Meatballs and Le Pain Quotidien In Training

I did a tasting at Meatballs on Sunday and WOW – that’s all I have to say – delicious. They have Crab, Lamb, Traditional, Lentil, and Chicken meatballs. My Favorite was the chicken – it was done in the style of Chef Richard’s fried chicken at Central, followed, amazingly since I’m a HUGE carnivore, by the lentil balls – they were amazingly flavored with terrific texture. The other 3 meatballs were also A+. Best part you can mix and match. They then have a number of sauces, which you can also mix and match. All were good but the Moral was by far the best (but you have to like salt since this sauce is salty – i LOVE salt so it was perfect for me). They will also have a tandoori sauce, which they didn’t have during my tasting, so I’ll have to get that next time for sure. Sides were good – the beans especially. The only “miss” was the broccoli rabe, but I’m from Philly so I expect perfection there. You can get your meatballs over polenta (which I did – done perfectly) – in a roll (done by a “secret” “top baker” who’s supposedly one of the best – the bread was day old when I had it (that was just because it was pre-launch and a Sunday, apparently it will be fresh two times a day when open) and it was still good, but I’d imagine that it will be great when fresh. You can also get it over pasta. So in short (or long, since I’ve gone on here, haha) it was AMAZING and I hope you all give it a chance. PQ residents get 10% off btw. On a side note, apparently the people both above the sign and across the street love the sign and have turned down offers from the owners of Meatballs to pay to blackout their windows, they apparently think it “adds” to the nature of the ‘hood (which is historically accurate back to how PQ looked in the 1920’s where Neon was in) – so let’s cut these guys some slack, if the people actually affected by this don’t care, why should we? and personally I think the sign is cool and the food is awesome and the concept unique.

@Mike – your comment was fine until I hit the “the people both above the sign and across the street love the sign” bit which does not pass the sniff test. no one in an apartment or condo would be so crazy as to agree to have windows that provide their only external light blacked out. it’s great to open a meatball shop and the sign might even have been cool in a former era. but, this is 2011 and the community gets input into its development so it’s not great to erect a sign without following the proper processes stipulated by governing authorities and communities.

Hmmmmmm…i am with you PQresident. A little subtelty goes along way. When a review goes to far over the top it starts to smell like a commercial.

And the community did get input into the sign…who do you think (1) approved the permit; (2) made last night’s opening a smash; and (3) let’s not forget that the businesses are themselves members of the community and they have almost all universally approved of the city’s ideas for our neighborhood. Also, I am part of this community as well, I’ve lived in PQ for nearly a decade, and I approve of it as do many many many others in the PQ neighborhood, both those who live here, work here, and have fun here (the increase in the number of people buying here, decrease in number of people selling here, and the increase in the number of people who frequent our neighborhood – as evidenced by how packed every business in PQ is every night of the week year round – is evidence of this). Clearly the vast majority of people like what is going on in PQ. And you say “without proper processes…” you are wrong – the designs were approved – and in some instances dictated – by ALL necessary legal authorities. Mark and Chef Richard have opened up collectively more than a dozen restaurants in DC so who do you think is going to win this battle? (1) Douglas Jemal (who owns that space), two of the most powerful restaurant owners in the city (who followed the law to the T; no, maybe they didn’t go out of their way to do community outreach, but given the good press they’re getting, the success of last night, and the success of their other restaurants, no one, except a few busy bodies who like to complain, cares), the businesses of PQ, the mayor’s office and DC council who have been behind the push to make PQ like it was in the 1920’s for historic preservation purposes, the historic society and chamber of commerce who have poured millions into PQ and Downtown’s development and the literally hundreds of thousands of people who visit, in ever increasing numbers every year, PQ and are making us one of the hippest, richest, most frequented, and popular parts of DC – getting write-ups in papers and blogs and mags across the country, and attracting the top restaurant/bar/club/entertainment talent from around the country; or (2) the busy body complainers who are in the minority and because they are in the minority they accuse businesses and the majority of not seeking “community input” or obtaining the “proper approvals,” even though neither is true, and who haven’t won a single battle yet? Anyway, good luck on your fight, I’ll be watching from the front window of ‘Balls, enjoying a delicious lamp grinder with moral sauce…..i’d make the move to the suburbs comment here but I know that’d get my post deleted (though I suspect it will be anyway, so much for free speech, different opinions, and democracy and all that jazz…..)

I knew it! you deleted my first post! So it’s okay for someone to respond and critisize my post, call me a lier, question my motives, and accuse me of being a corporate shill, but not for me to respond in a respectful (albeit sarcastic – re, I would argue, humerous) manner, that is otherwise in line with your community quidlines? hmmm…..

even though I’m sure lamp grinders with moral sauce are good, I’ve heard lamb grinders with morel sauce are even better hahaha – darn you autocorrect!!