Colucci's Hilltop Market

Before there were chic eateries on Portland's Munjoy Hill, there was Colucci's Hilltop Market.

The market is a neighborhood gathering spot, a place to get a newspaper and milk. You can also get all manner of meals to go, from pizza, subs and burgers to lasagna, shells and shepherd's pie.

This time of year, it's a great place to grab some goodies for a picnic, then walk five minutes or so to the Eastern Promenade and East End Beach. Grab a bench or spread out a blanket and catch an ocean breeze while you eat.

That's what I did on a recent lunch break. I sampled a large meatball Parmesan sub ($5.99) and a large "real cold cut" Italian ($6.49).

The meatball sub had plump, moist meatballs. They were a little spicy, but not too much. The marinara sauce was tangy, and the melted cheese was soft and gooey, not stringy. The rolls for both sandwiches were the kind I love. They were the big, thick, soft and slightly chewy sub rolls you seem to find at local Portland places. They aren't the harder, crustier sub rolls you get at chains.

The "real cold cut" Italian had capicola, pepperoni and salami, plus provolone cheese and olive oil and my choice of veggies, which were lettuce, tomato, onions and green peppers. The vegetables were thickly cut, especially the tomatoes, and tasted very fresh.

Both sandwiches were enough to fill up anyone with a hearty appetite.

Colucci's handy take-out menu has dozens of items to choose from. There are a dozen or so Italians, ranging from ham ($3.24 for a small) to roast beef ($4.59 for a small). There's also salami, "real" cold cuts, capicola, turkey and tuna. You also can get cold sandwiches on wheat bread or bulkie rolls, including tuna salad, ham salad, chicken salad and egg salad. Prices are about $3.25 to $4.59 for smalls.

There are more than 15 hot sandwiches, more than 12 grill items and about a dozen items in the dinner case ready to take home.

The hot sandwiches include BBQ pulled pork; sausage, chicken, meatball or eggplant Parmesan; steak and cheese; meatloaf; pastrami; and turkey BLT. Most are priced between $3.59 and $4.99 for smalls.

The grill items include hamburgers, cheeseburgers, grilled cheese, fish sandwiches, chicken fillets and clam cakes. The dinner case includes Italian dishes such as stuffed shells, ravioli, manicotti, lasagna and spaghetti, all with meatballs, for prices ranging from $4.95 for the spaghetti to $6.95 for lasagna.

There are also meatloaf, pot roast, pork roast and chicken dinners, with mashed potato, gravy and vegetable, for $6.95. Or try other comfort foods like macaroni and cheese ($4.99) and shepherd's pie ($6.95).

Breakfast sandwiches, pizza, salads and roll-ups round out the menu.

And if you don't want to take your food to go, Colucci's has a couple of picnic tables set up on the sidewalk where you can sit and watch the neighborhood comings and goings. The place is across the street from a fire station and the Portland Observatory.

The Features staff of the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram anonymously samples meals for about $7.

Colucci's Hilltop Market