The Dish: Meatballs from Ralph's Italian Restaurant in South Philadelphia

SOUTH PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- In today's edition of The Dish, we're going old school.

When it comes to Italian cuisine, it's as old and treasured as you can get at Ralph's in South Philly.

The sign outside says it all: Ralph's is now officially the oldest Italian restaurant in the country. It opened in 1900 and is an institution on 9th Street.

The fourth and fifth generations of the same family are now running Ralph's and this year the restaurant is celebrating its milestone 125th anniversary.

When it comes to Italian cuisine, Ralph's is as old and treasured as you can get | The Dish

"I have to pinch myself to believe my family's been doing this for that long," says Jimmy Rubino, the fourth generation.

Elaine Dodaro is Jimmy's mother. Her father, Ralph, is the namesake of the restaurant.

"I sure wish my father could see this," she says. "He would be so proud."

On June 17th, they are hosting a big 125th anniversary party on all three floors from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.. Tickets are available HERE.

Everything in the building is original, including the recipe for their famous meatballs.

"This recipe came over in the late 1800s with our great-grandfather," says Rubino. "We have been using the same recipe ever since."

And we learned all of the secrets!

Ralph's Italian Restaurant's Meatballs Recipe

Recipe makes 10-12 meatballs

Ingredients:

- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1 lb. ground pork
- 1/2 cup chopped and sauteed garlic
- 1/2 cup sauteed onions
- 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
- 1/2 tablespoon oregano
- 2 tablespoons salt
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup fresh chopped parsley
- 2 eggs

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together with fingers, making sure everything is mixed very well
2. Roll into meat into 4 oz. balls, a little bigger than the size of a golf ball
3. Coat pan with vegetable oil
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour until golden brown

Mangia!