BITES ON A BUDGET is a toothsome and tasty series where members of the OC family forage for great food––under $10!
Last week, Eloise and I journeyed north of Houston to have our first, authentic Italian subs in New York. Chubby Mary's is owned by the same guys who run Artichoke, the gods of the Late Night Pizza food pyramid category, so when they claimed to make the "Best Heros in Town," we believed them. Eloise put in her order first, the man behind the counter's personal rec: the meatball with gravy and provolone. We watched, mesmerized, as he halved a soft and fluffy Italian baguette, fresh from a bakery in Brooklyn. He poured on warm marinara "gravy," piled on four baseball-sized meatballs, and sprinkled on the shredded cheese. Seconds later, my chicken cutlet with broccoli rabe and provolone came up, piled with mega-portions of cheese, juicy, garlicky broccoli, and crispy chicken cutlet.
We knew that these weren't going to be your Great Aunt's tea sandwiches, but they are in a totally different ballpark when it comes to size. (Each sandwich half had its own paper plate!). I was all about my sub, but Eloise and I agreed that hers was the way to go. The bread soaked up the marinara perfectly, and the fresh meatballs (made in-house) and provolone all blended together in a way that was beyond nom. Say goodbye to Subway, and buongiorno to the glorious, ginormous meatball sub.
CHUBBY MARY'S
328 East 14th St.
New York, NY 10003
MAP
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Meatball sub ready to go
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Eloise with her order
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Close-up
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Last week, Eloise and I journeyed north of Houston to have our first, authentic Italian subs in New York. Chubby Mary's is owned by the same guys who run Artichoke, the gods of the Late Night Pizza food pyramid category, so when they claimed to make the "Best Heros in Town," we believed them. Eloise put in her order first, the man behind the counter's personal rec: the meatball with gravy and provolone. We watched, mesmerized, as he halved a soft and fluffy Italian baguette, fresh from a bakery in Brooklyn. He poured on warm marinara "gravy," piled on four baseball-sized meatballs, and sprinkled on the shredded cheese. Seconds later, my chicken cutlet with broccoli rabe and provolone came up, piled with mega-portions of cheese, juicy, garlicky broccoli, and crispy chicken cutlet.
We knew that these weren't going to be your Great Aunt's tea sandwiches, but they are in a totally different ballpark when it comes to size. (Each sandwich half had its own paper plate!). I was all about my sub, but Eloise and I agreed that hers was the way to go. The bread soaked up the marinara perfectly, and the fresh meatballs (made in-house) and provolone all blended together in a way that was beyond nom. Say goodbye to Subway, and buongiorno to the glorious, ginormous meatball sub.
CHUBBY MARY'S
328 East 14th St.
New York, NY 10003
MAP
Meatball sub ready to go
Eloise with her order
Close-up
Dessert!
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The meatball-making magic
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Rocky tribute
The meatball-making magic
Rocky tribute