Ever since Chef Kris Siuta came to Carowinds after Labor Day 2014, the park has continued to get better and better with food offerings around the park. When one thinks about the shear scope of how much food is made in the park each day, and how it continues to get fresher and more flavorful, it is quite the magnificent accomplishment.
Take for example your average Italian sub. Most places order your stock bun, throw the meat, cheese, vegetables and condiments on and call it a day. Not that there is anything wrong with that. However, Chef Kris has innovated the Italian sandwich by hand crafting daily one of the most important ingredients, the bread.
Chef Kris and his team hand make every day fresh foccacia, a flat oven-baked Italian bread product similar in style and texture to pizza dough. The right foccacia bread can be infused with tons of flavor from the olive oil, rosemary and other herbs (though the Carowinds version did not have any added herbs from what we could tell).
The sandwich is then hand built with layers of Italian meat, shredded lettuce and tomato.
When it all comes together, the Carowinds Italian Sub is one hefty sandwich and better than anything you will find at a sub restaurant.
The foccacia held the sandwich together really nicely and had just the right amount of softness, while still having that crispy outside layer of dough. We also had our sub toasted to warm the meat and add a little crisp to the inside of the bread.
The basket includes a side of chips.
We did not add any sauce to the sandwich because it really was excellent on its own. If we were to add one con, it would be to offer a unique sauce option, like maybe a pesto, or the absolutely outstanding Copperhead Strike hot sauce available from Blue Ridge Country Kitchen.
Honestly, an Italian Sub is not something that would be on our normal radar to try. It was only after we learned about the handmade foccacia bread did we try it, and we are sure glad we did! Shared among five people, with everyone taking several bites, it was more than filling enough and an excellent use of the Carowinds dining plan!
Fact Sheet
What: Italian Sub
Where: Papa Luigi’s Pizza (Carowinds)
Calories: 750-860
Cost: $11.99
Dining Plan: Yes
Pros: The homemade foccocia bread is the real winner here with everything else an added bonus.
Cons: Great on its own, but perhaps a special sauce to go along with it.
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