Just Open: 5 Points Deli and Longhorn Saloon, Carlton

New York-style Jewish delis are the holy grail of sandwich shops; the birthplace to such bread-based heroes as the Reuben and pastrami on rye. Despite inching our way closer to capturing the flavours of American dishes over the last couple of years, as we've obsessed over barbecue, fried chicken and burgers, Melbourne has failed to nail the quantity factor.

The act of raising a sandwich to your face in New York is the equivalent of a full upper body workout. Enter Five Points Deli: the long awaited deli-by-day, raw-bar-by-night project by the New Mexican-born brothers Balleau – the guys who brought you Richmond taqueria Chingon, and Collingwood's absinthe-fuelled smokehouse Le Bon Ton. This time, they're introducing their sister Katie as a partner. 

They've dressed the interior of the old Mutti's site in Carlton in their trademark copper cladding so it glows gold day and night. The offering is just as elaborate as that at Le Bon Ton. The siblings swung open the doors on Wednesday.

From 7am, there's an all-you-can-eat buffet breakfast ($25) with eggs cooked-to-order, omelettes, bagels, granola and bottomless cups of coffee.  

The lunch menu features sandwiches piled with house-made pastrami, turkey and cranberry bagels, cobb salads and soups. You'll be paying $16 for the big sandwiches, which is arresting, certainly, but there's a full pound (450g) of meat in your bread, which essentially sounds like a job for two people.

Sweets include banana splits and American dessert pies by the slice.

By night, it's the site for pre-dinner prawn cocktails and oysters.

Upstairs is Longhorn Saloon, a beer and bourbon dive bar and steakhouse with Nick Stanton (ex-Nieuw Amsterdam) firing New York strips, rib eyes and dry-aged 1.2kg Florentinas on the grill, and serving 'em up with Alaskan king crab legs and one of six kinds of potato. 

5 Points Deli is open Tue-Sun 11.30am-4pm. The buffet breakfast service will begin on Tuesday, March 17, from 7am.  

Longhorn Saloon is open Tue-Sun 5pm-1am (kitchen til 11pm weeknights and later on weekends).

118 Elgin Street, Carlton, 9348 4794, longhornsaloon.com.au and 5points.com.au