Peppino Gourmet invites you to their establishment. They are easily reachable by public transit but also by bicycle and car and are in a colourful area known for its nightlife.
‘Calgary’s Littlest Italy’ is how Giuseppe (Joe) Lecce envisioned Peppino Gourmet Foods. Indeed, when you come into their stores and smell their fresh Italian buns and bruschetta, bite into their delectable Italian sandwiches and take home a conveniently prepared meal, it does feel like you’ve been temporarily transported to Italy. “That’s exactly what we want our customers to experience,” says Joe. “The comfort of our food makes them return again and again.”
While Peppino Gourmet Foods serves salads and sandwiches, these are not your ordinary subs. Imagine mortadella, capicollo and calabrese salami with cheese, lettuce and a savoury house dressing—and you’re imagining Joe’s Special, a customer favourite here. If the Italian meats don’t tempt you, check out the Eden’s Garden—a vegetarian creation composed of roasted eggplant, tomato, artichoke hearts and lettuce served with bocconcini cheese and Peppino’s spiced olive dressing.
Besides the fresh sandwiches served in store, you’ll find sauces, pastas, cheese and olives on the shelves at Peppino Gourmet Foods. To top it off, they also make their own gelato and have 12 flavours to choose from.
Though its shelves are jam-packed with Italian treats, I always make a beeline for the sandwich counter at Peppino. All of the eatery’s fresh, Italian sandwiches are bursting with toppings. My favourite is the roasted combo, which features marinated roasted eggplant and red peppers with crisp lettuce and fresh tomato, though the spicy Vesuvius with Calabrese salami, capicollo ham and banana peppers comes in a close second. Make sure you grab a tub of gelato for dessert on your way out.
Grabbing one of Peppino’s famous Italian baguette sandwiches used to mean trekking to Kensington or Bridgeland during the lunch hour, but “Calgary’s littlest Italy” recently opened a downtown location that serves every one of its 40-plus sandwiches, from assorted selections topped with deli meats and cheeses to a variety of vegetarian options.