The Meatball Shop - 84 Stanton Street

[weinoo]

On my 3rd or 4th try, I finally made it into the new Meatball Shop on Stanton St.

A very friendly staff brings you your menu from which you choose your balls and your sauces - literally by checking off various boxes on the menu...no mixing and matching allowed, but single balls with sauce are offered as sliders for $3. Four meatballs come to an order, along with the sauce you've chosen and a small piece of locally baked focaccia - okay, it's from Il Forno, as are the baguettes that the heroes come on - and the meatballs'll set you back $7.

Now granted, this write-up is only based on a tasting of 2 of the 6 meatballs offered (33%), 2 of the 4 sauces (50%) and 2 of the 12 sides (I failed math). I didn't order heroes or sliders either (0%), because I'm not into competitive eating (though it sure seems to have taken over the once-fun Food Network), and since those sandwiches have meatballs and sauce inside of them, at least I tried 33% of the main draw.

Here's what I ordered...

Actually, it kind of looks like I am a competitive eater, but I promise I'm not - I actually took home 2 of each of the balls. And starting at the top left: lamb meatballs with mushroom gravy, roasted butternut squash, spicy pork meatballs with classic tomato sauce and risotto. A $20 lunch special if ever there was one.

While the risotto was as it is in most restaurants (I shudda had the polenta, in other words, and how about risotto pancakes from someone, please), both meatballs I had were delicious. Starting with the lamb:

which were seasoned with pine nuts, raisins and mint (maybe ground right along with the meat), yet not overpoweringly so, this is just great comfort food. The slightly gamy taste of the ground-in-house lamb (I'm guessing shoulder, neck, etc.) came through perfectly, with the caramelized exterior bits really adding an extra punch. I love lamb. The mushroom gravy was good too, but I was busy just loving the lamb - naked or so they say.

Next came the spicy pork meatballs...

once again, ground-in-house pork butt, with a good hint of red pepper flakes, served in a kiddie pool of their classic tomato sauce; the sweet, fatty pork plays nicely with the slightly acidic tomato. It was hard taking 2 of each of these home.

There are twenty-five (yes, 25!) desserts on the menu. Well, there are 5 freshly baked cookies to go along with 5 flavors of house-made ice cream (you pick the combo), and I think that comes out to 25 (5 x 5, right?)...they're all 4 bucks, and a nice finish, competitive eater or not.

With prices this friendly, a location right in the cross hairs, a nice bunch of folks enjoying cooking and feeding people and some excellent food, there's no doubt Meatball Shop is going to be jammed for a long time to come. But do try to go, even if it's only for a light lunch.

Also, a nice little wine and beer list is on the blackboard over the bar. A few beers are served in 3 different sizes and they are $3 for a glass, $5 for a pint and $9 for a quart...all quite reasonable for the nabe, I believe.

Full disclosure - when the check came, I had been comped one order of the meatballs, which was a nice gesture from a new neighborhood hot spot.

[ChiefHDB]

This looks great. I've been wanting to check out their meatballs ever since I heard about it. I'll definitely be making the trip for lunch very soon.

Edited February 17, 2010 by ChiefHDB (log)

[Pan]

This looks like a fun place to take my girlfriend. I love the big pictures in your report, weinoo!

[David A. Goldfarb]

Wanted to try it tonight, and normally we would have put up with the 15 minute wait to get in, but we were trying to make a movie, so it will have to wait for another opportunity. Looked like a happening place.

[weinoo]

Got to stop by and have lunch at The Meatball Shop again yesterday...still humming along, and this time I also tried the chicken meatballs which were very good, though I'd be ordering the spicy pork and/or the beef over them the next time, but that's just me.

Our little $4 salad was fine, as was the polenta...now if only the server could learn how to hold a bowl of meatballs so that his thumb remained on the outside...I know it's close to Chinatown, but...