The results of the first annual ‘Jersey Meatball Wars’

Chef Umberto invited me into the ELKS Lodge on Washington Street in Toms River. It was the first annual "Jersey Meatball Wars".

More than a dozen great New Jersey restaurants joined the contest to compete for the Garden State's BEST meatball. It was tough to pick a winner, there were so many talented chefs competing for the prize.

It was also tough to taste nearly 20 meatballs ahead of dinner later than night.

There were a few entries that although they didn't win, the creativity was something that had to be recognized.

Dina's Bistro in Toms River had a version of a "Cacio e Pepe" meatball that was creamy and balanced with several cheeses.

Romeo's had a pignoli and rasin meatball that was a nice balance of salty and sweet.

The winner came down to three top contenders:

JoeBella's had a perfectly balanced sauce and added a bit of Italian sausage to the meatball for an explosion of flavor.

La Fontana had the perfect texture and taste reminding me of my grandmother's meatballs.

Honestly, any one of the top contenders could have won the prize, but the clincher for me was Della Cucina with a no-sauce, fried meatball that was clearly homemade and fried onsite.

It was one of the best meatballs we've had.

Jodi and I agreed that if you can win without the sauce, it's truly all about the meatball.

Congratulations to all the restaurants who stepped up to be judged. The one takeaway is that wherever you go in Jersey, you're going to find a great meatball.

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Bill Spadea. Any opinions expressed are Bill's own.

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