'Burb Bites: Stacco House by Mammamia's masterful meatball sandwich
The bite(s): A meatball sandwich ($12), mixed berry butter cookies ($1.85 each) and a slice of chocolate ganache cake ($7.70) from Stacco House by Mammamia.
The 'burb: Carmel.
My take: Before we even get to the meatballs, we've got to talk about this baguette.
It's toasted to perfection with a crispy exterior and fluffy interior that blends beautifully with layers of tomato sauce and melted mozzarella.
The tender, all-beef meatballs packed inside are the real deal. They're too big for the bun in the best way.
It's also extremely well-balanced. It's hard to find a meatball sandwich that is saucy and cheesy without also being greasy and heavy, but Stacco House nailed it. I actually felt like I was losing weight with each bite.
Reality check: I know that's not true. So does my scale. But a guy can dream.
The vibe: Nestled next to Fat Dan's Deli on Main Street, walking into Stacco House feels like walking into a family member's kitchen while they're in the middle of preparing for company.
It's a smaller space that encourages grabbing and going, but you'll want to loiter inside just to drool over the cakes, cookies and cannoli in the bakery case.
The welcoming vibes were reinforced when chef Lucio Romani walked out of the kitchen to hand deliver me my sandwiches the moment they were done and bid me farewell with a warm "see you soon."
Fun fact: The restaurant is named in honor of Romani's father who was called "Stacco" by all his friends.
According to the owners, Stacco directly translates to "a horse that is young, strong, and healthy" in his late father's dialect. When talking about a person, it means they are very beautiful or handsome.
If you go: 834 W. Main St., Suite 130, 11am-9pm Tuesday-Sunday.
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