Cioffi’s “Brings Out the Italian in You”

The thing about hot deli take-out, especially Italian foods, is this: it's usually fast, convenient, filling—and also overcooked with gobs of sauce and cheap cheese. Some Italian delis fare better than others, but generally speaking, you walk in with a pretty low bar. Such is not the case at Cioffi's, a true stand-out mere blocks away from the hustle and bustle of Route 22.

The cheerful Springfield deli has been serving Union County for three generations by the motto, "Eat well to live well. We'll bring out the Italian in you." It is currently run by the friendly Cioffi brothers, Gennaro and Giuseppe, who love to chat with customers, many of whom are regulars.

Cioffi's offers an extensive lunch and dinner menu featuring hot and cold sandwiches, wraps, paninis, soups, salads and dinner entrees, as well as thin or thick crust gourmet pizzas and desserts. The regular sandwich options alone total 34 choices, plus Cioffi's serves up several specialty sandwiches such as grilled Portabella ($7.75 for half, $10 for whole), grilled chicken on rosemary foccacia ($11.50), and eggplant, roasted peppers and mozzarella ($6.75 for half, $10 for whole).

Dinner entrees include French bread and run the gamut from baked ziti ($8.75) to linguini with white or red clam sauce ($10.95) to shrimp parmigiana ($14.95). Pizzas are available in several varieties: low fat ($11.95-$16.95), pan-style ($14.95), 9-inch personals ($6.25), hand-tossed homemade 16-inchers ($11.95-$17), and a slew of gourmet pies featuring baby shrimp, artichoke hearts, and chicken parmigiana ($14-$22.50).

The deli does have a few tables set up for eating in, but much of Cioffi's business is take-out. And, take-out I did. The food was packed well and ready when I arrived, service was with a smile, a few jokes, and the warmest of wishes, and everything stayed hot during the drive home. My order included: Honey Angel Salad ($8.50 for small, $11.95 for large), an unusual combination of components that ultimately marry well: romaine lettuce, grilled chicken, and angel hair pasta topped with a balsamic honey mustard dressing.

Personal tomato and mozzarella pizza ($6.25), which featured a thin, extra-crispy crust and a tasty balance of cheese and a sweet-tangy, tomato sauce.

New York Deli Special sandwich ($11.50), which wasn't quite at the level of Carnegie's, Katz's, or Stage, but was an impressive triple-decker of ham, roast beef, Swiss, cole slaw, and Russian dressing. 

Rigatoni alla vodka ($9.95), a perfectly al dente (even after sitting in the car for 20 minutes) pasta dish dressed with a deliciously rustic, chunky tomato-cream sauce—and I say "dressed" as opposed to most other versions which are swimming in a pool of cream.

Chicken Marsala with mushrooms ($13.45), a fairly standard rendition that included a classic brown wine sauce.

Along with taste, the true test of take-out is whether the food—which had been sitting in covered containers—would be dry, rubbery, wilted, and/or mushy by the time it hit the dinner table. Such is the downfall of a lot of to-go delis. Surprisingly, Cioffi's was none of the above—and what's more, the sauces, textures, and flavor pairings were all solidly above expectations.

A mainstay of local residents, Cioffi's provides some pretty terrific, high-grade sandwiches, Italian dinner favorites, and thin-crust pizzas that could give some regular sit-down, casual restaurants a run for their money. But aside from the quick service and good eats, what I found most appealing was Cioffi's friendly banter and ability to put customers immediately at ease and in a good mood. Cioffi's charm is not just in its food, but in its attitude which certainly "brought out the Italian" in me.

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Cioffi's

762 Mountain Ave., Springfield

(973) 467-5468

Hours of Operation:

Monday through Saturday, 9 am-9 pm

Catering available. All major credit cards accepted.