The Go-Spot In New York For Baseball-Sized Meatballs That Food Network's Guy Fieri Can't Resist

Guy Fieri has dined at so many different restaurants all over the country as part of his work on "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives". And with no end in sight for the long-running TV show, or his own food and beverage empire, the celebrity chef will no doubt be adding many more locations to the list. So, you think he'd be pretty hard to impress, but sometimes a spot will produce a dish he just can't resist, like the famous meatballs from Mulberry Italian Ristorante in Upstate New York.

Fieri visited the cozy Lackawanna restaurant to film a segment for a 2010 episode of Triple D titled "Homegrown and Homemade." The draw was originally Mulberry's scratch made lasagna, but it was the baseball-sized meatball that really blew him away. The gigantic meatballs are made using a mix of ground beef and pork that's hand-rolled with fresh breadcrumbs, basil, parsley, and various seasonings like garlic, dried oregano, and parmesan cheese.

A little egg, extra virgin olive oil, and warm water are also utilized to create a succulent, flavor-packed meatball that's been blowing customers away for years. Fieri said upon tasting one, "That's a great meatball. Really nice and tender. Melts in your mouth. Big flavor. Cut it with a fork, it stays together — yet when you put it in your mouth, it just dissolves. Delicious."

Chef Joseph Jegre opened Mulberry Italian Ristorante all the way back in 2005. The Lackawanna native grew up in an Italian American family and learned how to cook from his mother and grandmother, but his travels often influence his cooking style, which focuses on doing as much by hand as possible – an ethos that seems to serve him well.

Online reviewers have called the meatballs the best they've ever had, with one Yelp user saying, "The best meatball of all meatballs. Soft, huge, flavorful. Loaded with tons of sauce overtop. We order it with fresh ricotta on top and it really makes it." Another wrote, "I order meatballs pretty much wherever I go and these by far are my favorite! The red sauce is perfect — rich and thick — and I always look forward to coming in for a meal with a big red glass of wine."

People also love the handmade pasta dishes, as well as the lasagna (which Fieri was a fan of), and the chicken parm. The light, pillowy gnocchi comes highly recommended too. But while the food is the main draw, the homey atmosphere and consistency always bring people back for more. A Google reviewer summed it up as, "A booming, old school, Italian restaurant at its finest. The atmosphere, the décor, and the food were OUTSTANDING." Soak it all in if you get to visit, and don't forget those meatballs.