9. Mrs. Robino's

MRS. ROBINO'S, 520 North Union Street, Wilmington.

Some of our Delaware listeners told us they've not appreciated being left out of the last few food hunts, so we drove south for a day to sample the Diamond State's best offerings – and load up the car with tax-free liquor. But that's another story.

Mrs. Robino's is a classic downhome joint that would fit as well in South Philly's Italian market as it does in Wilmington's Little Italy. We learned that former Vice President Joe Biden goes there on occasion, and that Bernie Sanders made a campaign stop last April, where he enjoyed meatballs slathered with tomato sauce. Hey, if it's good enough for the senior senator from Vermont, it's good enough for us to give it a try.

And good it was. We went for lunch and tried the meatball-and-sausage appetizer for $9. It came with three large meatballs and two sausages bathed in marinara. Quite the bargain for the price.

The meatballs were springy on the outside, soft on the inside. Pleasant, if not special. To be honest, the sausages were actually superior. Alas, this contest is Meatball Madness, not a Sausage Fest (and keep your mind out of the gutter, please).

Score: 78/100