WEST SPRINGFIELD – Having just finished a recent hike in Southwick just as lunchtime was approaching, my wife and I were hoping to grab something tasty on our way back to Springfield to give the 2-year-old her afternoon nap.

Calabrese Market fit the bill.

Located at 54 Park St., the deli has been a favorite of ours in the past both because of its great family service and enjoyable menu options. Given the lack of time out and about due to social distancing guidelines and non-essential closures, however, we hadn’t had a lot of opportunities to be over the river and thus hadn’t visited in some time.

For sure, it was as good as we had remembered.

I was in the mood for a protein-packed lunch after the physical exertion and went for the Hereford – roast beef, lettuce, tomato and horseradish cream sauce – on a half baguette. A seemingly simple sandwich, but Calabrese Market struck a perfect combination of meat, veggies and the horseradish which, for me, a little goes a long way. I got the half baguette size figuring I could save half for the next day. The urge to polish it off was too strong, however.

My wife, usually a fan of the Melanzana panini (eggplant parmesan, essentially), but she mixed it up and got the Marco Pollo panini with grilled chicken breast, gorgonzola sauce, roasted peppers and provolone cheese. Often skeptical of roasted peppers, she was pleasantly surprised to find the ones on this sandwich were whole slices that maintained a level of crispness and added not only flavor but another texture when sinking your teeth into the sandwich. The provolone and seasoned chicken were a natural combination and the sandwich was happily not oversaturated with the gorgonzola cream.

Both sandwiches came with a whole pickle and a side of chips.

Open to order in or call ahead, Calabrese Market has put health as a top priority with sanitizer stations and signs requesting hands be cleaned upon entering. They also offer curbside pick-up. They can be reached at 455-1196. For more information, visit their website at https://www.calabresemarketma.com/