Have you ever wondered which of the Italian restaurants within Westchester makes the best spaghetti, or how they measure up against each other? Me, too. Thus, I tried the two most popular and well-liked spaghetti and meatball dishes in Armonk(Fortina and Broadway) to find out. Here’s what I learned.
Before we begin, here’s how we graded:
To figure out which dish was superior, we decided the most effective way was to analyze and compare the key aspects to the dish: the spaghetti, the meatballs, and the sauce. Now let’s rewind.
The sauce
The one that enhances the flavors. The once that brings a burst of color. The one that brings moisture to the food. As the icing on the cake in the sense of an Italian meal, the marinara sauce is a vital addition that brings everything together. What we look for in a marinara pasta sauce is something that’s healthy and sharp in flavor, while not overwhelming the other aspects of the dish.
Fortina’s deep red sauce is a perfect example. It has a smooth and well-rounded flavor that tastes like it’s been simmering on the stove all day. But still, it’s simple and not too overpowering. It serves nicely as what a sauce should do: complementing the meal. Salted to perfection, it coats the pasta and meatballs closely, boasting a delicate sweet to salty to tart balance. Finally layered in an abundance of cheese, the parmesan serves for optimal thickness and creaminess to the comforting sauce, adding hints of bitterness and divulging the heartiness to Fortina’s spaghetti and meatballs.
For Broadway, the first thing I noticed was the colorful gleam coming from the bright meal, with a light and smooth sauce that coated the spaghetti and meatballs gently. While the spaghetti sauce does taste more distinctly of canned tomato paste than I remembered, I do like it. A lot. This, to me, is quintessential as a benchmark for the typical Italian American spaghetti sauce: it’s rich, sweet, and full of flavor. However, my complaint is not with the sauce itself, but with the way the sauce is served, which is simply ladled atop the spaghetti and not tossed in.
Winner: Fortina
The meatballs
The meatball, as most Americans encounter it, is a dense, round composition of ground meat and other ingredients concoct together. Doused in marinara sauce and served with a giant bowl of spaghetti, the meatball is a staple of Italian restaurants across America, especially in the small and welcoming restaurant north of Deccico’s.
In Fortina’s version of the iconic meal, the 3 generously sized meatballs are what ultimately complete the dish. At first bite, you instantly feel it’s robust and charred flavors coming rushing at your palate, convincing you this just might be the best meatball you’ve ever eaten. It's amazing all around—not just for how it tastes, but for how it feels between your teeth. The giant balls of meat have a crisp texture on the outside and are delicate and moist within, providing a satisfying chew. The earthiness of the meatballs is able to bring complexity and depth to the rather straightforward meal. They fit nicely with a bite of spaghetti, bringing smokey and savory tastes, inducing a pleasing harmony within the differing flavors.
On the other hand, you have Broadway. The meatballs there have a fine and smooth texture, both tight and light, almost bouncy. And when you cut one in half, it doesn't crumble into bits; it’s able to hold its integrity. They’re fairly basic meatballs that meet the requirements of what you’d expect: salty, sweet, and tender. Although, the plainness is also fairly disappointing. There could have been some added spices or herbs to bring some excitement to the rather boring meatball. Overall, it’s bland and nothing special, like the spaghetti and meatballs your mom would make for you as a kid.
Winner: Fortina
The spaghetti
The long and thin shaped noodles in the famous Italian dish are the building blocks to what makes a great spaghetti and meatballs.
When I looked at Fortina’s pasta, I saw a sturdy and vigorous noodle. From a glance, I expected a thick and chewy munch that would issue a nice and enjoyable texture. However, after a couple of mouthfuls, the bites of pasta wasn’t as pleasing and effortless as I hoped. It was more on the fine line between good spaghetti, al dente that is fine and stringy, and spaghetti that’s too laborious to chew. Overall, it still makes for a strong foundation that fits in felicitously with the large and heavy tone of Fortina’s spaghetti and meatballs.
Opposed to its adversary, Broadway had thinner spaghetti, serving for a lighter dish. Although it did lack cheese and herbs, the springy spaghetti was still a bomb of flavor. It was cooked to perfection and had a firm yet soft chew; it was perhaps good enough to please an Italian grandmother, and I think that says a lot. Not only was the quality good, but it was also able to stand on its own, a major factor that plays into great spaghetti. As we know, nothing is worse than a rich sauce sinking to the bottom of the bowl because the pasta itself isn't substantial enough to hold it. Here, this is not the case. The spaghetti has a nice stick, and with every twirl of pasta, the marinara sauce keeps up with its counterpart cohesively. Broadway’s delectable spaghetti is surely top-tier and definitely something you should try if you're ever in Westchester.
Winner: Broadway
The Verdict
Overall Fortina’s dish is a full-bodied, fulfilling meal. From it’s thick sauce to its chunky meatballs and hearty pasta, it’s a dish that will fill you up in seconds. Broadway’s spaghetti and meatballs, on the other hand, is a relatively lighter pasta dish, however, its size proportion makes up for its lack of heartiness. In both Spaghetti and meatballs, the strength comes from its simplicity. Made with a few ingredients and bare spices, both restaurants are able to create a wonderful and flavorful meal.
Now before we conclude, we must account for the factor of pricing. The price points at both locations vary. While Fortina’s dish sits at $22, a fair price for a large meal, Broadway’s spaghetti and meatballs sit at a bargain of $12. When you’re out to eat in Armonk, you must decide with yourself, would you rather have a heavier and sizable dinner or settle for a light and quick eat-and-go? The choice up to you, but for us, we like to aim big.
As you can see in the 2-1 victory over Broadway, Fortina is our clear winner. At a price that's worth its flavors, you can never go wrong with their spaghetti and meatballs when you’re craving Italian food. With its meaty, toothsome, and divine flavors, it’s a dish that’s impossible to compete with.
Winner: Fortina Spaghetti & Meatballs
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