A trio of meatball sliders from The Meatball Shop, New York City.

Meatball innovation

Though meat is important to meatloaf and meatballs, it’s the other ingredients that go into the mixture that make a complex flavor and texture that differentiates one product from the next, according to Daniel Sharp, executive chef, The Meatball Shop, New York City. The six-store concept featuring a mix-and-match menu of meatballs, sauces and sides started a trend that is growing across the country.

Daniel Holzman, co-owner and chef of The Meatball Shop

“Simple cooking is my food philosophy, and you can’t get simpler than a meatball,” said Daniel Holzman, co-owner and chef. “Some say we created a new dining category when we made meatballs the star of the plate. Well, based on our research, no meatball-centric restaurants existed before our original shop debuted in 2010. The mix-and-match factor of our menu really resonates with our millennial customers. They can customize their meal and get it exactly how they want it, just like how they live the rest of their lives.”

The Meatball Shop offers a range of products, including classic beef, spicy pork, chicken, veggie and rotating specials. They are served with choice of sauce, in a bowl, on a bun or with grains or vegetables. There is also a mini Buffalo chicken ball side that comes with blue cheese dipping sauce.

Last autumn, The Meatball Shop offered a duck and fois gras meatball served with roasted apples and endive.

Mr. Holzman explained how his restaurants work with Heritage Food USA, a farm-to-table on-line butcher based in Brooklyn that is dedicated to supporting family farmers raising livestock on pasture with old-school genetics. “We believe good, clean, humanely sourced meat is the key to a great meatball,” he said. “And because we use ground meat, we can use the extra trim that normally gets wasted in the butchery process creating much less waste and allowing us to use high-quality cuts of meat.” 

The specials may be a spin on the meat, such as bison, turkey or rabbit, or more complex. For example, last autumn, Mr. Holzman created a duck and fois gras meatball served with roasted apples and endive. There is a Reuben ball made with corned beef and topped with sauerkraut and Thousand Island dressing.

“The ground and formed category is such an amazing place to play in these days,” Mr. Hansen of the OSI Group said. “There are endless combinations and it’s an easy way to differentiate in the marketplace.”