RAO’S Meatballs

We’re not normally a recipe and cooking Web site — preferring to leave the minutiae of cooking and food obsessions to those cooking and food obsessives who love to debate the finer points of King Arthur v. Gold Medal Flour, or burning questions like: Genovese Sweet Basil: Overrated or Essential?

But if you’ve ever bitten into a Rao’s meatball and fallen in love at first bite, and let’s face it who hasn’t? — then you should take a gander at this recipe for them brought to you by the James Beard Foundation.

And if you’re looking for something to do in The Big Apple on March 21st, you could do a lot worse than headin’ down to 167 West 12th St. in Greenwich Village, and tasting an array of the Southern Italian-American classics that made Rao’s-New York the toughest table in town. Click here for the JBF Event page highlighting this dinner, and if you go, be sure to get a cocktail from Rao’s world-famous bartender Nick The Vest.*

RAO’S NEW YORK

455 E. 114th St.

New York, NY 10029

212.722.6709

RAO’S LAS VEGAS

In Caesars Palace Hotel and Casino

3570 Las Vegas Blvd. South

Las Vegas, NV 89109

702.731.RAOS (Call after 4 PM and ask for “Bubbles” — we kid you not — he’s straight from Central Casting)

www.raos.com

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* When ELV was a bartender, his nickname was: John The Slightly Ill-Fitting Cardigan.

WTF?

Would someone please explain to us what this wacky billboard means?

For those with sketchy eyesight, the giant board on Paradise Road reads: “HATE THE SIN. LOVE THE SINNER.” Gandhi Indian Bistro Unveiling 2009.

And if you think that’s weird, try this on for size: http://www.gandhilv.com/

And after viewing them both, please tell ELV:

What does any of this have to do with Indian food?

Or Gandhi?

Or Gandhi the Indian restaurant on Flamingo Road?

Or is it some oddball, Hindu thing?

And what the heck is an Indian “bistro” anyway?

Inquiring minds want to know.

All we can think of when we look at these is: how bizarre, how bizarre, and if we don’t get an answer soon, ELV has half a mind to go chow down on one of these.