| rev:text | 	Since the restaurant in East Harlem has been booked in advance for the last 35+ years, I really, really wanted to try Raos in Vegas. I might never get a chance to try those legendary meatballs in NYC, so this could be my only chance. 
Alright, ordered two meatballs as an appetizer, with Penne alla Vodka as the main course. The meal came with rather plain jane bread that was good and fresh, but nothing spectacular. 
So, the meatballs are about 5oz each and are covered in a thinly sweet Marinara sauce, sans any pasta. Real Italian Polpettine, perhaps a little too large for Napoli but delicious & soft while retaining an exterior form that prevents them from mushing. I tasted beef, pork, and veal, with parsley and garlic. Yum yum. Oh so yum yum!
Ah, the Penne alla Vodka? Now, it was served while I was still chowing on the meatballs (haha--did I write that?), and that is a faux pax of serving but I forgive them. Now, the sauce was a little too thick for my taste; I think a loosening of some starchy pasta water would have helped. But it was deliciously creamy, with a nice pepper bite to it, and a delicate balance of pancetta and garlic. The graininess from the vodka was perceptible, but not overwhelming. 
Well-done. |