Can I Beat Brooklyn's Best Meatball Sub? (Blind Taste Test)

[@thunderejjim]

Man, his reaction at the end is so relatable. Cooking for others is such a personal thing and so much pride and passion can go into it that when you find out that people genuinely enjoy what you make for them it can be an almost overwhelming amount of emotions. Multiply that by a factor of ten if you're comparing your cooking to somebody's (or company's) that you personally think is superior to your own, but people choose yours over it.

[@Cookie_Comment]

yeah… that was really sweet :)

[@bryankovach8209]

Very well said

[@anwarabdullah6723]

That thing at the top of your mouth in which you were pointing is called the incisive papilla.

[@sdahlstrom144]

I like this format. It's like what Weissman does, but with, you know, humanity.

[@atostclair7787]

That is hilarious 😂. I honestly like Josh's vids, but Bab's passionate and heartfelt reaction as compared to Josh's bravado honestly puts him over the top, for me. Josh is But Better and Babish is like hopefully better 😂? Like i absolutely wanna see more of this.

[@jesukxd8494]

@@atostclair7787 You nailed it

[@gamerhex7335]

"humanity"?

[@ChordxClient]

@@gamerhex7335I think he meant humility

[@FatAlbertFanClub]

@@gamerhex7335 yeah his content has become soulless, honestly why I eventually unsubbed.

[@RadioactiveLobster]

Love the episode. Shame about Kendall being fired though.

[@garrettboomerbender]

Really? Why?

[@J3Puffin]

@@garrettboomerbenderit’s joke

[@joshp8535]

​@@garrettboomerbenderlol she liked Andrew's sandwich least. He isn't gonna fire her, haha.

[@RykaStar]

😂😂😂

[@gweebara]

Not an acceptable joke... Joke about firing Alvin fine Kendall never

[@Nomadmandude]

You should have thrown in a Subway meatball sub in there on that blind taste test would have been hilarious.

[@dialga4688]

It'd be even more hilarious if it managed to get first place too.

[@Thatsme.KMarie]

I’ve never had one, but I’ve seen them at subway….. that would have been helpful for me.

[@cookiedoughdynamo2747]

Inject this type of video straight into my veins. There's so much actual cooking going on in the planning stages, the cooking process itself and in the critique. The reviewers who weren't foodies were just as valuable as the ones that were, because it tells you so much about the experience and not just the analysis. There's also no pretentiousness of doing "better" like some other youtube cooks, the fact Andrew is just as happy existing alongside the others shows so much character.

[@user-gp5yz5yz4x]

yeah like no offense but you making food better than mcdonalds is not a compliment its just clickbait

[@aerynparty]

This is legitimately the perfect pilot to a series. Please make more

[@toneart1623]

seeing his reaction to the rankings was actually so sweet

[@s15cbow]

I think it's especially adorable that Sawyer picked his as a favorite. They've been friends the longest, so that's gotta hit home in a warm, fuzzy way.

[@ryanscott4043]

Andrew, I wrote and re-wrote a bunch of comments I intended to post. But it all boiled down to one thing in the end. Your work to create this content led me to cooking nearly a decade ago. I had just come back from war and had begun my disconnection from everyone and everything. I continued that, but I also found your videos, and started cooking (I previously couldn't boil an egg). I ended up losing everyone because that's how trauma be. But I kept cooking. I kept watching you. I kept learning. As you've had your ups and downs, so have I. But we both kept cooking. I'm far from repaired, but I'm repairing. And I am cooking. It's thanks, in so many ways, to you, and what you've created with Babish. Keep cooking, my online stranger-friend.

[@ravibabu1441]

Thank you for your service. Please keep cooking, reparing, and growing. All the best my internet stranger friend!

[@LauraSweet99]

❤

[@babishculinaryuniverse]

Thank you for sharing your story - we’re all far from repaired, but very few of us work on it. Thank you for your service, and keep cooking, I will if you will!!

