Are Meatballs The New Steak?

By Melissa Wiley in Food on Jan 6, 2014 4:45PM

Back in the day, meatballs lolled leisurely about on a slippery plate of spaghetti with their belts undone. The Al Bundy of protein, they steered clear of flounce. Their name alone suggested as much and we didn’t see either room or reason for improvement. But somewhere along the line, someone decided meatballs should tuck in their shirts already. However round their shape, certain chefs agreed meatballs could stand alone. They could hoist themselves up from the couch with the sagging cushions and leave the spaghetti behind.

So now we’re enjoying meatballs afresh at restaurants like Cichetti, where Nonna’s meatballs come with red sauce and nothing else as an appetizer that’s a small meal unto itself without any carbs in sight. We’ve also feasted on them as the centerpiece of the chef’s special at Perennial Virant, where they’ve been laden with savory beer jam and ensconced in fresh string beans and yams. Likewise at theWit’s State and Lake Chicago Tavern, the open-face beef cheek meatball sits all but aristocratically atop a giant onion ring while wedged tightly within an asparagus salad.

The meat itself, it’s worth mentioning, sometimes shifts animals to please beef-averse palates. At Homestead on the Roof, the fettuccini is mere background to the rabbit meatballs, flavored with nettle pesto and house-made ricotta. Positively effete and delicious. Why didn’t we realize their potential sooner?