About the Town | Meatball Spot Grand Opening at Town Square

By Jacqueline Monahan
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It’s the newest place to have a ball.  A meatball, that is.

With a truth-in-advertising name like Meatball Spot, owned and operated by Brazilian-born, Italian-raised celebrity chef Carla Pellegrino (Bratalian Neapolitan Cantina) the Town Square eatery (right across from Rave Motion Pictures) offers six varieties of the succulent spheres, varying in flavor and texture.  There’s even a lentil-based vegetarian offering.  Meaty variations include Classic, (a mixture of ground beef, pork, and veal) Turkey, Chicken, Beef, and Pork.

Chef Carla Pellegrino and her talented Kitchen Staff

Golf-ball sized polpetti (meatballs, in Italian) can be enjoyed au naturel or with accompanying sauces like Classic Tomato, Spicy Meat Sauce, Parmesan Cream, Pesto, and Mushroom Gravy.  Combinations number in the dozens.

Sandwiches come in Slider, Smashed, and Hero versions and share the stage with salads (Panzanella, Caprese, Strawberry Balsamic and Kitchen Sink are just a few of the varieties).  Roman style pizza (thin, crispy crust) has 20 toppings to choose from, including Prosciutto, Ricotta, Roasted Garlic, and of course, Meatball, in addition to Sausage and Pepperoni offerings.

The Sliders were the Stars of the Evening

The Meatball Spot also features specials like Chef Carla’s Lasagna and sides of pasta, risotto, and vegetables.  And that’s just one side of the large, poster-like menu.  The other side is full of dessert and Beer/Wine selections.

Gourmet Ice Cream Sandwiches like Mudslide and Peanut Butter Cup compete with Birthday Cake and Cookie Explosion Milkshakes.  There’s also Gelato in Nutella and Sea Salt Caramel, to name a few, and Lemon/Mango/Strawberry/ Coconut Sorbet, to name them all.  Ice Cream comes in Vanilla Bean, Strawberry, and Chocolate varieties.

Décor consists of comfortable wood tables, benches and indoor chairs (outdoor seating feature a lacy red resin seat at the wooden tables, complete with overhead heaters so that even a brisk evening can accommodate adventurous al fresco diners).

JELL-O shots in Orange and Cinnamon Liqueur

The grand opening in late November featured tiny tiramisu squares in strawberry, chocolate and coffee varieties.  Colorful cocktails (a lemonade variety as well as a blue run) were served in canning jar glasses, JELL-O shots in cinnamon and orange flavors made the rounds, and did trays of meatball sliders, wearing their buns like jaunty hats.  A DJ added hipness to the already hip scene in one corner of the 7,000-square-foot venue. 

Chef Carla with Dessert Tray

Guests in attendance included another celebrity chef, owner of Rick Moonen’s RM Seafood, Rick Moonen, Stratosphere headliner Frankie Moreno, and Tropicana star Murray Sawchuck, accompanied by his wife Chloe Crawford of Luxor Hotel and Casino’s Fantasy.   Chef Carla herself greeted attendees personally, both in her chef ensemble and later a stylish black and red mini dress and boots.  The wait staff is eye candy as well, as if there weren’t already enough sweets around the place. 

In a brave and daring attempt to get information out to the public, your humble correspondent consumed no less than five (1 beef, two chicken and two vegetarian) meatballs becoming earthbound and subject to even more gravity than when I arrived.  The beef variety had the densest texture; the chicken and vegetarian meatballs were fork tender.  Each arrived already wearing its saucy toupee: Beef with Classic Tomato, Chicken with Parmesan Cream, and Vegetarian with Pesto.

Not easy to choose, but very easy to mangia, the Meatball Spot will satisfy a craving (or three) in sweet or savory variations.  All you have to do is roll with it.

For further information:
www.MeatballSpot.com