[@quarlo20]

❤❤❤❤

[@maikeruchen]

We demand a follow-up video of Andrew's reaction to Kendall's scoring of his sandwich! 🤣

[@m00nh34d]

Kendall who? No Kendall here (anymore)

[@Strategiain]

"Heya folks, welcome to the first episode of Hannibal Week"

[@evilcheese1119]

@@m00nh34d?

[@adamzajac9872]

😂

[@Colethulhu]

Call this series “Bested by Babish”

[@ChairmanChico]

Beaten by Babish

[@Adamulos]

Blinded by Babish

[@blueskull7898]

Put a question mark at the end for the case where he doesn’t beat it

[@terrorofdeath3280]

Bashed by Babish is the title of his diss track album series.

[@marmalar]

Battled with Babish?

[@swit1905]

"The father, the son, and the holy... S***" was just too perfect 🤣

[@GrandpaGunther]

Probably scripted though

[@kidkazma5118]

But still, a tshirt would be great.

[@seaborgium919]

@@GrandpaGunther So? Majority of the funny and inspirational quotes that you know were scripted.

[@Eli_G]

@@kidkazma5118 was thinking the exact the same thing

[@andrewpappas9311]

I love that line, I'm definitely gonna use it at some point

[@TheMillennialGardener]

“Owns an espresso press. Actually uses it.” is the best subheadline descriptor for an interviewee to date.

[@freyjabattleborn3143]

my comment is a like I refuse to let the number change

[@freemanfgteevty6438]

I really like how you are mellowing out. The bread might have risen too much, but you keep going. The meatballs might be a bit over done, but you keep going. Congratulations on your victory.

[@patrickmcgowan696]

Sawyer and Nico need a "Wayne's World" type food review show. Love the energy they brought.

[@morrisahj]

Super funny how Nico kept echoing Sawyer lol Genuine guy best friend energy

[@LauraSweet99]

YES, their dynamic is delightful!

[@RIPMrAlwaysFirst]

“I gotta go…” Cut “Well Brad I’m a little tipsy”

[@RayneAngelus]

The biggest issue I have with most meatball subs is that round meatballs don't do especially well in a roll made soggy by sauce. That is to say, they tend not to stay in the roll until you eat them. So ideally, I like to see a big, honking meatball sliced and layered onto a sub with cheese and sauce like it's thick cut deli meat instead of a prepared, seasoned beef sphere.

[@xyzpdq1122]

You can also do torpedoes, like Lebanese kefta

[@toneburgshoots6945]

@@xyzpdq1122 ooh

[@chrilborn4138]

This is "But Better" but better

[@gabrielwong182]

I don't normally leave comments, but I felt so compelled to this time. The humility and humanity of this episode was just so moving. Loved every second of it.

[@Joe___R]

If Andrew hollowed out his bread, it would likely have scored higher since everyone would have been able to get a full bite. But it definitely looks delicious.

[@gweebara]

More normal size balls would've helped too

[@Sniperboy5551]

He could’ve also halve the meatballs, that would help a bit

[@OriginalMomo]

Kendall with the saucy “joker smile” was hilarious 🤣😂🤣

[@Jkizzle4996]

Bested by Babish is the clear series title

[@andy56duky]

Banging by Babish

[@EricLeafericson]

Battle by Babish

[@mr_wut]

When you said you can't work a normal job, that really resonated with me. I'm slowly dieing in a grossly missmanaged hospital kitchen! I wish I could work for you Babish!

[@BROWNMIST44]

Warehouse worker here. I’m also ridiculously envious of anyone who gets to have a career this rewarding and enjoyable. Can’t imagine what it must feel like to wake up excited for the day.

[@LauraSweet99]

I am a part of this thread, I manage a storage facility. Property management is necessary, but some days are painfully tragic.

[@ratedRblazin]

dying* mismanaged*

[@jwk4567]

A missed Babish opportunity: “oil of olives… Egg of chicken”

[@MooSaDoFamily]

I had the exact same thought!

