Say buongiorno to Ciao, the newest spot to grab a bite on the Hill.
This week the sandwich joint is opening its doors at its new College Hill location at 325 Cattell Street. Ciao, which also has locations in downtown Easton and Allentown, offers a variety of specialty sandwiches, build-your-own options and salads.
Members of The Lafayette editorial board grabbed some of the shop’s most popular heroes for an Italian lunch feast so that we could give our thoughts on the college’s newest neighbor.
We can’t review a restaurant without trying its namesake item. The “Ciao” features prosciutto, mozzarella, roasted red peppers and balsamic dressing. We opted for semolina bread, the closest option to the traditional hero roll.
Participating staff members enjoyed this sandwich. As with most sandwiches of the style, it’s not for those who want an easy job for their teeth, but the ingredients were fresh and tasty. Some of us would have preferred a stronger presence of the dressing to counteract the saltiness of the prosciutto, but the meat, cheese, peppers and dressing combined for a delicious flavor that kept us going back for another bite.
We also tried the Easton Assassin, the other specialty sandwich mentioned on Ciao’s website. Named after famous Eastonian and professional boxer Larry Holmes Jr., the Easton Assassin contains oven-roasted turkey, provolone cheese and an impressive line-up of fixings: lettuce, tomato, sweet peppers, black olives, Italian dressing and oregano.
Opinions on this one varied; some of our staff raved about it, while others found it to be nothing special. The turkey was a tad on the dry side, but we could tell it was good quality meat all the same. Even those among us who aren’t turkey lovers enjoyed the bold flavor of the olives and sweet peppers, both interesting additions to the classic turkey toppings.
Both sandwiches came wrapped in newspaper-themed paper — a fun surprise for us editors writing away in the newsroom.
Perhaps the most exciting part of Ciao’s expansion to College Hill is the restaurant’s hours. Ciao will keep its doors open until 3 a.m. We expect Ciao will be a great spot to grab a late-night snack for students who are tired of punching in the same Wawa order after a weekend trip to Milo’s.
In terms of price, Ciao is a little more expensive than a chain like Jersey Mike’s, but it boasts significantly better quality. The “Ciao” and the Easton Assassin were $12.50 and $11.00, respectively, but could probably be shared between two people, as we opted to do. Ultimately, it seems like a satisfying bang for your buck.
Ciao currently offers online or over-the-phone ordering for in-store or curbside pickup. They also cater. Additionally, their items are available for delivery through DoorDash and Uber Eats.
