Monday, March 23, 2009

Calabria Deli in Downtown Phoenix

My husband and I decided to take a half day last Friday and enjoy a leisurely lunch together in downtown Phoenix.

Of course, being the Food Hunter, it was my job to find the perfect place. I was looking for somewhere that we hadn't been and that had outdoor seating. I came up with a few ideas but ultimately decided on Calabria Deli.

Calabria is a small shop specializing in Italian fare. There's about seven pasta dishes on the menu and twice as many sandwiches. Everything from Italian deli meat to a stuffed eggplant sandwich; all served on crusty Italian bread. They also sell Italian meats, cheeses and olives by the pound.

We decided to split the Panino; which was prosciutto,fresh mozzarella and roasted peppers. It was delicious. The bread was perfectly drizzled with an olive oil and balsamic mix and the peppers and cheese were sprinkled with oregano. It was just bursting with flavor.



The best part about Calabria was the small court yard they had out back. Set with tables and umbrellas it was like a private oasis in the midst of downtown. Calabria was the perfect way to spend our afternoon together.

9 comments:

  1. That looks like a great sandwich! There's a little italian deli near one of my company's offices, it's very good but also very expensive.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh yum! That panino looks so good!
    Those Calabrians.. :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'm a big fan of Calabria, but I've never considered their sandwiches panini. They're big and not toasted. As a result, they seem more like hoagies, subs, heroes, etc. from Italian-American delis in the northeast US. Of course, I've never been to Calabria -- or anywhere in Italy for that matter -- so maybe the word "panino" and its plural form "panini" are used more broadly there than I believed.

    ReplyDelete
  4. My kinda sandwich! There are 2 places I go to here for my Italian goods- http://www.romanellisitaliandeli.com/Romanellis/Welcome.html

    and Amoroso & Sons on Cave Creek south of Greenway. I don't think they have a website though.

    ReplyDelete
  5. David, I agree its not a panini just what the menu called that particular sandwich. I thought it was odd myself when I saw it.

    ReplyDelete
  6. That looks awesome!! I bet the weather is perfect right about now. What a nice way to enjoy it before the heat hits.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Looks delicious. You gotta love those Italian delis.

    ReplyDelete