Tag Archives: meatballs

Now that’s a tasty meatball!!!!

Now, if you’ve been to Little Italy lately, you might be going “Dude, where’s all the Italian food?” Other than a few places right around College and Clinton, it’s pretty hard to find some real-deal Italian in the neighbourhood. So when I heard about Quadro Ristorante, this funky joint that opened on College, just east of Clinton, a couple years back, you KNOW we had to check it out, bro! And since this place is serving up five meatballs for $16.50, I think I know what I’m gonna order…

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Dude, these balls are magically delicious, bro! You’ve got a nice mix of beef and veal, served in tomato sauce with some basil and grated cheese — yes please! The meatballs are tender, juicy, and really soak up the sauce… but you KNOW that’s just a light snack in Flavourtown!!!!

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Now, this place might be more of a pizza place, with their real-deal, wood-fired oven in the kitchen. But me, I’m going gnocchi. I’ve got three words for you: wild boar bolognese, bro!!!! I gotta say though, this seemed like a pretty small portion, and not just because it came in a giant bowl. I’m definitely still gonna have room for dessert…

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Now, we’ve had our share of tiramisu on Triple B, but I don’t think I’ve had one before where you get the ladyfingers on top. But this was still pretty, pretty good, tasting just like tiramisu should — so I really can’t complain…

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Also, I got the chance to check another Italian beer off the bucket list. Sure, you can get a Peroni or a Moretti here (and I think they even have Stella), but instead I’m gonna go with a Semedorato. I had never even heard of this beer before, bro — but to be honest, it pretty much tastes like Peroni (not that there’s anything wrong with that).

The biggest osso buco I’ve ever eaten @ Eataly

Now, we’re no strangers to osso buco here on Triple B — whether they’ve serving it up on a patio in Yorkville or way west on King West. But when I heard that Trattoria Milano, this funky little joint inside of Eataly, had an osso buco so big, it was enough food for four people… you KNOW I had to check it out, bro!!!!!!

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But first, we’re chowing down on some deep-fried meatballs. These mondeghili are a Milanese specialty, and I gotta say, these were some of the most tender balls I’ve ever put in my mouth. Stay away from that candied fruit though — that yellow stuff was surprisingly, ridiculously spicy!!!!

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But now it’s time for the main event…

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I gotta say, I was expecting this meat to be super, fall-apart tender like a lamb shank — or some of the other osso buco I’ve had before. It was a little tougher, and I definitely needed a fork and knife here, but it was still pretty tasty. Oh, and while this dish was supposed to be for four, it only took three members of the Triple B Krew to polish if off, son!!!!!!

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And you KNOW we still had room for dessert…

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Now, their tiramisu was pretty small, and they put in a mason jar like some friggin’ trendy hipsters. But it was still very, very good — rich ‘n creamy with just enough of a coffee kick. And hey, since Eataly is a grocery store, you can also buy a full-sized one to take home…as long as you finish eating before they close. (My bad, bro!)

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And since this blog ain’t Burgers, Bacon & Burgundy, we’re drinking the closest thing to wine…that’s still a beer. Vine Song 1 is an Italian grape ale saison from Indie Alehouse that they sell downstairs, and it’s definitely got that sour tartness of white wine, while being a little more hangover friendly at 8% alcohol. Dude, Imma hafta bring a couple of these next time I go to a wine and cheese soiree!!!

I’m about to bite into some bison balls, bro!!!

You know me, this is body by meatballs, son! So when I heard that The Drake Hotel was serving up bison meatballs as part of their fall/winter menu, you KNOW I’m gonna be there with balls on, bro!!!!

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They may not be the same size as the balls on a buffalo, but there’s nothing wrong with these round mounds of meat, topped with grated cheese, swimming in a sea of marinara with some little polenta croutons on the side — dude, Lil’ Polenta Croutons is my rap battle name, bro!!!!

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Now, I probably couldda stuffed at least twice as many balls down my piehole, but I wanted to save room for another fall/winter seasonal classic — pumpkin ravioli. The last time I had this dish was almost four years ago, in Yorkville, and it’s even better than I remembered! Pasta is cooked perfectly, and you get a nice, meaty texture with just enough spice to remind you that you’re eating pumpkin. Plus, they’re topped with all kinds of crazy stuff like fermented cashew brown butter, parsnip purée, crispy sage and hemp-seed parm — shut the front, back and side doors!!!!

