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Family legacy can be a treasure chest of traditions and memories you share with loved ones, especially during the holidays. Food is one legacy that celebrates the love and union of families. With Thanksgiving approaching, some folks may not have any family or have the time to prepare a traditional turkey dinner, but long for a taste of comfort home cooking. Fortunately, at Calabrese Market & Deli, owners Tony and Gina Calabrese treat every single customer like they are family. You can come in and get anything you possibly need for your feast.
“It’s all personal for us,” said Tony. “We take pride in serving quality food and our meals are made fresh daily.” He continued, “Gina is the chef. We run a different special every day and everybody talks about what we’re going to do.”
Located at 54 Park St. in West Springfield, Calabrese Market & Deli is a family-owned Italian grocery store with a vast selection of sliced meats and cheeses, salads, pasta dishes, soups, sandwiches, paninis, gourmet grilled cheese melts, and prepared meals to-go. They also make gift baskets and do catering service with a full line of Italian deli. Plus, their son Vincenzo, who’s the manager, makes all the sauces from bolognese meat sauce to alfredo to marinara (that is vegetarian.)
Gina was born in Italy and lived there until she was 7. Then she grew up in the south end of Springfield. Tony’s family is also from the south end of Springfield, but he grew up in West Springfield. The two met when they were 18. Tony did a work program in high school where he got out every day at noon, working a job 70 hours a week for families. They saw an opportunity right next to where Tony was working and opened a pizzeria together for 14 years.
After that, Tony did food sales for Performance Food Group and learned a lot going into 25 different restaurants a week selling food. Then, he started thinking about putting a deli together.
Tony and Gina still owned the building where they had their pizzeria in, so they wound up going back into the location and opened Calabrese Market & Deli on Valentine’s Day 2017.
“We’ve been blessed,” Tony explained. “We’re very busy and we try our hardest to feed everyone. When the pandemic hit, we were one of the only places around that stayed open the whole time.”
He went on to say, “People were so appreciative that we stayed because you can pick up a home-cooked meal as if you were going to a restaurant. Our business grew during COVID, and ever since then, we’ve exploded.”
The menu is comprised of family recipes that have been passed down from one generation to the next. Their staples include the Daniele, which is Gina’s maiden name that Tony said is their “authentic” one. It’s a sandwich packed with prosciutto, sopresatta, capicollo, fresh mozzarella, arugula, vine ripe tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil, and balsamic.
Then there are two sandwiches that represent Tony’s French Quebec and Irish heritage, called the Quebec, with oven roasted turkey breast, sliced ham, brie cheese, lettuce and tomatoes. And the County Kerry, a Reuben panini with slow-cooked corned beef, sauerkraut, Thousand Island dressing and Swiss cheese.
Their most popular item they’re known for is their eggplant tower, made fresh.
Employee Jen Rolandini loves their eggplant tower and cucumber salad with some grilled chicken. Prior to Calabrese Market & Deli, Rolandini was a stay-at-home mom who lived up the street. Once her oldest went to preschool, she thought it was the perfect spot to work and has been there for seven years.
“I look forward to coming into work because I know it’s going to be a good day,” said Rolandini. “We have a lot of customers and a lot of regulars, so the day flies by. We have a lot of people who I see every day. They’re happy to see me and I’m happy to see them. It’s nice being a part of their day in a positive way.”
Megan Justice from Holyoke became a regular customer when she started working up the street from Calabrese Market & Deli on Parker Street. She shared that she loves the customer service and that’s what keeps her coming back.
“The staff is all so friendly and nice,” Justice said. “They always go the extra mile asking if you need utensils or would like anything heated up from the grab & go area. They treat everyone like family. They bring a lot to the community.”
She went on to say, “My favorite dish is the antipasto salad. They make their antipasto differently than I have ever had. Great assortment of meat with chunks of cheese, banana peppers, mushrooms, and tortellini. The dressing on it is amazing. It’s so good. Sometimes I get the large to have it again for lunch the following day.”
Usually, Justice picks up something to-go, but sees many people, especially the retired crowd, grab a table to eat there. She also sees a lot of customers picking up catering orders around the summer holidays such as Memorial Day and Fourth of July.
Though Justice is not sure if she’ll be ordering pies for Thanksgiving, nonetheless, she will certainly scoop up a piece or two of their raspberry cheesecake or cannoli cake, or the limoncello to help with the holiday stress.
“It’s a great local place with wonderful staff,” Justice added. “I highly recommend coming to check them out.”
This past September, Calabrese Market & Deli participated in the Big E, showcasing their paninis, kettle corn, cotton candy, pickle barrel, fresh lemonade, and Tuscan wine bar, which was their best seller.
“We’ve been doing the Big E for 21 years,” said Tony. “It’s a family event. We have six different locations there. Only one is our deli food in the food court, a Tuscan wine bar, because we are sister cities with the Valdarno region Tuscany, serving only wine and beer from Italy.”
Now, they are at the next phase of getting a liquor license, which Tony is excited for because they’ll be able to sell beer and wine from their Tuscan region, hopefully by December.
“We are always looking to do the next thing,” said Tony. “Our future goal is to grow and make sure we can still keep providing the same service and quality standards. We love our customers, and we love making them happy with our food.”
He continued, “Life is short and you want to be happy at work. I really enjoy my work. Even if I’m a little man sitting in the corner here, I’m still going to be here talking to people. I would love to see the next generation of Calabrese take over the business and continue our family legacy.”
Calabrese Market & Deli, located at 54 Park St. in West Springfield, is open Monday through Friday, from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
They do catering on Saturdays and will also be open on Saturdays during the holiday season.
For more information, visit calabresemarketma.com as well as their Facebook page.
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