Meatball Kitchen

Simple Italian your way

The Simple Industrial Interior

     Dreary fall evenings call for comfort food so Eric and I dropped by Meatball Kitchen on Short Vine after a movie recently at the Esquire.  I'd been curious about this place since
its opening earlier in the year…a build-your-own approach to Italian dining.  It was a quiet evening for dine-in, so we had the full attention of our server for a run through of the posted menu.  

Rigatoni with Spicy Pork Meatballs and Meat Sauce

      Both of us decided on pastas with the other choices being a sandwich or salad.  We added our pick of meatballs (Turkey and Spicy Pork) from others including Beef and Vegetarian.  A line up of 5 sauces tempted us with the Meat and Béchamel adding Provolone Cheese on top.  Wow—thatsa lotta meatball options!  

Turkey Meatballs
with Béchamel Sauce

     The outcome was quite desirable as shown.  Both were tasty, led by cinnamon, chili and clove in the spicy pork ball and spinach, feta and fennel in the turkey.  Below them were a 3 meat sauce with ricotta and red wine, while the béchamel was a creamy mixture of brie and parmesan with garlic bread crumbs all atop mezzo rigatoni that was nicely prepared.  I have a pet peeve about not having enough sauce to compensate for the pasta, but that was not a problem here.  

Seasonal Broccoli
and Side Salad

We chose to have a side salad and broccoli.  Both were unconventional with the side salad winning out.  The broccoli was just too overcooked.

Wine Pairing Wall

     Eric raved about the iced tea.  I thought it had a spicy after taste that was remarkable.  There's also a nice list of beers and wine with entrée pairings visually displayed on the wall.  A very nice touch that takes away thinking for the customer.  All they have to do is enjoy the food…and that's more than enough!

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