MiddBite: Costello’s Market, Believe it or not, but Italy has finally come to Middlebury, VT!

Aside from our rookie of the year freshman midfielder, Julie Favorito (aka G-Baby), there are very few authentic Italians in Vermont, let alone Middlebury. So you can imagine my surprise when I first came upon Costello’s Market, located in the Marble Works in the heart of downtown Middlebury. Somehow this Italian sandwich shop, or slice of heaven, is still unknown to the majority of Middlebury students, so if there is one thing I hope this J-term project accomplishes, it is to spread the Costello’s name because no one deserves to miss out on food this good.

Growing up just 5 miles from Arthur Avenue, I have been spoiled, indulging in arguably some of the best Italian food outside of Italy. In my first two years at Middlebury, the thing I loved the most about going home on breaks was being able to indulge in fresh mozz, sopressata and eggplant rollatini. I never would have dreamed that just half a mile from Hadley, my freshman year dorm, there could be one of the best Italian delis, this Jersey Shore-watching, proud former guidette, Italian-American has ever come across. (Despite the fact that we never clarify who the pronoun of the sentences is, this time, it should be known that the “I” to whom we refer is the one and only Lauryn Torch. Surprising, I know.)

Upon arrival at Costello’s, you are greeted with walls lined with fine Italian wines, pictures of Tuscan and Sicilian vacations (but not in a tacky way) and loads of gourmet cookbooks. Without fail, the owner’s wife welcomes each and every customer in a kindhearted manner; however, I can honestly say the first time I walked in to the market, I barely even heard the greeting because I was too enthralled by what lay behind the glass display case: stuffed mushrooms and clams, the biggest scallops in Vermont, calamari, fresh mozzarella, olives, roasted red peppers, numerous varieties of freshly made salads, tortes, and a lasagna that made my mouth water. Yes, if there was ever such a thing as “food porn”, I believe this would be it. The funny thing is that I have never gotten any of the above items at Costello’s because I have consistently been won over by the menu’s vast array of subs and sandwiches. These subs and sandwiches come in two sizes, big and bigger, more commonly known as regular and large. I usually exercise what little self-control I have and go for the smaller “regular” option, and I tend to be incredibly full, regardless.

Typically, I try to order something different every time and today I went with The Soprano. The standard Soprano is served with Prosciutto, fresh mozzarella, lettuce and tomato on a sub served cold. However, I’m a firm believer that every sandwich is made better with chicken cutlet, melted cheese and heated up. For $8.95 (the regular portion) I was given enough of a sandwich to eat some of it right now and to have phenomenal leftovers for later in the night. All of the ingredients were impeccably fresh, which made this sandwich one of the best 9 dollars I’ve ever spent.

I’m not quite sure when it happened, but sometime in the past few months, I entered into a deeply passionate love affair with eggplant. If I could, I would eat eggplant for every meal and every snack of the day, but unfortunately, the eggplant served in Proctor isn’t quite the eggplant that occupies my dreams. Well, our trip to Costello’s offered me the ideal opportunity to indulge in my new obsession. I ordered the Eggplant Parmesan dinner option, which gave me an exorbitant amount of eggplant that sat atop of about half a pound of angel hair pasta, all for $8.95. Proud to say that as the recent recipient of the “Good Eater Award”, I ate the vast majority of it. The eggplant parm was unbelievably flavorful and fresh, but what made the dish was the homemade sauce. For me, the mark of a really good Italian restaurant is the quality of its “gravy” (shout out to Favs), and Costello’s has some of the best. The sauce is hearty and filled with herbs, and despite the fact I wouldn’t have traded in the eggplant for anything, I could have, and would have, eaten the gravy alone with a spoon. For $8.95, this dinner option is unbeatable, both in its price, its quantity, and most importantly, its quality. This dish wins the approval of this “Good Eater” and I recommend it to all of the “Good Eaters” out there.

If you are a loyal follower of our blog (thanks to our 11 followers!) you have probably noticed that we order seafood at every acceptable opportunity. Despite going to school in Vermont, Costello’s fried calamari is no exception. Lightly breaded and served with sides of homemade marinara and tartar sauce, their calamari is certainly a treat at $11 dollars an order. They call it “pint size”, but along with all of Costello’s offerings, this calamari is a bang for its buck. The calamari are sizable and come with a thick coat of breading, fried to perfection and doused with enough oil that you have to eat the dish with a napkin. To all of you conscientious eaters out there, indulge for one meal and order Costello’s calamari. I grew up with perhaps some of the worst eating habits known to man, and when my mom began to protest my excessive intake of Weber’s chicken tenders, Ore-Ida zesty French fries, and the Burger King #8 meal with a side of Hersey’s Sundae Pie, I turned to fried calamari as the sign that I too could be a “classy” eater. Jokes on you, mom. Well, I soon fell in love with this dish and for about 10 years, I ordered the fried calamari at every opportunity possible. Some have been wonderful (Starry Night) and some have been just plain disgusting (I won’t divulge this restaurant’s name), but after testing so many dishes, I would like it to be known that Costello’s Market offers hands down my favorite take on this “classy” dish. Indulge, as I so often do, and order it. You will not be disappointed.

Costello’s Market is located to the right of the Farmer’s Diner in Middlebury’s very own Marble Works District. It is open Tuesday through Friday from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm and on Saturday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm and is exclusively a take-out venue (tip: sneak your food into Proctor and watch as the people around you salivate). As former athletes, we highly recommend utilizing Costello’s catering option for post-game tailgates. Nothing is more satisfying than beating Amherst after being down 3-0 with 15 minutes to go (heyy Scarlett) and then feasting on the best that Italy has to offer. But for all of the non-athletes, Costello’s is an unbeatable option for a large quantity, low cost, high quality meal and will be one of the things that I miss most about my time at Middlebury.