A new deli and cafe has opened on Hutt Street, bringing house-made focaccia, gourmet sandos, fresh salads and playful dirty sodas to the leafy Adelaide strip.
Chiara’s Deli, from co-owners Joseph Clarke and chef Aynsleigh Norton, sits somewhere between a traditional Italian-style deli and a modern cafe, designed for everything from a quick takeaway lunch to a slower coffee and catch-up.
Among the more playful additions to the menu are the deli’s dirty sodas, which Joseph and Aynsleigh say “were inspired by summer and just the pure fun of experimenting with rotating delicious flavour combinations.”
“Obviously we took inspo from the overseas trend that has made it to Australia but hasn’t quite blown up yet, while also putting our little house-made twists on it and pulling from the memory of creamy, refreshing childhood spiders.”
Alongside the sodas, the menu features familiar deli classics like gourmet sandos, salads and juices which are available to take away or dine in.
Much of the food is made in-house, with the pair particularly proud of Chiara’s pâté, focaccia and tiramisu.
Coffee has also been given plenty of attention, with beans roasted by Adelaide’s Monastery Coffee and poured from a classic La Marzocco Strada.
Even the deli’s name comes with a story. Chiara is Joseph’s cat, whose appetite made her an unexpectedly fitting namesake for a food business. She has even made her way into the branding, with the deli’s logo designed as an abstract portrait of her.
“Let’s just say she loves a good bite to eat so the name was an easy choice, plus it means we get to be constantly reminded of her at work and that’s the next best thing to having her here,” the pair say.
For Joseph and Aynsleigh, Hutt Street was an equally easy choice.
Its wide, leafy streets, relaxed atmosphere and strong mix of established hospitality businesses had long appealed to them personally, and they hope Chiara’s will become another neighbourhood favourite along the strip.
“Friendly service and quality, unique produce are our non-negotiables,” the pair say
Chiara’s Deli
When: Open Monday to Friday from 7am to 2pm and Saturday from 9am to 2pm, and are closed on Sundays.
Where: 146 Hutt St, Adelaide
To find out more, click here.
