Meatball Shop
84 Stanton St. (bet. Allen & Orchard sts.)
Rating: 2.5 out of 5
Ordered: serving of spicy pork meatballs in parmesan cream sauce (4 meatballs), served with focaccia on side ($7), hero with beef meatballs and spicy meat sauce ($9), "Smash" sandwich (2 meatballs) with beef meatballs and tomato sauce ($8), cappuccino ($3).
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84 Stanton St. (bet. Allen & Orchard sts.)
Rating: 2.5 out of 5
Ordered: serving of spicy pork meatballs in parmesan cream sauce (4 meatballs), served with focaccia on side ($7), hero with beef meatballs and spicy meat sauce ($9), "Smash" sandwich (2 meatballs) with beef meatballs and tomato sauce ($8), cappuccino ($3).
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*Please note: I'm not a seasoned meatball connoisseur, so I'm looking for them to taste like my mom's.
First off, the owner's very cool. We (3 of us) were waiting for seats and there happened to be two free seats at the bar next to his seat at the far end of the bar, which he was using as a workspace. We asked one of the servers if it'd be cool for us to use those seats and, perhaps, his (he was using it only every now and then), and he said no prob. Cool.
Other than that, I wouldn't go back to this place. Not overpriced. Not a bad vibe (pretty cool, actually). It's just that the food isn't that good.
To start, the girl helping to seat people at the front door was the kind of person who has an attitude that you might not be able to pick up on from far away, but can't help but smell when you get close. Secondly, we weren't able to move from the bar to a table once seats opened up there. Basically, three seats became free at the long communal table in the middle of the main room right after we had gotten seated at the bar (there's only the kitchen, the bathroom, and that main room, which seats maybe 40 people between the long table and about seven 2-person tables). We (kindly) asked our friend at the front door to change seats and were told we couldn't because "tabs can't be moved between the two areas." Not the first time I've heard that, but gimme a break, please!
Another annoyance is the ordering system they've got goin' on. Patrons are handed a laminated menu and then asked to check off their orders with a dry-erase marker. I guess it would've worked if they hadn't given us a totally dry dry-erase marker. Annoyances aside, the bartender was a sweetheart (and made a pretty good cappuccino) and the ambiance is fun. I guess one way to describe it might be as a third-generation Italian's spin on a meatball-only version of an Italian family dinner. (I don't know if the owner's Italian, but that's the way I'd describe it.) Service was prompt once seated (we ordered while we were waiting, leaving the total order-to-service time at about 15 minutes).
First off, the owner's very cool. We (3 of us) were waiting for seats and there happened to be two free seats at the bar next to his seat at the far end of the bar, which he was using as a workspace. We asked one of the servers if it'd be cool for us to use those seats and, perhaps, his (he was using it only every now and then), and he said no prob. Cool.
Other than that, I wouldn't go back to this place. Not overpriced. Not a bad vibe (pretty cool, actually). It's just that the food isn't that good.
To start, the girl helping to seat people at the front door was the kind of person who has an attitude that you might not be able to pick up on from far away, but can't help but smell when you get close. Secondly, we weren't able to move from the bar to a table once seats opened up there. Basically, three seats became free at the long communal table in the middle of the main room right after we had gotten seated at the bar (there's only the kitchen, the bathroom, and that main room, which seats maybe 40 people between the long table and about seven 2-person tables). We (kindly) asked our friend at the front door to change seats and were told we couldn't because "tabs can't be moved between the two areas." Not the first time I've heard that, but gimme a break, please!
Another annoyance is the ordering system they've got goin' on. Patrons are handed a laminated menu and then asked to check off their orders with a dry-erase marker. I guess it would've worked if they hadn't given us a totally dry dry-erase marker. Annoyances aside, the bartender was a sweetheart (and made a pretty good cappuccino) and the ambiance is fun. I guess one way to describe it might be as a third-generation Italian's spin on a meatball-only version of an Italian family dinner. (I don't know if the owner's Italian, but that's the way I'd describe it.) Service was prompt once seated (we ordered while we were waiting, leaving the total order-to-service time at about 15 minutes).
I had the four spicy pork meatballs, which was the best dish out of the three we ordered. Meatballs were on the smaller side (no more than an inch in diameter), and tasted "herby," as another reviewer aptly put it. The parmesan cream sauce, I have to say, was pretty flavorful, but could've been on the lighter (and not as fatty-tasting) side.
The two sandwiches could've been better. The hero looked like a cheesier version of an Au Bon Pain sub and the person who ate the Smash (a smaller, rounder version of the hero) said the tomato sauce was off. The beef meatballs on both 'wiches didn't seem to make the grade either and the spicy meat sauce wasn't as palatable as its parmesan counterpart. The bread, however, was an acceptably firm baguette, and each sandwich came with a side salad consisting of arugula (which I love) and thinly sliced green apples. Couldn't put my finger on the dressing, which was oily and lightly drizzled on the salad.
They also have an ice cream sandwich that looks like it came out of a boutique ice cream shop. Looked good, but by that point I had a beef with the place and was too fed up to try it. All in all, a 2.5 out of 5.
The two sandwiches could've been better. The hero looked like a cheesier version of an Au Bon Pain sub and the person who ate the Smash (a smaller, rounder version of the hero) said the tomato sauce was off. The beef meatballs on both 'wiches didn't seem to make the grade either and the spicy meat sauce wasn't as palatable as its parmesan counterpart. The bread, however, was an acceptably firm baguette, and each sandwich came with a side salad consisting of arugula (which I love) and thinly sliced green apples. Couldn't put my finger on the dressing, which was oily and lightly drizzled on the salad.
They also have an ice cream sandwich that looks like it came out of a boutique ice cream shop. Looked good, but by that point I had a beef with the place and was too fed up to try it. All in all, a 2.5 out of 5.
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