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| - Hey Meatball! It's-a me, Steve-o.
I keep passing by this place over the past week and wondered what the heck?? Then one day saw the door was open, and my stomach was growling. Naturally like anyone with a growling stomach and high sense of curiosity, I entered this den of the unknown. Turns out it was their second day of operation in the east end, and already they were attracting a steady stream of young lunchgoers.
Hey Meatball is a place I once heard of somewhere, but it must have slipped my mind about their popular west end eatery. Whatever; they're here in my 'hood and I am too lazy to march past Yonge, so I'll let the food make the proper introduction, figure out the rest later.
There's room for a few plenty to eat in at this chilled-out diner-style, cafeteria-service restaurant, where you wait for your name to be called to pick up your order. Overhead chalkboard menu with limited (at the time) options had me agonizing over the interesting idea of mac and cheese with meatballs.
Instead I picked the rigatoni pasta (also $12). Great flavourful smattering of sauce, cherry tomatoes and spinach. And the meatballs? Hey! They're quite big and tender and much like homemade good, as it should. It's hard to believe--and it blows my mind to a tomato paste-y mess--that this amazingly quality meal is fast food (SLOW fast food, really), so I'm conflicted about whether or not their good stuff is pricey (they do offer a kids portion). In reference to a Kitchen Nightmares episode, they ought to have someone stand outside screaming, "We have homemade meatballs!"... or maybe not.
The two guys manning the fort (one of whom is the owner/chef Rodney Bowers at the time of my visit) are very friendly, informative, and full of rad attitude, that it makes this new welcomed addition to Leslieville-land stand out just by their presence. I will be sure to try the famed Rodfather sandwich and homemade sodas the next time around.
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