Grilled Vegetable Panini
If you havenʼt already been, do visit the A&G Italian Fine Foods store and restaurant in the Plainsboro Village Center that opened about seven months ago. But donʼt go too hungry, or youʼll want one of everything you see.
A&G is owned by the Gramaglia family, which has operated similar stores around the state for many years. (Another nearby branch is in Somerset on Route 27.) They offer an extensive selection of products, from staples like canned tomatoes and pastas and grains, to fresh cheese, bread, and meats, plus frozen ravioli, and sauces. There are many olive oils and vinegars, and you can even buy a bottle of their good Sicilian olive oil, and then bring the empty bottle back for lower-priced refills, which I like to think offsets some of that carbon footprint. Mozzarella is made on-premise several times a day and was still warm when I stopped in. I opted to take out a panini with grilled vegetables and said cheese; it was delicious, as was the stuffed artichoke I took home for dinner, packed with flavorful bread crumbs.
If you are entertaining, there is an extensive selection of fresh antipasti to choose from, make your own selection, or have them make up a platter (or cater) for you. This is serious grazing territory for a foodie. A casual dining area with table service offers Italian-American classics, along with sandwiches, wraps, etc. As the Gramaglias say, “Buon appetito a tutti!”
Faith Bahadurian
NJ SPICE 