First look @ Meatball

 

We had been waiting for what it seems like forever for Chef Bob McGee to return to the restaurant business. We loved his creations at the former Whole Ox Deli which had a regular spot in our rotation with Vino and Le Guignol. Then alas Le Guignol closed and Chef Bob left Whole Ox Deli... of course Vino benefitted as they were the only one left standing. But 2 weeks ago, Chef Bob opened Meatball on Kapahulu Ave right across the street from Safeway. So of course, we had to try it. It's still BYOB (just make sure to bring your own glasses as only paper cups are available) so I uncorked a 2005 Juge Cornas which worked perfectly with our meatball selections.

Which included the Beef meatball with mushroom sauce. Tender and flavorful - you know, sometimes meatballs are compacted too much so that they end up as tough round hockey pucks. Or sometimes they have too much filler so they end up as round meatloaf. Not these beauties! Great beefy flavorful with just enough filler in a rich mushroom sauce.

We also sampled the Spicy Pork meatballs with bacon Alfredo sauce on polenta. Almost like a milder version of Italian sausage and very tender. I know that the Alfredo sauce with bacon really pushed the envelope but alternating bites of the...

Long Bean salad helped cleanse the palate between bites

For starches, we chose the Fried Rice Balls with marinara - crispy goodness with creamy risotto balanced by the tangy marinara.

Along with the Poutine with Eggplant - the Poutine selections allows the addition of crispy eggplant, meatball or chicken for an additional charge.

We weren't disappointed with any dish as Chef Bob lived up to what we've come to expect from his cooking - hearty, flavorful faire! The only blips didn't involve the food, it IS a bear finding parking on or off of Kapahulu Ave (we lucked out and found street parking after just one pass) and the AC works about as well as a fan which wasn't helped by the setting sun shining directly into the restaurant. But it won't deter us from making a return visit...

Meatball
845 Kapahulu Ave
Honolulu, HI 96816
(808) 739-9229