[@airrider-jk9ik]

meat of......ball

[@wesleythomas7125]

Flour of wheat and yeast of... Um... Yeast...

[@wintermute4544]

i glanced at this while he said that hah

[@johnsimon8457]

Eye of newt and toe of frog, Wool of bat and tongue of dog… ball of pork and sauce of tomato shred of cheese and bread of ..... potato?

[@Draukagrissah]

Carrot really is an underappreciated soup/broth/stock vegetable. Try eating a chicken noodle soup with carrots and without carrots and you'll understand why they are CRITICAL in many applications, even when you don't always see them in the final product!

[@maluse227]

plus they have that lovely little bit of pepperyness to them that is essential to so many foods.

[@ravibabu1441]

@@maluse227 Celery accentuates that, which is why mirepoix in anything is going to equal tons of flavor!!

[@WafflesOWNz]

Kendall seems like such a sweetheart until you realize she was planning on Andrew's downfall the entire time

[@Adaephonable]

Planning on his downfall or planning his downfall?

[@toneburgshoots6945]

@@Adaephonable both

[@Arachnia_Sea]

I'm guessing they hollowed out the loaf in the second sandwich to get it to look like that

[@James-dv9do]

You'll make detective

[@LObo6156]

I think they also don't necessarily toast the inside of the bread. That's always way more yielding than a toasted bread, which maintains its structure a lot more aggressively.

[@manoflead643]

He mentions scooping bread at like, 20:25 or so

[@FriggyEsq]

@@manoflead643 To me, OP up top was meaning the Carmentas, not Babish' second take on his own - with how the bread seems to wrap around the giant whole meatball, I thought the same thing to start. either pulled out or kept super soft.

[@anasevi9456]

absolutely, they could have made the dough super airy but that makes it puff up inconsistently. Besides you can use the dug out breads for future meatballs.

[@philoctetes_wordsworth]

4:58 You have just explained why egg bagels are my favorite. The egg allows them to remain tender, even after toasting.😋😋😋😋😋😋😋Also: I bet the restaurants dug out the bread’s guts. It seems the only way such large, round hunks of meat will fit, and also fit into a human mouth.🤗

[@bierbrauer11]

Also they can use the dug-out portion for the meatballs :)

[@blake1771]

i like the idea of scooping the bread out and cutting the meatballs in half. makes it MUCH easier to eat

[@PeterReid1993]

I've had a bunch of issues with food (autism) and I started watching Basics with Babish way back when. I first discovered you watching your sauces video. Eventually I got comfortable enough in the kitchen making me-friendly type meals that don't wig me out and now I can actually make meals for people that they enjoy instead of just ordering out when I have guests.

[@ProfJimbles]

I’m glad Brad gets to hang out with Babish while he has a breakdown.

[@ricksturgis4451]

Andrew's reaction to the win was so awesome, and made the the whole video for me. I love it.

[@aviatorengineer3491]

I'm so glad somebody finally said the word "calzone" in reference to the Brooklyn DOP sub

[@Son_of_Mandalore]

This was an awesome idea, superbly presented and delivered. I would happily watch more like this, because we all want to. Great job Andrew, loved this episode.

[@Closer2Zero]

Goodness do i always forget just how pretty Kendall’s smile is until i see her again on an episode. She’s always just so genuinely filled with joy

[@Staniii2360]

Same here. I liked her energy with Alvin and I‘m kind of upset that they don’t work together on camera anymore.

[@spaceshower9653]

the third group i love those two guys. very analytical and funny. commentary is extremely entertaining. vocabulary resonates. 10/10 should be in more videos

[@ahmedalkhiary8882]

I like this format, makes me feel like I'm just chilling with Andy. Chilling with my culinary father, my foodie daddy, my papa de cocinando.

[@bionda470]

The rind of the parmigiano is 100% edible and delicious! Its mine, my sons and my dog's favorite snacks

[@nollypolly]

Right?! I'm like, "not an edible thing?". Sure it takes a bit to get through but it's so flavour packed!