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Washed it all down with a couple pints of County Kolsch from Midtown Brewing Company. This light, cripsy boi goes down nice and smooth, with little to no aftertaste — unlike that pumpkin ravioli. 😛

Slammin’ some Haitian meatballs @ Rhum Corner

Dude, this is body by meatballs, bro! Whether it’s Italian meatballs, Japanese meatballs or pretty much any meatballs imaginable, you KNOW they’re heading straight down my piehole! So when I found out there’s this funky little Caribbean joint serving up Haitian style meatballs, well, you know I got my balls to the wall, man! This is Rhum Corner, and these are boulettes:

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OK, now let’s break it down. You’ve got a rich, meaty, beef/pork mix, served with veggies and gravy…and a side of gravy. You know I used all that gravy, son! Comes with white rice and one crispy fried plantain. Dude, the crispy fried plantain is what makes it!!!

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Now, you can’t go to a place called Rhum Corner and order a Diet Coke. And this time I didn’t even get a beer–I know, it’s a supersized shocker in Flavourtown, bro! Instead I went with the national nectar of Jamaica, Wray & Ting:

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So, you take grapefruit soda, some 126-proof white rum, and you mix it all up! This drink is surprisingly refreshing–you get that citrus kick, but you can definitely still taste the booze. And it was only, like, seven bucks? Next time I’m on Island Time I would totally take this over rum and coke!!!

Scaddabush has big balls, bro!!!

You know me, if there’s two things I like, it’s Italian food…and putting big round things in my face. The bigger the better, bro! So when I heard that Scaddabush, this funky local Italian chain, was serving up some massive meatballs, I knew I had to check it out. They call this one the Straight Up Meatball—and they’re definitely not kidding!

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So, you’ve got a great big pile of meat, served on a crostini, with tomato sauce, a three-cheese blend and some fresh basil? Shut the back door! I could probably pound half a dozen of these…but then I wouldn’t have room for pizza:

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This smoked bacon and egg pie is like breakfast, lunch and dinner…all rolled into one! You’ve got thick chunks of bacon, not one, but two fresh cracked eggs, some mushrooms, and these red hot chili peppers, cuz we prefer the shade. This is one messy pizza, with the egg running all over the place – but you know what I say, if it ain’t messy, it ain’t tasty!!!!

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Meatballs vs. risotto balls @ Pizzeria Libretto

Now, everybody knows that if you want real-deal Italian pizza in downtown Toronto, you gotta go to Pizzeria Libretto. Man, they’ve got all the meats–spicy salami, pepperoni, prosciutto di parma, nduja sausage…even their duck confit pie is too legit to quit!!!

But today, I’m not here for pizza–I’m about to chow down on some balls, bro! And at this funky joint, they’ve got both kinds…meatballs AND risotto balls, aka arancini. Dude, this is body by arancini!

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They actually bring out the rice balls first, which come three to an order, stuffed with stracciatella and smoked scamorza. Try saying that three times fast! But man, the cheese is what makes it, though. It’s ooey, gooey, about to go kablooey all over my face, bro!!!!

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Now, it’s time for some meaty magic. These Round Mounds of Flavourtown are served on a bed of tomato sauce and whipped ricotta, with some peccorino romano oozing out from the inside. That’s right, both kinds of balls are stuffed with cheese. It’s like you’ve got yer Balls Two the Wall, man!!!

This massive Persian meatball tastes like peace in the Middle East!

So, we’re hanging out at Tabriz Persian Cookhouse, this funky, modern Persian joint up around Bay and Wellesley. Now, you know I loves me some shawarma, but this place is a little more fancy than the shawarma shop across the street, bro. They’re serving up stuff like roast lamb shank, saffron chicken, and this Bomb.com Iranian delicacy, koofteh tabrizi:

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OK, now let’s break it down. You’ve got a massive mound of meat, with fresh herbs, berries and walnuts, and a hunka-hunka burning plumb hidden in the middle. They serve it up in a bowl with a tomato-based broth, and a side of cucumber and tomato salad. Now, I think it mighta been better if you could pour the broth overtop, or maybe had some bread to soak it up…but still, I would put these big balls in my mouth any day, bro!!!!

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