Mangia, Mangia, Mangia – You're Invited!!!! 2nd ANNUAL "MEATBALL COOK-OFF" NEW! 2004 PICTURES! WHEN: January 24, 2004 8pm – Midnight Tasting and Voting: 8-9pm WHERE: Watertown Lodge of the Elks 279 Arlington St. Watertown, MA 02472 617-924-9667 See map. ATTIRE: Dress in your most OUTRAGEOUS old world Italian outfits – or – Come as you are (if you dare) Enjoy the music of world champion accordion player Tom Sheridan a/k/a "The Irish Music Guru" (our group is international you know) The Tony Mederios Band is performing for your dancing and listening pleasure Donation: $15.00 per person – proceeds to benefit the Italian Home for Children RSVP: JeanB615@aol.com, Isleweave@comcast.com, Tarihuss@mac.com HISTORY OF THE MEATBALL COOK-OFF – (See some older pictures: 2002) On a cool September 2002 evening, college roommates Jeanne, Deb and Inga (Karin) were enjoying a friendly dinner at a restaurant in Watertown when low and behold Deb ordered Spaghetti and Meatballs. Some of you may not think that's strange, but a true Italian/American knows that you NEVER order spaghetti and meatballs at a restaurant – even one that claims to be "Italian". Well, we excused Deb because she's Irish, until we all tasted the meatballs. One thing led to another and an argument erupted as to who makes the best meatballs. And thus, the first Meatball Cookoff was born. We decided to include Beth Brown a/k/a Pia* Bruno (who was unaware and in DC). Beth was the official who tallied the votes, but she ended up being politically correct and destroyed the ballots and said the three of us tied. Well, the crowd didn't fall for that Balloney and they all started screaming "Ball Off! Ball Off! Ball Off!" Pia has been fired as the official and until now doesn't know that she is going to have to make meatballs and enter them in this year's contest. Last year's unofficial winner was Jeanne (decided upon by Deb and Inga) and Jeanne holds the Queen's Sweater and is not very receptive to giving it up – So, come see if Jeanne has to give up the sweater or keep it for another year! *Pia is short for Ethiopia since her job last year was to white out the Ethopian insignia on mini toothpick flags so we could use them as Italian flags – can you imagine we could find Ethiopian toothpick flags and not Italian toothpick flags???? What a country!