From The Australian. Indulgence:
Brunswick, Melbourne: Most visitors to this neighbourhood venture no further up Sydney Road than the Brunswick institution Mediterranean Wholesalers, which stocks more types of anchovy, tuna, cheeses, cured meats and olives than you could poke a salami at.
But it is worth pressing on. Sydney Road may look downtrodden and the Lebanese influence may have been diluted but there are still old-school butchers and bakeries to be found among the newcomers. Signs in Arabic script read “Sorry no alcohol”: a reminder of the Muslim influence. At Tiba’s Restaurant, shawarma (lamb kebabs) are a staple, while the garlic dip is world-class. And Rumeli restaurant is an intimate family-run affair serving authentic Turkish food.
The A1 Bakery is the Lebanese version of Mediterranean Wholesalers. While it bakes fresh breads and Lebanese pizzas, A1 Bakery is also an Aladdin’s cave of ingredients, from harissa paste to finely shredded kataifi pastry.
Across the road is Eh Fahya Sweets, which makes myriad types of baklava, Turkish delight and other delicacies. Tabet’s Bakery serves tasty cheese pies and pide topped with spiced lamb. Next door at Istanbul Halal Meats, quality halal lamb costs half the price of that at Melbourne’s famous open markets.
Ed Charles