BROCKTON — As of Wednesday, Italian Kitchen had produced 60,000 meatballs in December. He has five cooking days left this month, which equates to more than half of the meatballs per Brockton’s 106,000 residents.
It’s a fourth-generation Brockton tradition. And from Thanksgiving through New Year’s Day, they’re all in, says Jeremy Jamoulis, chief operating officer of Main Street Main Street.
“By the end of the night, we’re all exhausted. We’ve all worked hard, and we get along well with each other. It’s a small room,” Jamouris says, looking from the dining room into the surprisingly small kitchen. He said while gesturing.
“Crank out” is not a figure of speech. Italian Kitchen employees still hand-grind and spice certified Angus beef and pork. The restaurant and grocery store has embraced new business practices like rewards programs and online ordering, but it refuses to evolve its famous 2-ounce meatballs.
“We don’t cut corners,” Jamouris said.
On holidays, customers come out one after another with meatballs and sauce, and there is a line out the door.
Even if you look for the recipe, you won’t find it in this story. The Jamoulises keep the formula for what they tout as “the best ball in town” out in a secure location. Of course, that’s on the minds of longtime meatball makers like Gus Tosh, whose family has owned the shop for 60 years. Jamouris said the same people have been making it for 20 years. Some of the cast iron frying pans are still in use, with frying pans from 60 years ago still in use.
Former Italian Kitchen employees return to log long hours in preparation for the holiday meatball rush.
“It’s just crazy, and it’s a lot of work,” Jamouris said. “But there’s something about being involved in that hard work.”
This is a factory that produces meatballs and sauce in small batches on a large scale. On a whim, Jamoulis said, why not stop by his Italian kitchen and order 200 meatballs? They don’t look away.
“The numbers are crazy, they really are,” manager George Pinzino said. “You won’t know unless you look behind the scenes.”
The meatball and sauce phenomenon isn’t just for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Year’s. During other months of the year, Jamouris said his Italian kitchen produces between 5,000 and 10,000 meatballs a week. Compare this to his 30,000 in the week of Christmas alone.
While Italian meatballs are their most famous product, Italian Kitchen also makes Swedish meatballs in honor of Brockton’s immigrant history.
When all is said and done, the tired meatball makers go home to their families. “At the end of Christmas, on Christmas Eve, at 6 p.m. when it’s quiet, everyone is so happy,” Jamouris said. “This is a huge accomplishment, and they deserve a lot of credit because it’s not easy.”
Get your mitts on Brockton’s best meatballs
Italian Kitchen of Brockton is located at 1071 Main St. Our famous meatballs and sauce are available year-round. Phone: 508-586-2100.
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