Jimmy’s Deli, 30 Anderson Street, Yarraville

In the earlier years of Consider The Sauce, a sign in the doorway of a Yarraville shop heralding the imminent arrival of a new food emporium would’ve got my foot-in-door journo blood pumping.

Consequently, very little effort would have been spared in getting the lowdown.

These days – post-work, post-lockdowns and (perhaps) post-pandemic – we’re taking things quite a lot easier around here.

So we waited just like everyone else.

And didn’t it take a while?

But that’s hardly unusual in such crazy times.

But now we do have answers.

Answer: Jimmy’s Deli is a sibling for the Eleni’s, the fine Greek establishment right next door, with the new venture tapping into Yarraville’s greek heritage treasury.

And much of its goodness is being sourced from Andrew’s Choice, a further door away and another Yarraville gem.

Answer: Jimmy’s Deli? Well, the “deli” bit could be seen to be a bit misleading. Sure, there are some deli grocery items arrayed around – but they seem more like decor than the heart of the place.

That heart is … very much about house-baked desserts and sweet treats, of which we have sampled but just a small portion and which may warrant another story further down the line.

And that heart is also … sandwiches.

Answer: Jimmy’s Deli is very, very good.

We can become a bit ho-hum about our own background village, but we really love what’s happening here, specially as it’s such a family thing.

Over a few visits now, we have tried two of the three in-house featured sandwiches.

Why just two?

Well, we have no interest – at all – in the other, which features multiple different cheeses.

Just not out thing!

The Original Jimmy’s Roll is a stunner – and an outright bargain at $12.

A whole heap of that excellence comes down to the quality of the bread – these in-house rolls are just right; of firm substance but with enough softness and freshness going around to keep the eating easy on teeth and gums.

The rest of the goodies are every bit as wonderful – ham, mortadella, salami, provlone, antipasti, red pepper pesto.

Wow – so good!

The reuben sanger is quite a different proposition – yet it, too, is superbly yummy.

That’s a lot of pastrami in there – fully warranting the price tag of $16.

The beef is joined by sauerkraut, gruyere and “Jimmy’s sauce”.

This crispy-toasted marvel is abetted by potato chips and a crunchy pickled cucumber.

The service at Jimmy’s is of the smiling and efficient variety and the wait times are minimal.

There are a few interior small tables and stools and more of the same outside on the footpath.