Cloudy with a chance of Meatballs...

I consider myself a purveyor of the finer things in life. BBQ, hot dogs, giant sandwiches, epic burritos and of course Meatball Subs. At its essence the meatball sub is a rather simple creation: spiced ground meat, marinara sauce, cheese and good hearty bread. But there is a subtlety to this art, a subtlety which seems to elude the entire state of Texas. Frustratingly, I haven’t been able to find a serviceable meatball sub in almost three years here, lest you count a limp, soggy sub roll with “meatballs” that just rolled off the Sysco truck.

Given this absence of acceptable meat spheres in a state sorely lacking enough Italian heritage, I was primed for my visit back to South Bend for one of the best meatball subs on the planet at Polito’s restaurant.

Whether you call it a hero, hoagie, grinder or sub, this sandwich at Polito’s is a genuine work of art. It’s the perfect blend of spiced homemade meatballs, gooey mozzarella and hearty marinara sauce. What truly sets Polito’s apart, however, is their bread. They have thicker almost pizza-like bread that has a good firm bite to it. Most importantly, the bread maintains its structural integrity despite being stuffed with enough meat, cheese and sauce to choke an alligator.

These gifts from the Italian gods were a staple of my diet in South Bend, and it’s no mystery why they are an integral part of my annual pilgrimage back to Notre Dame each year.

http://www.politosny.com/

http://www.politosny.com/menu.html