Phantom Gourmet: Rosalina's Kitchen In Worcester
WORCESTER (CBS) -- There's a lot of action in this little kitchen, and at the center of it all is Rose-Ellen Padavano.
"It gets crazy, it gets hectic, it gets hot, it gets busy and dramatic," she says. "And the bell's ringing and people are order in and order out, let's go, pick up your food, do this, do that, and it's wild."
And while it may be a bit crazy in front of the stove, there's nothing but smiling faces and full bellies out in the dining room at Rosalina's Kitchen.
Tucked away among the triple deckers on Worcester's Grafton Hill, Rosalina's Kitchen is a casual BYOB spot where customers feast on big plates of Italian-American eats.
"It's a very homey atmosphere," Padavano says. "It's sort of like walking into your Nonna's house for Sunday dinner."
And Rose-Ellen cooks just like grandma would.
"We roll out our own pasta, we hand fill our raviolis, we make our gravy from scratch every single day," she says. "They always say 'your gravy is better than my nonna's gravy' or 'it's the best gravy I've ever had.' People really love the gravy."
And that gravy is showcased on all kinds of dishes, like the classic macaroni and meatballs.
"It's like the go-to meal, I mean who doesn't love macaroni and meatballs?" Padavano says. "You bite into a meatball and it's just like...aaaah!"
Despite the great food and affordable prices, locals aren't so quick to sing the praises of Rosalina's Kitchen--but that's only because they want to keep this little place their little secret.
"A lot of people often say to us, 'you know what, I found this little gem, and I don't want to tell anybody, because I want to be able to get in," Padavano says. "And I want to be able to eat here when I want to eat here, so I don't want to tell my friends.'"
Watch Phantom Gourmet on Saturdays and Sundays at 10:30 and 11 a.m. on myTV38.