[@stax6092]

Yes, I don't know why he'd say such a thing. My Dad and I both eat that part. Not so much him anymore as he's getting up there in age though.

[@paulwagner688]

@@nollypolly If you put it in a braise for a long time, it gets nice and tender with a nice texture. Like paneer or halloumi.

[@SairynadeX3]

my dog loves the yak cheese rinds ^-^ plus theyre hilariously massive cheese poofs when you microwave em

[@Staniii2360]

I put it in Rissotto like others and take it out at some point to eat it.

[@velocitygirl8551]

Wow this was sooo intense and I loooved that you lovelies didn’t let me know the the last guy’s ranking of sandwiches so it was truly a shock for me, at the same time as Andrew! Beautifully done… congrats Andrew! 🌟

[@LeyenaZoey]

Ooh! The outro list's everyone who helped! That is a neat thing to do! Smartly edited too, going down a little to list them, going back up after! Well done Brad and Steve!

[@doloran-]

This was actually a super fun and creative video idea. Hopefully babish enjoyed making it so we can get some more of this "beat the best" type competitions.

[@SøsterBlæk]

LOVED this format! Andrew really seemed invested too, which is awesome to see. Would love more!

[@codyswanson6773]

Also Babish: those are your hard and soft palates. Hard palate close to your teeth and soft palate towards the back.

[@MichaelHumbles]

aka Cap'n Crunch attack zone

[@katieweaver2999]

He could have also been referring the alveolar ridge just based on where he was pointing in his mouth.

[@redcroft308]

Those canned tomatoes you used are infamously NOT San Marzanos. Look close at the label, it says San Merica Tomatoes. Not only are they not legit protected origin San Marzanos, they aren't even the same cultivar.

[@nolanbaker2360]

He's such a poser I kid lol

[@AlistairGale]

@@SimuLordEthan has nearly an hour about coffee that boiled down (never -pun intended- boil your -pun intended- coffee) to “I like what I like and you should too.”

[@Arkouchie]

​@@AlistairGalesome times it's all down to preference, and there's not much more you can say.

[@jeromethiel4323]

Ohhhhhhh! Babish is in trouble!!!! Would have been funny if he had said something along the lines of "These are san marzano tomatoes. But since those are retardedly (AKA stupidly) expensive, instead we use San Merica tomatoes!" /edited for the extremely sensitive people in the comment section.

[@demarcorr]

neeeerd

[@DaaanG73]

$22 for a meatball sub is NY robbery

[@TigerBud]

Glad I left

[@unitydev457]

im pretty sure that one restaurant scooped a bunch of bread out of the middle thats how they got the meatball to stay in there so nicely. I think you should've done the same with yours. The bread looked awesome but also it was just too much bread in an already heavy bite of food.

[@TheVerucAssault]

The "and we're doin it, doin it, and doin it well' got me lol😂

[@Matthew_Teague]

Love what you do Babish, this was an absolute joy to watch!

[@julyenpinder6253]

Love this. Make this a series

[@abbazabba58]

As an Oregonian, I was thrilled to see you using Tillamook provolone. You have chosen wisely!

[@scottyplug]

First Babish episode where I've laughed out loud multiple times and then had to fight back tears myself at Andrew's reaction to the results. Perfect episode. Now I'm dying for a meatball sub.

[@z_abra]

Bearding with babish

[@Superb_0wl]

🧔‍♂️

[@yankee2238]

balding with babish

[@SunnierVoyage97]

I can’t believe I read that as “breeding with babish” 💀💀💀💀💀💀

[@drinfernodds]

​@SunnierVoyage97 im pretty sure there's fanfiction out there with that title.

[@SunnierVoyage97]

@@drinfernodds searching for it right now

[@ArtsandtheKraft]

This was so heartwarming to watch! I find Andrew very charming and happy for him and whomever his partner may be!

