Best (Meat)Balls in the Boroughs

A recent contest pitted New York City borough restaurants against each other for the title of “Best Meatball in the Boroughs.” The contest was hosted as part of Dish du Jour magazine’s annual food and wine gala, The Cuisine of Queens and Beyond.

Although all the meatballs were delicious (I did the hard work of trying them for you), a panel of celebrity judges—including Frank Pellegrino, actor/co-owner of Rao’s Restaurant, and Michael Maroni, owner of Maroni Cuisine and winner of Food Network’s meatball “Throwdown with Bobby Flay”—declared the winner Nicky’s Famous Meatballs by Manhattan’s Bello Giardino (located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan).

It’s helpful to know what makes a great meatball. According to one judge, it has to be moist on the inside and crispy on the outside. Nicky agrees. The secret to his famous meatballs is that they are fried in a stainless steel pan, creating just enough crisp to complement their moist, flavorful core. (See a recipe for Nicky's Famous Meatballs below in the featured recipe links)

You can visit the finalists, which included Manhattan restaurants Bar Stuzzichini, Campo, Carmine's and Molyvos; Queens restaurants, Mundo Café, Vesta Trattoria & Wine Bar and Agnanti Meze (which also has a Brooklyn location); Brooklyn restaurant Ignazio's Pizza; and Staten Island restaurant Pastosa Ravioli.—Denise Shoukas

Denise Shoukas is a regular foodspring.com contributor and is the author of foodspring’s food forager blog.

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