Amazingly Exotic Meatballs, All for a Good Cause

It's not every day that one has the opportunity to sample 10 different flavors of meatball. But that's exactly what in Hellertown offered patrons March 20, when it hosted its 2nd Annual "Sagra Meatball" event to benefit the Pediatric Cancer Foundation of the Lehigh Valley.

The event was originally planned as a contest, but due to a lack of entries turned into a tasting, co-owner and chef Robyn Cavallaro explained.

"I think this is a better format," Cavallaro said, adding that her plan is to host the "Sagra Meatball" event as a tasting only when it's held again next year.

Regardless, this year's "Sagra Meatball" was a win-win for the guests who turned out and for the Pediatric Cancer Foundation, which received a $1,500 donation after last year's contest/tasting was held, she added.

"It's a great experience for us but it's really to raise money (for the foundation)," Cavallaro said.

Last year, she noted, prizes were also awarded to the winners of the contest, which included local entrants such as .

Chef Jim Zebert, Cavallaro's husband and co-owner of Sagra, was responsible for creating the 10 exotic varieties of meatball that were served piping hot buffet-style in the rustic first floor dining room of the Main Street restaurant.

Featured meatball flavors at this year's "Sagra Meatball" included Garlic beef, Asian, Southwestern ranch, Texas barbecue, cheesesteak, caramelized onion with blackberry zinfandel, buffalo chicken, strawberry balsamic, goat cheese with honey pear, and of course, traditional Italian.

Sagra's full-service bar--custom built out of wooden wine boxes--was open for business, and guests mingled casually while sampling the the meatballs and entering drawings for raffle prizes.

Cavallaro said the word "Sagra" means "festival" in Italian, and that was an appropriate term to describe the 11:30am to 2pm party that was also attended by Nicole Ronco, Executive Director of the Pediatric Cancer Foundation of the Lehigh Valley.

Ronco said Cavallaro and Zebert have helped raise funds for her organization's mission of helping kids with cancer on prior occasions, and that their hosting of the "Sagra Meatball" fundraiser meant a lot.

Sagra Bistro will celebrate its two-year anniversary in May, and Cavallaro said that between the full-service restaurant, Sagra's catering business and special events hosted in the building's upstairs banquet area, name recognition is spreading.

"The menu changes all the time," she said, pointing to a dinner menu that included everything from coconut shrimp to tomato bisque with grilled cheese croutons to Sagra's special slow-roasted prime rib au jus with horseradish sauce. Desserts include a variety of specialty cheesecakes, such as Nutella swirl, Bananas Foster and Cinnamon Bun.

When it comes to catering, the customer is king (or queen) at Sagra, and has the ability to create a custom menu perfect for their individualized needs.

"We want them to feel like what we have is fresh and exciting," Cavallaro said of Sagra's customers, some of whom frequent the restaurant as many as three times per week.

Once the weather warms a bit, Cavallaro said Sagra will feature al fresco dining along Main Street, and once a month the restaurant hosts special events in its upstairs dining room.

Upcoming events on the schedule include a Blues Dinner with Shakey Lyman, a Comedy Show with Joe Casilio and Friends, a Jimmy Buffett Tribute with Davey Werkheiser and a Murder Mystery dinner theater to benefit the Hellertown Area Public Library in July.

For more information about the upcoming events, as well as menus and hours, visit Sagra's website.