There’s no lack of food diversity here in the United States.
From Chinese toMediterraneantoMexican, cuisines of all kinds and from every corner of the globe are represented.
However, one of the most agreed upon and comforting things has to beItalian food.
Photo: Shutterstock/Eat This, Not That!
One such Italian-American dishand debatably the most iconicis spaghetti and meatballs.
History shows that the meal started rolling onto plates in the late 1800s to early 1900s.
Who could forget the iconic spaghetti and meatballs moment from Disney’s “Lady and the Tramp?”
Photo: Megan Hageman/Eat This, Not That!
Buca di Beppo
Heading toBuca di Beppo, I prepared myself to eat big.
That’s where you’ll find its world-famous meatballs measuring in at a whopping half-pound each.
A “small” orderwhich still feeds three guests, mind youcosts $34.99.
Photo: Megan Hageman/Eat This, Not That!
This is the size my husband and I decided to tackle.
The look:Don’t let the photo fool you, this bowl of noodles was enormous.
I kept waiting for the flavor, any flavor at all, to kick in.
Photo: Megan Hageman/Eat This, Not That!
But it never did.
As a whole, the giant masses reminded me of something that would come from a can.
For this reason alone, I knew Buca would fall to my last-place slot.
Photo: Megan Hageman/Eat This, Not That!
The spaghetti noodles weighed in at a standard thickness and the top was ladled with a maroon-colored sauce.
The entire thing was also sprinkled with basil and, of course, some freshly grated parmesan.
Cooked more al dente than mushy, the noodles were a good start.
However, the marinara was thin and lackluster overallbetter suited for breadstick dipping than anything else.
Regrettably, it was also unavoidable since it was poured on a little too plentifully.
I grappled with whether or not the meat sauce would have been the better, more palatable choice.
But, I’m unsure if even that swap would have made a strong difference.
However, it is in fact there, hiding within a standard spaghetti meal.
The latter added $3 to the entree for a total of $17.29.
Three smaller herb and spice-spotted meatballs were the stars of the plate.
They rested on top of a snaking serving of pasta with splatters of red sauce incorporated throughout.
Carrabbas, however, has its competitor beat in two main areas.
Second, and most importantly, these meatballs are a work of art.
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Bravo!
The first-everBravo!opened up in my home city of Columbus, Ohio, in 1992.
Spaghetti pomodoro or spaghetti bolognese?
But, those fan-favorite ground meat medallions are nowhere to be found.
The look:The first thing I noticed was the abnormally skewed ratio of metaballs to spaghetti.
The sauce was on the lighter side and chunky, almost giving off the appearance of pico de gallo.
My waitress shaved larger shards of cheese on top and basil wasn’t forgotten either.
The taste:A plate straight out of Nonna’s kitchen.
It just has that unspoken zip of authenticity and was the perfect match for the hearty meatballs.
The meaty orbs were another success all by themselvesnot quite as good as Carrabba’s but a notable contender.
Overall, it’s simply a well-rounded, slurpable, and satisfying dish.
And, for that, I say bravo!
