| rev:text
| - Concept vs. execution. Love the idea of a meatball-specific establishment in downtown Pittsburgh, but can meatballs alone make it? Thank goodness two more floors are still set to open, each with their own focus. Not that the meatballs weren't good....they were good, just not great. Not enough to bring me back for anything but a quick lunch.
Speaking of execution, they have the style part down pat. My dining companion and I each ordered spicy pork meatballs because they were gluten-free once our server clued us in to that fact. Score! However, the menu says it's the chicken meatballs that are gluten-free - poor execution of the menu. I wasn't disappointed since the spicy pork meatballs sounded much more tempting! (Just fix the menu, please,before someone accidentally orders the chicken meatballs and suffers a reaction. I'd think it would be a pretty simple fix to place stickers on the menu until new menus are printed.)
Anyway, back to the balls. Great flavor, nice spice and heavy as a solid rubber ball. Still, I'd order them again....and not just because it's the only one on the menu that's gluten-free.
Sauces. I ordered my balls with the Sunday sauce and a side of tomato risotto. My dining partner had hers with the arabbiata sauce and a side of beans and greens. The presentation was quite nice for a dish of humble meatballs. A silver dish with 4 nice size meatballs carressed by a silken red sauce on top of my side dish of risotto. What? Wish I'd realized they automatically put your balls on top of your side. I'd prefer my risotto unadulterated, please. The sauce was decent, just not what I've ever considered Sunday sauce. Where was the meat? The risotto was okay, but for a tomato risotto I expected to be able to discern a nice sharp parm through the rice and tomato. Eh.
And my companion's? Her arabbiata was no different from my Sunday sauce except that possibly there was a smidge more heat. Maybe. Her beans & greens? They tasted like canned beans and boiled greens. Where were the deep, rich, garlicky, long-cooked flavors of good beans & greens? Nowhere to be found. Skip the beans & greens.
The cocktail list? Eh. Nothing tempting whatsoever. At least the bar was packed with young professionals checking each other out over their never empty glasses. Looks like a happening place for after work!
Bottom line? The space is nice. The cocktail list is boring. The food needs some serious improvement. BUT, I have hopes the execution of the menu will rise to meet the presentation and the surroundings. I'm looking forward to checking it out again in a month or so and being able to raise my rating. And please, execute the hell out of that cocktail list before my next visit? Thanks.
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