Meatballs and Spaghetti
Looking for a good place to eat great old fashioned meatballs and spaghetti in the Main Line near Bala Cynwyd, Ardmore, Manayunk. Any ideas?
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I'm surprised no one has mentioned Pica's on West Chester Pike heading towards Upper Darby. They have been around for years - and by far the best italian food around. Well worth the drive! We used to drive there just to get pizza!
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re: EastCoastWineMan
i have lived around philly my entire life. picas has some of the best pizza you can find - beyond a doubt. not the best for pasta and meatballs but a solid meatball sub. regardless, the pizza is some of the best you will find. it even rivals OG.
just kidding. but whoever is phillyjazz - dont take it personally - if that tastes good to you there is no reason to waste your time cooking. sara lee and betty crocker also make good meatballs. man, how could a faceless chain put enough love into a meatball to make it good? thats like suggesting that wendys makes a good burger.
its not about being a snob - just a food person.
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The one that you might be looking for is in Narberth just off of Montgomery Ave. going East. You would turn right for one block (I think on Iona Avenue) and I have shamefully forgotten the name of the restaurant which is on the left side of the road with their own parking lot, but some savvy Chowie might remember.
The other, obviously, is Fellini's in Ardmore, but I'm sure you already knew that.
THERE'S your place!›1 Reply -
Thank you so much to those who recommended Casselli's on Ridge Pike. We just got back and it was the perfect neighborhood Italian-red sauce restaurant. The portions were huge, the food was very good, the prices were rock bottom, the atmosphere was relaxed, the service was attentive, and the singer was adorable. We will definitely be going back and it is now on my list of favorite places. $10 for my lasagna which included, bread, soup and salad is awesome, and I have leftovers for tomorrow because of the portion size. Thanks again!
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Casselli's sounds great and we are planning on going there this week. Anyone have any recommendations as to what is specifically good? I am particularly interested in enjoying this singer that I have heard so much about. They say that they have live entertainment every evening that they are open, after 7. No reservations, huge portions, cash only and live singers sounds like it has SO much potential to be one of my new favorite places. I am excited. Any recs?
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OlderPhiladelphian
Jan 30, 2008 06:09 PM
If you really really want old fashioned meatballs and gravy, then get in your car and drive to South Philly. It wont kill you to do that and now you can try Marra's, Ralphs or Villa Di Roman. Now all the pretentious folks all this board will slam me for recommending honest food.
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re: OlderPhiladelphian
rabidog
Feb 10, 2008 02:28 PM
i do remember marra's having some fabulous red sauce. and the pasta was right-on, too. too bad they had cheapened the whole thing by smothering it in a subpar mozzarella! still, i have been meaning to go back and get something without the mozzarella. and the pizza was decent, too. i know all too well that quandry about ordering something else at a place you know is good for pizza. i bring a dining companion, one gets pizza, the other pasta, and we split.
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I have 2 suggestions for you. One is Casselli's in Manayunk/Roxborough. It's on Ridge Avenue. The food is superb. If you are looking for a delicious rich hearty red sauce, you will not be disappointed.
Second suggestion will require a 20 minute drive to King of Prussia. The restaurant is called Peppers. It's very casual, not terribly expensive, and has a great red sauce to die for. It is probably less expensive than Casselli's, but it's a bit further to drive. It's on route 202 just behind the big Bed Bath and Beyond there.
Enjoy!!!!
If you dine in either of these places, I think you'll find what you're looking for.
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I second (or third) the Carlinos recommendation. I have never had anything bad from there, but it's for take-out and not dinner.
Marrone's in Ardmore was a dissapointment to me. I so wanted to like it (cute, out of the way, nice service), but was not impressed.
While I loved the charm of the place, La Dolce Vita in Bridgeport is overpriced for the area and the food was not stellar.
For classic red sauce dishes, I would go to Fellini in Ardmore. It's your typical South Philly Italian style, but with huge portions and decent prices.
Has anyone tried the Italian restaurant in Bryn Mawr right near the Wawa & hospital? I have always wondered about that one.›1 Reply-
re: Main Line Tracey
I have to agree that Carlinos (for take home) and Fellini's (for eat in) are your best choices on the Main Line. I've never had anything except the house salad and pizza at Marrone's. I've thought about it, but there is no way I could go there an not order their delicious pizza.
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How about Fellini on Lancaster Ave in Ardmore? I never had their red sauce, and going on a weekend is an experience in futility, but the pasta is fresh and their dishes are tasty. I don't know about meatballs, but they serve a bolognese:
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La Dolce Vita on DeKalb Street in Bridgeport. Just follow Route 23 into Bridgeport to where it runs into DeKalb, and turn left. It's in a house on the right. Odd place but really good food. It's really only 20 minutes from BC.
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re: Dedtired
AmblerGirl
Jan 27, 2008 05:07 AM
I second La dolce Vita, they have great "old school" italian food and a quirky atmosphere to match!
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re: Dedtired
Is this the place that has created a kitchen with customer seating and it has island pictures playing on a flat screen, as faux logs burn behind you?
If so they suck! I know it is family owned and run, and that in turn creates the best service you could ever hope for anywhere. Sometimes I hope my tastes are inconsistent with those in the area, and I pray others like it, but if I am to be brutally honest it was not any where near my top 20 best Italian restaurants list. My humble suggestion, which should make this place 50% better, is fresh and RIPE produce. If a tomato isn't ripe it's a disappointment. I feel bad saying this, but honest feedback is best.
If not, my bad :-)
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If you are looking for good meatballs and sauce to bring home, try Carlino's
http://carlinosmarket.com/›2 Replies -
I'm always amazed how much all restaurants charge for plain spaghetti and red sauce. I've seen diners whack customers ten bucks for a handful of pasta before the meatballs ever get there.
To be honest, we usually avoid chains, but once in awhile we go to the Olive Garden where my wife and I get unlimited amounts of soup and salad. I get pasta e fagiole, and she gets a broth-based Tuscan potato-sausage-greens version.
My son ordered spaghetti and meatballs a few weeks ago, and it was a WHOPPING portion with three huge meatballs (which I sampled.) They tasted like the real beef-pork-veal meatballs I've had made my my friends' Abruzeze grandmothers.
My wife makes spaghetti alla chitarra, so there's no comparison where the pasta is concerned, but overall OG has my vote as a pretty good version at a fair price.
Come to think of it, I've had a decent version at Vinny T''s in Wynnewood. I probalby should just drive to S. Philly, since it's probably equidistant from B.C. It's just such a pain to park I'll probably end up developing a taste for Suburban Chain versions of real dishes.
