i agree with bearman and others- american italian food is nothing compared to what you get in italy. there's a reason why chefs like mario batali go to italy to learn, and not the other way around. so sorry you couldn't get meatballs with your spaghetti.
my week in italy was a culinary awakening (especially in florence- i didn't have one bad meal). . .i had no idea that pasta wasn't supposed to slathered in sauce, that simple ingredients go a long way. . .that pizza's weren't all about crusts and how much cheese and pepperoni one can pile onto the pie. . .