Explore NY

10/29/10 Okay so here is the stuff that really fuels my passion. Being inspired by great food and great business ideas. Exploring the unique spots of NYC. It's a shame, no it's a crime, to not take advantage of all the wonders of this melting pot city. And you call yourself a New Yorka? Get to it, people!
First Stop, The Meatball Shop. Located downtown on Stanton, between Orchard and Allen. This small eatery has big taste and a monster crowd ALL the time. Open until 4am Thurs-Sat, and 2am Sun-Wed, it seems as though there is never a dull moment. So we arrive and the hostess says that it will be an hour and a half wait for 2. Mind you, it was 9:45 at night. Did not expect that. So I gave my cell number and we walked down to Pianos for pre-dinner drink, as was suggested by the hostess (Actually, Pianos was my idea, love this neighborhood). Cool. I get a call about 45 minutes later, Score! Two parties canceled. On our way to yummy town! Enter The Meatball Shop. A witty crowd with a witty little laminated menu on which you check off your choices with a dry erase marker. Or even write little notes on it like the guy next to me did. So me and my new food adventure partner chose the sliders for $3 a pop, so we could try out a variety of ball and sauce flavors. (Okay the lingo may get weird here, but not all the balls are meat! Just keep your mind out of the gutter and in the sauce pot and we will be fine). My choices: Spicy Pork Meatball with Marinara Sauce, Beef Meatball with Spicy Meat Sauce, and Chicken Meatball with Pesto. All served on a mini brioche bun. My partner in crime chose: Beef with Marinara, Veggie with Mushroom Sauce, and the Special of the day (I think this is probably always a good bet) Thai Meatball with a Special sauce. A couple sides: Fresh Milled Polenta (reminiscent of my fav childhood dish, pastina) a delicate taste of butter and parmigiano cheese; Roasted Veggie of the Day, butternut squash with walnuts and goat cheese. I couldn't put my finger on what made this roasted veggie dish so amazing but I think there's a good chance it has a lot to do with how Chef Daniel Holzman and Manager Michael Chernow pick their sources for produce and ingredients. I'm going to have to try to recreate this one.  So we nibbled and forked (no gutter intended) and had a great time. A nice little wine list (I had the Sangiovese, Cesani-Ireos Chianto Colli Senesi, Tuscany, Italy 2007) and Peroni on tap. Nicely done.Oh! And then of course we shared a dessert. A classic: the icecream-cookie sandwich. I have to give mention to the Special Housemade Icecream flavor of the day, Apple Pie. Fresh from the oven! --only colder. :)  View the deliciousness below.
http://www.themeatballshop.com/