This past Friday, Jenna and I decided to bask in the 77 degree sunny afternoon by taking a drive to Lackawanna State Park and enjoy some good food. After work, we decided to hit up Caravia, in Clarks Summit. Caravia is a small Italian grocery store with a great deli selection and organic foods. It’s located in the Abington Shopping Center (between Blockbuster and Brown’s Gym).
After you place your order (deli is towards the back), be sure to take a walk around the small shop and check out the grocery items for sale. Caravia has a great selection of pasta, cheeses, and sauces that you’re not going to find at the big chains. They also have a ton of fresh fruit and vegetables.
The deli has a menu of “signature” sandwiches you can choose from, or you can just create your own. I went with the “Fat Paulie” hoagie, which included Ham Cappicola, Prosciutto, Genoa Salami, Provolone Cheese, Roasted Red Peppers, Mayo and Balsamic Vinegar. Jenna had the “Capri”, a vegetarian sub with fresh mozzarella cheese, pesto sauce, mayonnaise, tomatoes and basil. She also got some freshly cooked asparagus with bleu cheese (most of it was gone before we reached the park).
With 2 drinks, both sandwiches (one was a 12 inch and one was a 6 inch), and the asparagus, the total bill came to $16 and change – not super cheap, but not expensive either.
Lackawanna State Park is about a 15 minute drive from Caravia, (caution – it will feel like hours with the incredible aroma of 18 inches of sub resting on your lap the whole way). What a great day for a drive!
We got to the Park and found some picnic tables to sit down and eat. Snapped a few photos of the beautiful scenery below also (did I mention it was a great day out?) Now on to the food…
My “Fat Paulie” met all my expectations. I have come to the conclusion that no sandwich is complete without adding some grilled red peppers – it adds an entirely new flavor to the hoagie. The cheese was fresh, the bread was soft and full (not hard and chewy like other “fresh baked” bread I too often come across). Could have went for a little more meat on the sub, but there was no doubting that it did the job.
Jenna went with the “Capri” on seven grain bread – which she found to be “delicious”. With the fresh mozzarella and tomatoes, it’s a great light hoagie for a hot spring day. Asparagus is one of Jenna’s favorite vegetables, so it was no surprise to hear her raving about Caravia’s version the whole car ride home. Let’s summarize it as “simply incredible”.
The Last Bite.
What a great way to kickoff the weekend. Now is the perfect time to go out and enjoy the weather before it starts getting TOO hot and buggy out there. The park was surprisingly quiet and serene – a few canoes out on the water and some dog walkers - makes for a great place to enjoy a picnic.
The food was great and the price was average. Taking fresh made sandwiches on a picnic without the chore of having to pack a lunch beforehand is definitely the way to go (when you can afford it!).
Until next time…
Cool blog. Sounded like a great time.