The Breakdown:
Location: 231 2nd Avenue
Cuisine: Eclectic Italian
Items: 4 dishes, 1 pizza, 2 desserts, 2 soft drinks
Cost: $104.50 (with 20% tip)
Best Dish: Its the meatball factory so of course, you MUST have the meatballs. Our favorite was the “Meatsa Meatsa” in “Meathouse” sauce, an amazing mix of flavors.
Overall: A casual space made simply for the enjoyment of great food and good company. A suitable date place but more ideal for a night out with good friends or family.
Meatballs have the distinct honor of being found in almost every ethnic group across the globe. Whether served fried with feta cheese as in Albania, or the Italian American way dripping with red sauce on a bed or spaghetti, the little meat spheres are a welcome addition to any meal. The latest eatery to employ these tasty morsels is Gramercy’s Meatball factory. The eatery’s head Chef David Martin provides the salivating masses with an intriguing assortment of meatball variations and accompanying sauces. When visiting diners are invited to choose a style of meatball and a sauce or a sample plate that includes 1 type of meatball and 3 different sauces.
We began our tour of the factory with the “Turducken” meatballs which are a mixture of La Freida Turkey, Bill Evans Chicken, and Duck Confit. At our server’s advice, we topped it with “Dragon’s Lair” Sauce, a savory sweet concoction of green curry peanut sauce and Thai basil. The meatballs were succulent and juicy, the sauce held a mild curry flavor and
Next up were the “Meatsa Meatsa” these balls were made of Braised Angus Short ribs, skirt steak buffalo, potato, and parmesan. We paired these hearty globes with “Meathouse sauce” which is a rich Bolognese with pancetta, chicken sausage, lamb, flank steak tomatoes and herbs. The perfect carnivore feast the meats combine to create a unique blend of flavors that leave your mouth-watering.
Along with meatballs the factory also offers several other dining options including salads, seasonal sides, and pizza. We simply had to indulge our need for spice and ordered the aptly titled “Getting Heated” crackerbread pizza. The thin-crusted rectangular pizza is topped with spicy Italian sausage, roasted poblano chiles, and goat cheese. If you can’t hand;e the heat, leave this one alone. It packs a serious wallop. The scary thing about ordering anything spicy is that the spice may overpower the other flavors in the dish, such is not the case with this dish. Everything from the sausage has a distinct flavor. The sweet crunchy crust adds even more to this flavorful dish.
In keeping with all things spiced we took our chances with the “Hogs Wild” Meatballs in “Hells Bells” Vodka sauce. While this was less spicy than the pizza it was no less flavorful. The pork shoulder and bacon orbs worked well with the peppery sauce.
As meatballs go most expect to have them with some variety of pasta. While the factory does offer a delicious list of sides, there is only one pasta dish. This is due solely to Chef David’s commitment to quality. Anyone can boil prepackaged generic pasta, but the patrons deserve better. Assorted kinds of pasta will be made available once the proper tools are in place. Until then sample the chef’s savory and delicious truffle mac and cheese. As with all rules, the savory favorite is the lone pasta option. The item is a signature dish that fans may remember from his appearance on the first season of Bravo’s “Top Chef”.
After such amazing courses, we treated ourselves to some delightful desserts. The factory offers a great assortment of “Floatillas” or tasty floats made with a carbonated beverage and creamy mascarpone gelato. Of the desserts, the most interesting was the “Pig Sticks”. If you’re bacon lover you won’t be able to resist the temptation of having bacon strips for dessert. The Wild Cherrywood cured strips are served with Dave’s Malted hot Fudge and Sea Salt Caramel. A surprisingly tasty of items that must be tried.
Casual, inviting and filled with tasty options, The Meatball Factory is poised to become one of Gramercy’s favorite gems. Having been open less than a month at the time of our visit the space was packed on our visit proof positive that good news travels fast. The atmosphere is like visiting the home of a trusted friend who just happens to be an amazing host. Don’t waste another minute thinking about it, round-up a few of your favorite folks, drop on by and don’t be surprised if Chef David himself drops by your table with a smile, a joke, and a warm welcome.