The sandwich and 90s Westraliana rule this tiny Tuart Hill bakery

The life of a sourdough starter is a precarious one.

One moment your owner is feeding you daily and (over)sharing stories of you online. The next you’re a mystery jar in the back of the fridge.

Of all the calamities the sourdough community has faced, few have been as
disastrous as the Great Perth Starter Dry-up of 2020: an extinction event triggered by the easing of COVID restrictions and the reopening of restaurants, cafés and bars almost exactly six years ago to the day.

While hospitality’s grand reawakening was great news for humans, it marked the
beginning of the end for the Clint Yeastwoods, Jane Doughs and every other punny sourdough starter conceived during lockdown.

For some, though, baking was never just a pandemic fling, as proven by the great
neighbourhood bread shops that have opened since COVID. Think Teeter in East
Perth; Hunter Bread in Bicton; plus the magnificent Bred Co in Albany. (Even North Beach’s globally recognised Maestro Pizza started as a lockdown project.) The mid-2024 arrival of Strollio’s Luncheonette, meanwhile, signalled Tuart Hill’s entry into the chat.

Not that Strollio’s immediately strikes you as a bakery.

Like its name suggests, Strollio’s is modelled after the neighbourhood lunch bars and delis of the 90s: moulded plastic chairs, glass block windows, pantry staples and all. It’s a credit to the eye of Hannah Budge – designer, clothing-maker and co-owner of Strollio’s – that despite being just two years old, the shop looks and feels like it’s been around for decades.

There’s a similar yesteryear spirit to the menu, starting with nostalgic baked goods. Plush doughnuts are available as either chubby rings that come glazed or rolled in cinnamon sugar; or plump bomboloni-esque pucks bulging with zippy lemon curd, pale goo-like egg custard and other classic fillings. (And I write “goo” in a good way.)

Vegemite, kimchi and jalapenos are the swirly stars of cheesy, loose-limbed savoury scrolls.

There are also, naturally, sandwiches – and all made with breads baked at the shop by Nathan Alexander. Formerly of Bagel O’s and North Street Store, Alexander is currently Budge’s partner, co-owner of Strollio’s and the driving force behind all the flour-based treats in the cabinet.

Sometimes the bread in the sandwich is a co-headliner. Planks of well burnished
focaccia, detonated by tiny bubbles of air, are as much a draw as the silky
stracciatella and the bedrock of mortadella they cradle. The house white loaf has a chew and flavour that suggests there’s more going on under the hood than just yeast. Enjoy it in-situ via a mild curried egg sandwich crunched up with lettuce or as toast, then take home a loaf so you can conduct more in-depth studies.

Other times, the bread plays more of a supporting role.

When toasted, the wholemeal and rye loaf makes a fine, crunchy scaffold for a brilliant, unusually svelte Reuben: the briny richness of very good pastrami offset by the floral pop of coriander seeds; the sour crunch of sauerkraut; plus the bite of horseradish in the house-made Russian dressing.

Seasonal and Sunday specials will come and go. Grocery lines will change. Different independent food and culture publications are being rotated through the magazine rack. And Alexander and his team are constantly experimenting.

While popping into the kitchen to fact-check for this review, I spied a muslin-covered jar on the shelf housing a taupe liquid. A sticker on the jar read “Nathan.” It seems like someone’s about to become the proud father of a new sourdough starter.

Good Food reviews are booked anonymously and paid independently. A restaurant can’t pay for a review or inclusion in the Good Food Guide.