The Meatball Shop

New York City is known as one of the best food city's in the world. With endless options, New Yorkers are never bored with new food concepts being born everyday. Recently, we've seen a resurgence of old school classics such as burgers, pizza, and fried chicken. Although these foods might be old-school favorites, restaurateurs have put a modern twist which have been incredibly successful. Meatballs could be added to that list of comfort foods enjoying a nice comeback.

The Meatball Shop shows the potential of the meatball. Located on Stanton Street on the Lower East Side, The Meatball Shop appeals to a variety of people--even vegetarians. The Meatball Shop offers guest a build-your-own menu that you actually mark yourself. Erasable menus allow guests to pick exactly what they want, so no blaming the server for screwing up your order! The menu itself offers meatballs in a few different forms--from sliders and smashes to heroes and "naked balls". The Meatball Shop offers 5 different types of meatballs including classic beef, spicy pork, chicken, vegetable, and a special which changes daily. Guest also have 6 sauces to choose from such as classic tomato, spicy meat sauce, mushroom gravy, Parmesan cream, pesto, and a special sauce.

Getting there a little before my friend Jackie, I sat at the bar and enjoyed a nice glass of wine while taking in the scene. The place was bustling for a Tuesday night! So while I waited on my company, I sipped on a glass of Pinot Noir that was not too memorable. Once Jackie arrived, we got a table and another beverage. The spacing between the tables seem a bit tight, but I guess we're use to that in New York. Jackie chose to get a glass of White wine while I switched to beer--Brooklyn Brown Ale to be exact. For food, I opted to get a few sliders; which allowed me to get the most variety of meatballs and sauces. The meatballs on the sliders were about a 2oz portion and came between a soft delicious mini-bun. I tried the classic beef with the classic tomato sauce, the spicy pork with spicy meat sauce, the chicken with the Parmesan cream, and the special with classic tomato. The special was a Bolognese and Mortadella meatball. We also got some steamed spinach to add a vegetable to are meat-filled dinner.

Each meatball was better than the next. I love the concept and I think they will be extremely successful as the price point is pretty good. Next time and there will be a next time, I would love to try some more of the sides and different meatball combinations. I would definitely recommend the meatball shop; whether your looking for a quick bite or going on a date. Good, friendly service with awesome food--can't go wrong!

Oh, and don't forget dessert! Homemade ice cream sandwiches. Freshly baked cookies with homemade ice cream makes the perfect ending to a great dinner. I got one chocolate chip cookie and one peanut butter cookie with vanilla ice cream in between! DAMN, that was good!