Best Damn Takeout: Frigo’s Foods in East LongmeadowDate: 5/27/2020 EAST LONGMEADOW/SPRINGFIELD – Five years ago my husband and I were visiting his family in Springfield during one of our college breaks. His family, determined to make two New Yorkers into New England fanatics, showed us the many offerings of the city, including Frigo’s Foods.
Since then, the Italian deli, which has an East Longmeadow and a downtown Springfield location, has become one of our go-to places when we don’t feel like cooking or when we’re in need of an affordable grinder to eat on a long road trip. Quarantine hasn’t closed Frigo’s doors, so we’re continuing to order and eat our way through the Frigo’s menu.
This week’s item: the chicken parm grinder.
Like a lot of people, Italian food is my go to; I could eat pasta and chicken parmigiana for every meal. While you can get the sandwich on a grinder roll, I get mine on a half Vienna- which is basically half a loaf of bread. Needless to say, I cannot finish this sandwich in a single sitting and always have enough left over for another meal the next day.
While I love Frigo’s chicken parm, it isn’t quite what you’d think of when picturing the traditional cuisine. Rather than the whole chicken breast that is typical of chicken parm, the chicken is in strips and coated in tomato sauce. Frigo’s makes their own sauce, and while I’m not 100 percent certain, I wouldn’t be surprised if this is the sauce they use to make the sandwich.
When I ordered, I was given a choice between mozzarella and parmesan cheese. I chose mozzarella as it’s one of my favorite cheeses, and didn’t regret it. One of my favorite things about Frigo’s is how consistently delicious the food is, no matter which employee is making my sandwich that day. I’m always impressed with how nicely the proportions of cheese, sauce and chicken compliment each other. Frigo’s also offers pre-made meals and deli foods that I’ve gotten in the past and found to be delicious and affordable.
My sandwich cost $7.50, and with enough food for two meals – I found it to be affordable and worth the money! You can also get a 10-inch grinder for $6.75 or a water roll for $6. While I haven’t tried them, Frigo’s also offers a Father Richard’s Eggplant Parm and a Pork Parmesan version of the sandwich – though if they taste like everything else I’ve tried, I’m sure they’re delicious.
Frigo’s has locations at 90 Williams St. in Springfield and 159 Shaker Rd. in East Longmeadow. You can call the Springfield location at 732-5428 or the East Longmeadow location at 525-9400 to place your order. While they’re allowing customers inside the store to order and receive their food, you can also request curbside pickup when you order.
Deli specials and prepared foods offered are updated weekly for both locations and can be found at https://www.frigofoods.com/menus/lunch-menu/. Also at the same web address is Frigo’s sandwich menu.
|