dreams of cold cut joy are unfortunately shattered with Salumi’s version of a grinder. The bread swells with red wine vinegar quickly, and the combination of mortadella and salami gets choked out by way too many dill pickles.
photo credit: Makena Yee
Turkey Club
This Italian deli’s most promising cold sandwich is a turkey club. Go figure. Bacon heals all pain.
photo credit: Makena Yee
Lentil & Barley Soup
Run. Run far away from this cinnamon-infiltrated disaster zone.
Fresh Baked Chocolate Chip Cookies
Supposedly, these cookies are “fresh baked” and “world-famous.” However, nothing about its flavorless, dry interior suggests that either could possibly be true. It’s really hard to mess up a chocolate chipper, but they’ve done it.
photo credit: Makena Yee
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Not Recommended: Below a 5.9, you’re starting to have some problems. Something is actively wrong and you’ll probably be disappointed.
Suggested Reading
Tat’s Delicatessen is a deli in Pioneer Square with an excellent pastrami sandwich and other East Coast-style hoagies.
You know Paseo, but Un Bien is better. It’s where the original family works now, and the Caribbean sandwiches in Ballard are the city’s best.
5.6
Salumi
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