Celebrate National Meatball Day At These Upstate NY Restaurants!

La Bella Siciliana

What a pleasure to highlight some pretty epic meatballs found across Upstate New York. Lucky for me, the National Food Calendar says that we should celebrate the "mighty meatball" on March 9 every year. So lets do it. I have eaten at all of these places over my many years as a food journalist, author, and Upstate New York road warrior. And these are some of my absolute favorites.

As you will see in this gallery (drool alert....the photos are gorgeous), we celebrate the simple plate of spaghetti and meatballs along with other concoctions. There are two places on this list, and that I have enjoyed dining at, that make an epic meatball sub, and we highlight them here. Also, if you are like me, when I order a pizza and ask what are the topping options, the minute they mention "meatballs" I say stop, load it up!

And, long time readers will see the mention in the gallery of what I call my most favorite Italian restaurant in all of Upstate New York. And, guess what? They do not even make meatballs! So, why is it on a "meatball list?" You will see when you come to it!

I recognize that there are perhaps hundreds of Italian restaurants and delis that serve up a pretty good meatball, so if you do not see your favorite place on this list please visit our Facebook page and celebrate it with all of our readers! We really do want to hear from you.

National Meatball Day is March 9: Hey, Upsaters! Celebrate Here!

We love looking at "national food holidays" on this page. No matter what the food is, they are always among our most popular posts. And this food holiday is personal. I have loved meatballs ever since I was a kid. I'd take them with me to school in my Lone Ranger metal lunch box. I made and cooked thousands of them in my father's deli. And I have had them at least weekly for 70 or more years. So, yeah, this is personal. Here is a short gallery of places renown for making some of the best meatballs in Upstate New York. I have eaten at all of them, and have created a delicious memory of my time at them. Clearly, this list barely scratches the surface of meatball restaurants in Upstate New York, which must number in the hundreds. But, as I said, this is personal. So these are some of the best meatballs i have ever had. enjoy the pictures!

Gallery Credit: Chuck D'Imperio

Do You Know These 4 Upstate New York Baseball Players? You Should, They Are All in the Hall of Fame!

Each summer thousands descend upon the hallowed baseball grounds of Cooperstown New York to witness in person the induction ceremonies of the sport's greatest legends. We know all of their names. But there are pages of trivial facts within the walls of the Hall of Fame. And they are fun.

This gallery looks at the four legendary baseball players who are enshrined in Cooperstown, but remain the only four players buried in Upstate New York (which we loosely refer to as the area up and out of Manhattan).. Do you recognize their names?

Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and other mythic baseball figures are buried in lower New York closer to New York City. These four are buried in our region and their graves are easily accessible to the public.

And their stories are great!

Gallery Credit: Chuck D'Imperio

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