When we lived in New York City, The Meatball Shop was one of our favorite restaurants. Dan and I ate there together for the first time at Stanton Street, and I have a very fond memory of dinner there with my friends and brother before the Astoria Boulevard (Dan’s band) album release party. Dan met friends (including my brother) at the Williamsburg location the night before he moved to Los Angeles almost a year ago. So, needless to say, it’s a special place. The Meatball Shop serves all different kinds of meatballs, in all different ways. They give you a laminated menu and dry erase marker, and you fill out what kind of meatball you want and how you want them served. My favorite is “Everything But the Kitchen Sink” – three balls served over veggies and your choice of sauce. They don’t take reservations and there is usually wait, but aren’t those usually the places worth waiting for? And if you’re waiting at the Brooklyn location, scoot down the street to Maison Premiere for pre-dinner oysters and cocktails. For Christmas, we received The Meatball Shop Cookbook, and meatballs have become a staple in our kitchen (thanks to chef Dan). The book looks good. The photography by John Kernick reflects how yummy this food tastes, and the overall design and writing is comforting and cool. Dan picked me up from the airport in Los Angeles after I’d been home to Chicago for Christmas. When we got back to our apartment, there was a meatball feast waiting for me! Recently, Dan was inspired to make taco meatballs by adding taco seasoning and cheddar cheese. Soooo good!(Second photo from Pinterest and third photo from The Meatball Shop)