The Meatball Shop

Balls Worth Eating, Meatballs That Is

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I had to promise my friend a drink for her to come with me.

It took some goading, a little bit of convincing and finally the aforementioned offer for her to accept. I was already excited, having heard nothing but great things about the Meatball Shop and couldn’t wait to try it, but she on the other hand had some qualms. Meaning that she was a vegetarian and where I was about to take us was a place focused on, well, meatballs.

Thus, the drink.

You can pick anything from a dish of four meatballs to sliders to something called a "smash", which is literally two meatballs of your choosing smashed together.

The restaurant was started by two guys who seem as easy going as I am southern, Daniel Holzman and Michael Chernow, as a place for New Yorkers by New Yorkers. Both were born and raised in the city and have worked in places from Le Bernardin to Frank on Second Ave. Meatballs were never in their radar until one day in Whole Foods the two had an epiphany and, ah ha! Meatballs! Thus came The Meatball Shop. And what a place it is.

Inside their West Village shop is a warm and inviting haven, filled with antiques on the walls and wooden benches and soft colors that seem to draw out the flavor of the food. Meant to be reminiscent of an antique shop mixed with a butcher shop and blended together with the classic soda shop, I almost felt as if I was somehow going home when I walked inside, even though I had never been there before.

I decided to have the classic meatball, though other amazing favorites include the spicy pork meatball and the beef meatball hero. There’s even a vegetarian ball as my friend delightedly squealed. But if none of those tickle your fancy, there’s more options! You can pick anything from a dish of four meatballs to sliders to something called a "smash", which is literally two meatballs of your choosing smashed together. With a name like that, how could that not be fun to eat? All of these have six types of sauces to top off your choice. I picked the Parmesan Cream and I’m not ashamed to admit that I mopped up every last bit of it with some Focaccia bread. Well I wasn’t, but my friend might have been.

Along with these are a variety of sides from risotto to salad all of which can be followed by a desert, of which there are many. We split a spicy chocolate cookie, the special of the day.

Inside their West Village shop is a warm and inviting haven, filled with antiques on the walls and wooden benches and soft colors that seem to draw out the flavor of the food.

I found myself wanting to stay longer, stay and be a part of the noise and the great food and the fun atmosphere. It was almost wistful, the way we left, a little quiet and into the sharp spring night. The silence was only broken when my friend suddenly cooed, “I would totally go there again!”

Guess I didn’t need to buy that drink.

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