I would guess this is true for a lot of places. That's a curtain you don't want to look behind. And yes, Giacomo's is the place with a menu in a binder. One of the other places I've been told to try in that area is Paulie's, but haven't had a chance.
I am flat out spoiled with the number of great mom and pop Italian eateries in my hood. My current fave (and yes, they have great meatballs) Baciccia Pizza e Cucina 426A 7th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215 (718) 788-1000 https://g.co/kgs/gN3z38
Don't believe I said all Chinese. If I did I apologize. People that eat dogs and horses are fn freaks though.
Subway is over-processed food like product stuck between even more processed kind of bread like slices of ingredient containment.
Antonini’s in Webster on HWY 3. Hole in the wall, sign just says “SUBS” They got a little press being on Texas Bucket list. Homemade meatballs that usually sell out everyday before they close, I definitely recommend this place if you're on a meatball journey.
It shouldn't. I've been published before and was even on the radio to talk about food. I know several owners in Houston and most people here know I typically give good food ideas and restaurant recommendations.
I have a close friend who grew up in Chicago...literally born into a crime family whose name is recognizable. He lives here now. He grew up cooking with his grandmom. He tells me about the Sunday dinners that looked that huge dinner get together you saw in Goodfellas. He will make "gravy" to pour over pasta that is unreal. Best Italian food I've ever had. He has a few places in Houston he says are good, Lasagna House being one of them, as strange as that may sound. But you're absolutely right that Italian food here just isn't what it is in places with the huge Italian populations that have been there for generations. @Roscoe Arbuckle the picture you posted in the original post looks amazing. I need to try that place!
I like baked pine nuts in my meatballs. Mario Batali has a recipe for meatballs that has pine nuts in the meatballs. But, his meatball recipe was weird because I remember that he would just have you drop the raw prepped meatballs into the sauce and cook them in the sauce. Every meatball recipe I'd ever seen...you cook the meatballs either fried in a pan or in the oven. Obviously, you didn't get the crust on the meatball doing it this way. But, he has another variation of the recipe where he bakes the meatballs. He also does this thing where he soaks the breadcrumbs in water or milk. Then, squeezes them out before including in meatball.
