~ Curious Charlie ~

Meatball & Wine Bar @ Tuesday, January 10, 2017

Thursday 15th December

Around the corner from an event we were at, we stopped by the Meatball & Wine Bar, which just launched last night (alas we weren't there, WIP).

The Meatball & Wine Bar has a focus on one thing and doing it well. It started with one restaurant but now has expanded into ~~three~~ four, one in Flinders Lane, in Richmond and a third on Smith St, Collingwood + and now a fourth on Chapel St, Windsor.

Yes it is very dark in here, I love it - date lighting. But the camera doesn't.

Beef Wagyu - Air-dried & rubbed in MBWB Balls Rub

Spicy and full of flavour I see this paired with quince paste and cheeses on a bread board. A complimentary treat for instagram friends as part of their opening. Otherwise a bit weird on its own.

Lighting died here, we haven't mastered street lamp lighting.

Beef with a red sauce, tomato on a bed of potato mash ($22-ish). A classic. It was delicious, though could have used parmesan on top and I felt that the balls were smaller than at the Flinders Lane location. Gin said the mash was more mash than chunky which she prefers.

The inside was dark, too for photos. All the branches are like this says Gin, as I've only ever had delivery to the office (where I can be alone, and its quiet).

Service was prompt and they check up on us twice. That or they were O.o that we ordered a dish to share instead of one each. In our defense (not that we need one) was that we just came from donuts and milkshakes.

Saturday 21st May

We're only a couple blocks away uphill from the Meatball & Wine Bar, but we do have three reports due, we couldn't leave and so it was perfect time for delivery! We pre-ordered dinner with arrival around 6.10pm. It arrived around that time. :)

Grilled Mushrooms $10

Three big mushrooms seasoned with a mix of crushed nuts, garlic and herbs. A bit too much garlic, otherwise ordinary. It would have been great stuffed with macadamia and goats cheese, drizzled with balsamic vinegar, severed with cherry tomatoes and basil.

Balls & All $20

Beef with Red Sauce, Potato Smash

One of the stars of this show, and what the Meatballs & Wine Bar is known for, delicious meatballs. Being our first time we selected the classic beef meatballs in a red sauce with mash. It was hearty, filling - much more than you'd think. I'd recommend getting this and a salad to share between two.

Hmm... I think these were actually firmer than the ones on Chapel St. Also Chapel didn't offer us cheese.

Whoopie Mac Ice Cream Sandwich 12.00

Ginger Cookies with Salted Caramel Ice Cream

A huge scoop of ice cream, salted caramel. Yum! Sandwiched between two ginger cookies, this is either one hell of an entree or a dessert to be shared between two. Forgot to take a picture of me holding it, but believe me it's big!

As we had delivery we can't rate the service other than comment at the oddity of lots of serviette but no cutlery? The address is an office, but the kitchen is like always locked. This three course dinner was $42 delivered. In reality we don't normally order three course meals to the office.

With delicious meatballs we can't wait to return to try the chicken and fish. There aren't many places that offer this much variety in meatballs, they're often just beef/pork.

Smith Street, via Foodora

Fish Meatballs - Market fish (makaral), dill, lemon $22

Green pesto salsa cerde sauce with creamy polenta

Dinner at the office, delivered as on weekends the kitchen is closed. It arrived on its side, there's green stuff everywhere! I see no meatballs... did they merge with the mash and disintegrate? But the fish balls were there, as we could taste them.

How was it? Good, but nothing amazing. The flavours of fish were light accompanied with something hot (capers?), and the polenta mash was quite nice. Presentation killed it quite a bit, as it was a combo of mush (everything blended into one) and mash (the polenta). The crispy baked parmasen rectangular on top/the bottom (?) was a nice touch.

Service was good? Delivery was early, he warned me about the glass jar (I ordered a meat rub, which since then I've misplaced). Though it was the food that I actually needed to watch out for, as it had arrived on its side!

No forks, though not all delivery comes with forks. Lucky I bought my own, the taste of those paddle pop sticks *shudders*. Is it because they assume we'll have plates/utensils at home/the office? Because we don't, no one takes responsibility so it's just a mess.

Foodora gave me $10 credit as an apology for the tumble.

This quote is so relevant to my last picture XD Overall the beef balls are the way to go. At $22 this isn't a cheap eat (>$15) but a moderate one, a sometimes thing. I've yet to find the perfect beef no pork meatballs. Let me know if you have a recipe!

Have you been to the Meatball & Wine Bat or Co? What's your pick?