THE MEATBALL SHOP

The Meatball Shop (TMS) had this Chubby Kid on cloud 9!  Located at 170 Bedford Ave in Williamsburg, Brooklyn this is one spot that the atmosphere is right up there along with the food.  And by the looks of their door handle being a meat grinder, it should be an indication that they take their meatballs seriously.

Though it was a bit crowded, we didn't wait long for a seat at all.  While waiting, TMS had number 1 hits from the 90's  bumping through their speakers.  My foodie companion A and I was in chair dancing heaven, singing and dancing while waiting AND  while eating lol.  

TMS House Wine

Whisky Root Beer Float

As we chair danced while waiting for our meal, A sipped on TMS House Wine  and I chose the Whisky Root Beer Float.  The float was a-ma-zing!!!  Just the right amount of whisky, not a lot of ice cream  and a tasty root beer to top it off.

TMS has a complete customizable menu allowing you to compose your meals and desserts however you like.  You choose your kind of meatball (classic beef, spicy pork, cicken, vegetable or special), choose your sauce (classic tomato, spicy meat sauce, mushroom gravy, parmesean cream & pesto) then go from there. You can have them accompanied with sides, on a Hero, as Sliders or Smash (meatballs smashed on a brioche bum with your choice of sauce and cheese).

Spicy Pork Meatball hero topped w. Provolone cheese & Parmesan cream sauce and Side Salad

A and I both chose to go with the hero topped with provolone cheese and parmesan cream sauce on a whole wheat baguette but with different meatballs.  She chose the Classic Beef and I the Spicy Pork.  The Meatballs were juicy with just the right amount of heat. The Salad was also great with a light dressing and slithers of apples.

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Ice Cream Sandwich: Chocolate Chip cookie(bottom), Snickerdoodle cookie(top) w. Brown Sugar ice cream

To top off our meal, we shared an ice cream sandwich.  With the customizable menu, we mismatched the cookies. I chose a snickerdoodle (top cookie) which in a nutshell is a sugar cookie and A chose chocolate chip(bottom cookie).  The cookies sandwiched brown sugar ice cream.  Having never heard of that ice cream flavor before, A and I made a good choice.  The ice cream was creamy and really did have a brown sugar flavor.

With a rustic family style ambiance and an upbeat vibe The Meatball Shop is definitely on my "must visit again" list. The staff was warm and friendly and they too were singing and dancing as the music played.  Rating from 1 to 5, 5 being the highest, I give The Meatball Shop a 5.  

BAREBURGER

Today's adventure took this Chubby Kid and fellow blogger Amonee to Bareburger.  Located at 149 Court Street, Brooklyn, NY,  I was in foodie paradise!

Blueberry Soda

For those that have never been to Bareburger, in a nutshell it's a build your own burger spot.  You can either choose a "Barest Burger", where you 1.choose your patty/type of protein  2.choose your bun  3.choose your veggies  4.choose your cheese  5.choose your bacon.

Or you can order from the "Bareburger" part of the menu where you  1.choose your style (how you'd like your protein dressed)  2.choose your protein  3.choose your bread.  Amonee and I choose from the Bareburger section of the menu.  The Blueberry Soda (above pic) was amazing.  It was like drinking fresh blueberries with added fizz.

Maui Wowie Elk burger on a Brioche Bun

I wanted to be daring so I decided to try Elk. I paired it with the "Maui Wowie" style where the burger is dressed with: smoked mozzarella, turkey bacon, grilled pineapple, fried onions, fire roasted red peppers and buttermilk ranch.  Sad to say, I didn't like elk.  I felt like Andrew Zimmerman on his show when he tries certain things and say "this tastes gamey".  If I had to put a description to the taste, that's what comes to mind.  The waitress also pointed out on the menu that they suggest which style to pair with which protein.....the chubby kid in me obviously missed that little detail.  They did allow me to change my order without charge.  That's a plus!

Fresh Cut Fries w. 3 Special Sauces

Supreme Bison burger on a Brioche Bun

Amonee chose Bison paired with the Supreme.  The supreme dressing consists of: colby jack cheese, country bacon, chopped fries, onion rings, iceberg lettuce and special sauce.  

Maui Wowie Turkey Burger on a Brioche Bun

So here's my "redo" burger.  I decided to play it safe and chose turkey as my choice of meat still paired with the Maui Wowie dressing.  Now I must also add that I haven't eaten red meat in over 20 years. So maybe that was another reason why I was a little taken aback by the taste of the elk.  

I slaughtered this burger!  lol  I'm a picky eater and would of asked to nix the peppers and onions (as I did in the first pic)  but I went all out and boy was it good.  The turkey was juicy.  The grilled pineapple and roasted peppers kicked this burger up several notches.  Needless to say, not a crumb was left.

In addition to their burger selections on the menu, Bareburger offer salads, sandwiches, Kid "cubby" meals, a breakfast menu, organic beer & wine, sweets (cakes, tarts & milkshakes) and even something for vegans. They pride themselves in offering an all organic menu from the burgers to sandwiches and sourcing local ingredients.   

The Court Street location was very laid back, easy breezy atmosphere and everyone was very attentive. Not only did our server check on us from time to time, so did other servers and the hostess.  I rate Bareburger Court Street a 4 1/2 out of 5.

BROTHER JIMMY'S BBQ

Today's Chubby Kid Adventure takes us to Brother Jimmy's BBQ located at 416 8th Ave, NYC.  I've heard great things about this restaurant, so the Chubby Kid in me wanted to check it out with a fellow foodie friend.

Sliced Brisket Sandwich w. Macaroni and Cheese

My friend chose Sliced Brisket from the Sandwiches part of the menu which comes with one side and he chose the mac & cheese.  Here's his take on his experience in his own words.......

" Brother Jimmy's has a wide selection of BBQ meals to choose from.  Being a red meat lover, I ordered their marbleized brisket, mac n cheese and a side order of fries.  I was brought a generous portion of brisket that was tender and warm.  Not chewy like some places that serves brisket that gives an idea of what leather tastes like!  The fries were your standard fries that you would get from most chain restaurants, nothing to get excited over.  The waitresses though, were healthy looking women with nice southern smiles. That alone is a reason to stop by for a quick lunch."

Pulled Chicken, Sweet Potato Fries, Macaroni and Cheese & Cornbread

 I ordered the Pulled Chicken Platter that came with 2 sides and cornbread.  The chicken was great, it had the right amount of BBQ sauce that it wasn't too wet or soupy.  The sweet potato fries were perfect.  Most restaurants I've been to never make them right.  At Brother Jimmy's, they were just right with a good crisp to them.  And the Pièce de résistance, the Macaroni & Cheese!  I've tried this dish at restaurants and home made but this was the first one ever that tastes just like my mothers.  It was seasoned well with the perfect ratio of macaroni to cheese for the perfect amount of gooeyness...... All in all, it was great.

The atmosphere was great and the wait staff was attentive.  One minor detail that was overlooked for both our dishes, according to the menu our meals were to also be served with pickles.  Neither of us got it but it was no big deal.  I can't wait to go back, there was a Catfish Sandwich that was calling both my name.