The Charlottesville 29

Photo by Do Me A Flavor.

The Meatball Sub

While meat in ball form has existed around the world for centuries, there is a more modern type of meatball with American origin, created by immigrants from Italy in the late 19th century. Before coming to America, the meatballs they made were typically small and served alone or in soup, much like they are today. In the U.S., for whatever reason, they began making larger meatballs, and serving them with pasta and tomato sauce. Before long, Italian-American restaurants started stuffing this new type of meatball into rolls, creating what would become one of the most satisfying sandwiches on earth.

Here in Charlottesville, Anna’s Pizza #5 has been making meatballs for nearly fifty years. Since opening in 1976, the Italian-American ristorante near UVa has adhered to the same family recipe for their delicious meatballs, which they serve on pizza, with pasta, or, best of all, in a submarine sandwich. For the sandwich, the kitchen’s unusual step of slicing the meatballs helps to ensure consistency in each bite. Nestled in a submarine roll, the sliced meatballs and house marinara sauce are draped in mozzarella, which melts quickly in Anna’s pizza oven. The result is a meatball sub that satisfies unlike any other in town.

#26: Meatball Parmigiana Submarine – Anna’s Pizza #5
The Charlottesville 29 of Sandwiches

Others of Note: Meatball Parmigiana Sub at Fabio’s NY Pizza. Vegetarian Alternative: Eggplant Parmigiana Submarine at Anne’s Pizza #5, Veggie Parm Hoagie at Crozet Pizza at Buddhist Biker Bar