By Erin Walsh
Canalp “John” Caner is confident that he has the best balls in all five boroughs.
Meatballs, that is.
On May 19, Caner, owner and executive chef of Astoria’s Mundo CafÉ & Restaurant, will battle nine other finalists, including two other Astoria restaurants, for the coveted title of “Best Balls in the Boroughs,” as part of the Meatball Melee competition that will take place during the eighth annual Cuisine of Queens & Beyond 2009 Food and Wine Gala.
Frances Grace, publisher of Dish du Jour, an Astoria−based magazine geared toward the food industry of Queens and the sponsor of the event, chose to focus on meatballs for this year’s competition after having a conversation with her friend Joseph Risi, one of the event’s judges, based upon their longstanding fixation with the tasty morsels.
“Meatballs [are] the type of thing that everyone makes very differently,” she said. “No matter who you speak to, someone says, ‘Oh, my grandmother makes the best,’ or ‘Oh, my mother makes the best.’”
Given the subjective nature of what makes a winning meatball, it’s surprising that the Meatball Phantom, an undercover eater who sampled meatballs at the 70 to 100 eateries that entered the competition, was able to narrow it down to 10 finalists.
Those finalists, which also include Astoria restaurants Vesta Trattoria & Wine Bar and Agnanti, will serve their creations to a panel of celebrity judges: Tony Tantillo of CBS 2 News; Frank Pellegrino, actor and co−owner of Rao’s Restaurant; Michael Psilikas, executive chef and co−owner of Kefi, Anthos and Mia Dona restaurants; Michael Maroni, owner of Maroni Cuisine and winner of the Food Network’s meatball throwdown with Bobby Flay; and Risi.
The gala, a tasting event that will feature more than 55 tables with assorted food items, gourmet products, wine and spirits, will run from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. May 19 at the Astoria World Manor, located at 25−22 Astoria Blvd. Tickets, $55 each if purchased before May 17 and $65 at the door, entitle entrants to sample all items.
Although most people think of the plump Italian variety, meatballs appear in all types of ethnic cuisine. Turkish and Greek meatballs, along with their Italian counterparts, are among the finalists in the competition, said Grace.
To focus solely on the meatballs themselves, Grace’s team attempted to separate the meatball from sauces and other accoutrements to unearth those truly memorable meaty orbs.
“The most important thing is flavor,” Grace said. “I’ve personally tasted meatballs that were dense, and that were light and fluffy. If they had good seasoning, whether they were dense or light and fluffy, then that makes a good meatball. Fresh herbs and spices really kick it up a notch.”
The quality of the meat is another important factor is separating sublime meatballs from more pedestrian fare.
“Some of the good ones that stood out, I think, had veal and beef,” she said. “Some had three meats — pork, beef and veal. Meatballs are a very personal thing.”
Caner, whose restaurant specializes in eclectic cuisine with Turkish, Argentinean and Middle Eastern influences, describes his meatballs as a traditional Turkish recipe, dating back to Ottoman times.
“What makes it very special is that we have some rice in the meatball that makes it very soft,” he said. “Once you taste it, it melts in your mouth.”
The softness, combined with Caner’s use of high−grade meat and Oriental spices, make his meatballs a winner, he believes.
“We have great confidence in the taste of our meatballs,” he said. “It’s already a winner with our customers for four years.”
Giuseppe Falco, owner of Vesta Trattoria & Wine Bar, represents the traditional Italian side of the competition. The recipe for Vesta’s meatballs is based on the chef’s grandmother’s and his and his partner’s upbringings, he said.
Vesta’s meatballs are made with milk, breadcrumbs made from scratch and traditional herbs. The meatballs are then served in a pasta bowl with a touch of the braising sauce, and sprinkled with parmesan and breadcrumbs, he said.
Will his meatballs emerge victorious?
“I will tell you this — if (they’re) going with a real meatball and what we’ve grown up eating in New York, then we’re going to win,” he said. “It’s a very delicate, soft, flavorful meatball, for sure.”
Agnanti, the third Astoria contender, serves up a mean Greek meatball, the inside of which contains the Greek cheese kefalograveira, said manager Faye Rambrianidis. The meatballs, which appear on the menu as a starter dish, are fried, then baked, and served with a thick Greek yogurt, she said.
To win the Meatball Melee would “define the meatball in a different way,” said Rambrianidis.
The competition for the title of Best Balls in the Boroughs may be fierce, but it’s done in the spirit of fun, said Grace. Along with bragging rights, the restaurant that emerges victorious will receive a plaque, she said.
