There are not many places in Vermont where you can pick up fresh cannoli, handmade mozzarella, a pound of cotechino, a fried scallop sub, store-made gelato, imported San Marzano tomatoes, and fresh fish delivered daily — all from one small counter run by people who make you feel like family. Costello's Market in Middlebury's Marble Works district is one of them.

The market sits at 99 Maple Street in the historic former marble processing plant that now houses a cluster of Vermont-owned businesses. The building itself — marble walls, high ceilings, overlooking the Otter Creek falls — is one of the more dramatic settings for a deli you're likely to find anywhere. Take your food out back to the picnic tables and eat looking at the waterfall. It's genuinely hard to beat.

The menu is Italian-deli serious: homemade sandwich rolls, imported meats including prosciutto, salami, soppressata, and capicola, homemade Italian sausage, fresh mozzarella made in-house, and a rotating selection of prepared foods. The Soprano sandwich — prosciutto, fresh mozzarella, on housemade bread — is the benchmark. The meatball sub has its own loyal following. The fried scallop sub is a local sleeper hit. The antipasto selection is generous and marinated properly.

The cannoli are real — crisp shells, fresh filling, not sitting in a display case getting soggy. The gelato and sorbet are house-made. The wine selection is thoughtful and imported. Fresh seafood comes in daily, making Costello's the best place to buy fish in Middlebury by a significant margin.

The couple who own and run it are warm and genuinely present — chatting with customers, offering samples without being asked, making you feel like you wandered into someone's very well-stocked kitchen. It's a small operation run with care, and it shows in everything they put out.

Costello's Market
99 Maple Street, Suite 13A, Marble Works District, Middlebury, VT | (802) 388-3385 | costellosmarket.com
Wed–Fri 10am–6pm | Sat 10am–5pm | Closed Sun–Tue