This time of year is all about fun, friends, family and of course, food. Whether it’s for Christmas, Hanukkah or New Year’s, holiday meals shouldn’t be stressful.
Cue Carlino’s Holiday Entertaining Menu, a perfectly curated selection of handmade rustic dishes available for home delivery and pick-up. There’s no better one-stop-shop than Carlino’s—let the market take the prep work off your plate and fill it with flavorful, seasonal dishes.
Festive Firsts
Hors d’oeuvres are a breeze—choose from mini filet of beef with caramelized onion and horseradish cream on toast, crab-stuffed mushrooms, mozzarella tomato basil skewers and more tasty tidbits to suit any palate.
What holiday gathering is complete without a cheese plate? Carlino’s crafts a variety of hand-selected cheese boards, each paired with a basket of homemade artisan bread and crackers. The Tour of Italy cheese board serves 30 and features Cacio de Roma, Podda Classico and Gorgonzola Dolce along with handmade sweet soppressata, proscuitto di Parma, fig jam, traditional balsamic, grapes, crackers and a baguette. Now that’s a party!
In true Italian style, Carlino’s offers antipasti trays with an abundance of imported meats, cheeses, peppers and olives. There’s also a vegetarian antipasto option with grilled asparagus, roasted baby artichokes and fresh tomato bruschetta.
If you’re looking for a soup and salad course, try Carlino’s Traditional Holiday Soup, a classic Italian wedding chicken soup with escarole, vegetables, farfallini pasta and hand-rolled baby meatballs. Pair the soup course with a tossed salad—a favorite is the Mesclun, Fig and Goat salad, a harmonious blend of baby lettuces, dried figs, imported goat cheese and Carlino’s signature Balsamic Vinaigrette.
Merry Mains
Onto the main event: impress your guests with Veal Parmigiano, tender hand-breaded veal fillet with marinara sauce and fresh mozzarella cheese; Chicken Marsala with mushrooms; or Chilled Poached Salmon with dill yogurt sauce and cucumbers.
And let’s not forget about the pasta course! All of Carlino’s pasta is made in-house from scratch and is not to be missed. Try the homemade lasagne, which comes in a variety of styles—cheese, spinach and cheese, meat and cheese, grilled chicken, roasted vegetable and more.
For a traditional Italian family meal experience for seafood lovers, Carlino’s offers The Feast of the Seven Fishes. This traditional Italian celebration served on Christmas Eve consists of fried calamari, fried smelts, stuffed calamari stew, shrimp scampi, marinated seafood salad, salted cod salad, salted cod stew and jumbo crab cakes. A feast, indeed.
Spirited Sides
What’s a main without its sidedish sidekick? Cozy up to rustic roasted potatoes, mushroom risotto or Tuscan bean farrotto. Round out the meal with a side of grilled vegetables, string beans with almonds or pan-roasted brussels sprouts.
Don’t Forget Dessert
End the meal with something sweet. You can’t beat Carlino’s Tiramisu—it’s been a staple at Carlino’s for over 30 years and is a secret recipe of authentic mascarpone zabaglione, Valrhona cocoa, chocolate chips, espresso-soaked ladyfingers and dark chocolate shavings. Does it get any better than that?
For a handheld dessert, Carlino’s cookie trays ensure there’s something for everyone. Mama Carlino’s Christmas Cookie Tray features pignoli, amaretti, vanilla biscotti, Italian butter cookies, lemon anginetti, fruit-filled biscotti, coconut macaroons and Mama’s traditional calginetti. Double yum.
Gourmet Gifts
When in doubt, give the gift of food! Carlino’s offers its special gift baskets, which can be shipped anywhere throughout the country.
The Carlino’s Holiday basket is a collection of sweet treats, including vanilla bean marshmallows, seasonal cookies and hot chocolate mix. Take a stroll through the seasonal selection of holiday items, including Savannah Bee Raw Honeycomb, the perfect partner for whole grain, handmade Potter’s Crackers.
Send your loved ones something sweet with a cookie and brownie tin, a handmade torrone or Carlino’s apple cake with cinnamon and sugar.
Make this holiday meal the best one yet—call today to place your holiday catering order by Sunday, December 18, for December 23 and 24 meals.
Carlino’s, Makers & Purveyors of Artisan Food has two locations: 2616 E. County Line Rd. in Ardmore, phone: (610) 649-4046; and 128 W. Market St. in West Chester, phone: (610) 649-4046.
- Photos: Carlino's
