The Dish: Charcuterie at Salume Beddu

When fine-dining chefs can produce an item in house, they do. When someone else makes it better, they buy from the experts. And so it is with Salume Beddu. When Forbes magazine proclaimed that the South Side salumeria has “the best salami in the country,” orders appeared from chefs all over the U.S—and they still do. Owner Mark Sanfilippo makes 18 varieties of European-style salami, curing the meats from 90 days to two years. (“They’re the original slow food,” he says). This season, Salume Beddu’s staffers are creating charcuterie platters for holiday parties. They recommend a choice of four meats and two cheeses, bolstered by condiments like fig tapenade, cannellini alla Toscana (an addictive herbed white bean spread), and mostarda (a sweet, spicy dried-fruit chutney), as well as such garnishes as poached garlic and Turkish arrabiata olives. Bring your favorite platter to the Hampton Avenue shop and let the experts bedeck and bedazzle it. After all, it is the holiday season.