MELBOURNE | I was recently invited to check out BAM Cornerstore, a new Essendon spot that aims to reimagine the good ol’ corner store / deli / milk bar, or whatever you want to call it, for today.
It’s not about reinventing the wheel, rather taking a tried and true concept and stepping things up. There’s a small retail section, filled with pantry essentials like bread, St David Dairy milk, and eggs, along with delicious things from local producers, like hummus and toum by Tom Sarafian, cheese from Maffra Cheese, and hot sauces from Fancy Hanks BBQ.
To eat, it’s a selection of delicious sandwiches made to order by chef Rosey, with her friend Tori Bicknelll helping out with menu development and taste testing. I tried three of the sandwiches, and the apple pie. All tasty AF.
The Salt Beef features 12 hour slow cooked beef brisket, crisped on the grill, with BAM house pickled cabbage, Rosey’s pickles, and seeded mustard on a soft, almost Turkish roll-like, ciabatta bun. So good. For a lighter option, the Chicken Caesar is a winner. Buttermilk poached chicken breast, Caesar dressing, pancetta, parmesan, hard boiled egg, cos lettuce, and anchovies, on sourdough.
The tried sandwich I enjoyed was the daily rotating special, a simple and delicious chicken schnitzel, avocado, salad, and mayo creation. Eating half fresh for lunch and the other half for dinner, I can also confirm that these sandwiches all reheat nicely on the sandwich press / grill at home.
For drinks, it’s assorted espresso and filter based coffee, tea, juices, sodas, and the like.
Like is said before, a traditional corner store at heart, with everything stepped up a notch. The locals are lucky to have this one in their neighbourhood.
BAM Cornerstore
23 Albion Street
Essendon
Victoria 3040
Australia
Telephone: (03) 9989 4455
E-mail: [email protected]
Website
Open
Sun – Sat: 7:00am to 6:00pm