[@soulslayer6817]

Love this new format!! New suggestions: cupcakes, cocktails, bahn mi, tomato soup and grilled cheese!

[@paulamorris4727]

Well done, Andrew! That totally looked amazing and I loved how invested you were in really knocking it out of the park.

[@ItsJustLisa]

I love your reasoning for the meatballs. However, currants aren’t just Sicilian. My great grandmother’s recipe calls for ground currants and warm spices like clove and a whiff of nutmeg. She and Great-grandpa immigrated separately from Piedmont (small town near Turino). She came with her parents and he with his brothers (leaving his sisters in Italy) to be miners. I have her recipes for gnocchi, meatballs and sauce, and ravioli.

[@the-lilabro9697]

Sawyer and Nico from the moment I saw their vibe, knew they were the best judges, great vibes

[@marcberm]

4:23 the palate; hard palate (front) and soft palate (back).

[@pyrodoll7137]

Sawyer is the clutch best friend though. He didn't reveal which one he thought was Andy's but he clearly knew what was up.

[@hurtmasala]

The "The father, the son, and holy s***!" bit was too perfectly timed to not be scripted. Amiright, Andrew? Come on? Amiright?

[@Meatbalzz]

Great video. The KEY INGREDIENT in any sandwich is THE BREAD! Yes, the contents of the sandwich is important, but you put the same ingredients in 2 different kinds of bread and they will taste different.

[@shiftyslc]

I love the real emotions at the end. So nice to see.

[@johannfunn6962]

5:57 Not Andrew labeling the graph’s measurements after drawing the line 😂💀

[@TheTomTracey]

Love the format of this show. It was a ton of fun all thebway through. You could also do this with guest chefs

[@juliebean1910]

“Literally just went down to a dark place.” “Doesn’t it always?“ “Yeah.” That smile though!

[@ambertheanxious]

His reaction was actually adorable, seriously

[@kidkazma5118]

My man, you can tear up or I can cry up for you. Your testers knew you best and at the end, you came out on top by a hair, but I think that's the best way to win. Fantastic job. If you're ever looking for a pleb from the streets on how local things taste, this Masshole will come for it. I mean it; have food, will travel. Great job.

[@Snappedsky]

It’s so sweet how touched Andrew was ❤ I was actually really worried he wouldn’t win

[@-RTC-]

This is an awesome one! Really enjoyed the panelists as well. All great personalities.

[@dbecker33]

“A more herbaceous ball.” Such a hilariously beautiful description 🤣

[@J3Puffin]

Love to see the credits section at the end. Hope this video was a reminder of just how far you’ve come as a professional chef, my guy. It’s seriously been something watching your evolution.

[@AzureDragonZX]

Live narration from Babish is SO much better than post.

[@RavenDravenek]

The father, son, and holy s**t

[@Clythez]

Really liked and appreciated this format and the video as a whole, the babish at the end also felt like the babish of old in terms of humility *and* relatability, more like this please :) PS Man im gonna miss Kendall, she was always my favourite addition to the BCU, shame.

[@Spartan3457]

Holy moly they were brutal with rating these subs.

[@joshp8535]

This is what happens when people rate like real people. Channels where people rate things are always too nice. If im rating stuff I'm finding flaws, that's the point.

[@lowesgameing2003]

Andrew ascending to max the meat guy levels of content

[@ianstrom7210]

Liking a meatball sub without as much sauce is absolutely criminal. That’s the second most important part of a meatball sub

[@Plondysaurus]

Andrew...listen to me....lean in...more of this. Thanks.

[@zebmccollum]

I like how Tony actually uses his espresso press.

[@threemiceinajacket]

1:22 YOU PSYCHOPATH YOU TOOK THE LIL EXTRA CHEESE OFF????

[@LauraSweet99]

Kendall's commitment to her analogy is fun!❤

[@mib6002]

Andrew I love this new content you’re doing man 🎉

[@scottg4352]

This was great! So much more human and emotive than other shows that attempt the same thing.

