The Meatball Shop

The Meatball Shop
84 Stanton St
New York, NY 10002

http://www.themeatballshop.com/

Yelp Reviews

Hannah Whitaker, for NYmag.com:  salmon, chicken, beef, spicy pork, vegetarian balls

So like I said in a previous post,  I took my friend to trendy food spots for her NYC visit.

The evening's adventure was the Meatball Shop on the Lower East Side.  I've heard the wait could be horrendous, and we had every intention of going a bit earlier, but time just gets away from us.  We arrived about 7ish on a Saturday night.  We weren't deterred by the hour wait proclaimed by the hostess.  Some people were like fuck that, and went in  search for another restaurant.  I'm glad we didn't.  There is enough to do and look around on the LES to be entertained for hours, let alone one.  The hostess took my phone number and said she will call as soon as our table was ready.  We walked to a coffeehouse and were about to settle down with  the hot cups at the table, when my phone rang.  15 minutes was the wait time.  Unbelievable!  Good thing we didn't get a beer instead.

It was no big deal to have our coffee cups at our table, thankfully.   The meatball shop works as a build your own meal type of place.  Mark what kind of meat, then sauce, whether you want it as sliders, or a roll or over pasta.  Sides are separate.  Since we wanted to go out a bit later and not look like fools with sauce decorated clothes, we opted for the balls over pasta instead of as a hero.  I got the spicy pork (4 balls), with spicy meatsauce over rigatoni.  K got the beef with spicy meat sauce over spaghetti.

One word.  YUM!!!! Not spicy at all, which I know could be a major complaint amongst the hot-philes amongst us, but to me it had a nice kick; enough to be interesting, but no fire engines needed.  Oh this next part is gonna sound so innuendo-ed.  The pork balls were so well spiced and soft.  I tried a sample of the beef, which was bit more firm, but very well prepared.  The sauce I need to emulate.  The foccacia bread that came with it, is the softest I had in a long time.

All in all, this place was ridiculously good.  I would never go too late, I'm sure the hour wait would be truer the later in the night it got.  But I simply cannot wait for the Williamsburg shop to open, I know where I'll be stopping for takeout!

Momofuku Noodle Bar

Momofuku Noodle Bar

171 1st Ave
New York, NY 10003

www.momofuku.com/restaurants/noodle-bar

Yelp Review

http://amusesbouche.files.wordpress.com/2007/11/porkbun.jpg

I am so skipping ahead for a couple of reviews.  Too much good food, so little time! So my friend K comes to town and as I am attempting to be a good New Yorker, I take her to a couple of trendy restaurants.  The first stop of the day: Momofuku Noodle Bar. 

We arrived, as SOON as it opened, noon on a a Saturday.  That is key for a no wait.  We sat at the bar and since the menu is pretty small,  immediately picked out what we wanted.

First off, I bow down to the glory of the open faced pork bun.  The above picture I had seen months ago and knew, that someday, it must be mine.  Love at first sight, is the pork bun.  And as much as I have been tempted to just go by myself, I knew I had to experience it with a friend.  Finally today was the day!  Since they come as 2, K and I each had one.  Glorious! The pork belly does indeed just melt in your mouth, the hoisin sauce is just the right amount, I normally hate cucumbers but it was perfect for this dish.  And the bun! It was airy and light.  All was right with the world, after eating this.

We decided to each order noodles and then split it.  The ginger scallion noodles was the warm dish.  Coated with the infused oil, the yakisoba noodles tasted amazing.  The shiitake mushrooms (another normally non-favorite of mine, that I loved here) were marinated and pickled in a tasty vinegary sauce that was perfectly matched to the noodles and the scallions.  This is a dish I'm pretty sure I could recreate at home.  However, the second noodle dish really shined.  The chilled spicy noodles.  The waitress warned us it would be hot.  And it really is, no joke.  Plus it comes in a huge bowl.  But it is tempered by the candied cashews and the amazing spiced sausage.  Plenty of water was needed, but we still ate every bite of it.

I have to go back.  Even if by myself.  The price is definitely mid-range, but oh so worth it.