Homage to the Meatball

My mom (aka Grandma Dot) was the baby of six children.  As many large families back in the 20’s, when you were the baby of six, you probably had a nephew or niece coming right after your birth.  With her siblings families growing and moving off to start their own families, their was one dish that kept them all coming back to the table.  Meatballs.  At an early age, my mom was rolling meatballs with my Grandma to feed the growing family. 

When it came time to start her own family, she kept the meatballs rolling.  When I was younger, I can remember playing outside when all of a sudden the scent of freshly fried meatballs would escape from her kitchen window.  We all would stop playing and as if we were in a trance and follow the scent to the frying pan. 

Then, in the 70’s when I met my husband, Steven, I brought him over for dinner.  Steven came from another Italian family and gave fair warning that his Nana had the best meatballs around.  He had one bite of my Mom’s meatballs and I think he was ready to marry me! 

When it came time to open Gaetano’s in 1993, there was no better meatball we knew to serve than my Mom’s.  I remember Steven making the meatballs at her house, trying to create a recipe.  He would ask, “how many ounces of garlic do you use?”  She would giggle and say, “I don’t measure, I just know”. So, here we are in 2023, almost 30 years later.  The methods might be slightly different but the recipe is still the same. 

National Meatball Day is coming up on March 9! Come try our famous Grandma Dot’s meatballs if you haven’t had the chance to try them yet.  Three handmade meatballs, meat sauce, cream marinara sauce for $10.95.  It is an excellent way to start your time at Gaetano’s.