[@miinyoo]

Never ever be afraid of drawing eye rolls with the "awesome sauce". That is entirely their problem and you should be proud to have the magic of the awesome blossoming through your veins... with... extra awesome! There. See? It's fine.

[@brettgt40]

4:20 Babish, the roof of your mouth is called the "Palate". There's the front part that has all the ridges and stuff and is hard, called the "Hard Palate", and the back part towards your uvula that's smooth and softer, called the "Soft Palate". And the part *right* behind your teeth is called the "Alveolar Ridge". It get's the nickname "Pizza Ridge" because it's what you burn when you bite into burning hot pizza. I know this because I'm weirdly into linguistics.

[@26mandys]

The small triangle of gum between the upper front teeth is called the incisive papilla. All the triangles in your mouth are papillas, but that one is between your central incisor teeth so it is incisive. Just adding to your linguistic knowledge!! I’m a dental hygienist.

[@N8zAdventures]

Cool episode, try and beat some of the pizza or bagel places next

[@jo.comics]

This was an actual emotional rollercoaster, very very very fun! I'd love to see more of this series

[@ThatsDebatable110]

The title should be: Beating Brooklyn's Best Balls.

[@ElizabethWeeks7]

I freakin love this series please don’t stop!

[@kr1886]

I don't even go for a subway once a year but when I do it's a meatball sub for me. On my last visit, they had no meatballs...i left hungry! Edit to add: Congratulations Andrew!

[@andy56duky]

Last time I went to subway, Jared Fogle was still a spokesman. Weeks prior to finding out he was kiddy toucher.

[@HustleofFalcon]

They should have partnered with Drake

[@15oClock]

I had that sandwich. I dislike it.

[@wingracer1614]

@@SimuLord I used to live right behind a gas station that had the best hot dogs. I don't know what they were but they were way different from every other gas station hot dog I have ever had. Cheap too. I could take a short walk through the woods and grab two monster, fully loaded dogs for 3 bucks.

[@sabersight908]

i like the new format, it makes the foods flavor clear what it could be then usual, other perspectives are always great to have

[@reipineapple1138]

20:23 that's what she said

[@LabCat]

What you want in a sandwich bread is a Po'Boy loaf, Andrew. Crispy-chewy exterior with a pillowy soft interior. Holds the whole sandwich together. Soaks up sauce (like marinara) like a champ. Is it sacrilegious on an Italian sandwich? Probably. Do I care? Not really, no.

[@philoctetes_wordsworth]

34:25 I apologize, but I cannot recall the name of the guy in the hat. I believe you guys did the math wrong. From what he explained, he liked Andrew’s the best, and therefore, Andrew’s sammich won! He misunderstood, and thought he was ranking from third place to first, rather than assigning point values. Andrew won. 36:45 Nevermind. It would seem Brad was paying attention. The three 10s under the sammiches was confusing.🤗

[@josephpalmer2903]

Proves the subjectivity of food and flavor is so heavy. All 3 looked F-ing Bangin. Congrats Andrew on the win!

[@brendanressler4359]

Steve? Steve? The random surrealist comedy page I showed all my friends in high school but who stopped posting and is impossible to google because his name is just Steve?!!!!!!!

[@bluefox1901]

I love meatball subs and Babish just being himself in these types of videos is awesome.

[@hannahcollins1816]

The way he said "hoagie" makes me suspect he's been hanging out with Mythical Josh lately 😄

[@thepyrokitten]

Mans acted like this is the birth of his first child. I love it. No ego here. Should he start a restaurant? Maybe not. That's a whole different ball park. But should a restaurant feature his menu/recipes? Absolutely.

[@brash_hown]

8:08 This guy represents taco bell dorito shell

[@SunbroJoe]

12:32 Those are "San Merican" Tomatoes and are a Roma variety with deceptive marketing on the label to make you think you bought San Marzano Tomatoes.