Bostonians can dig into a menu of spherical entrees, desserts, and drinks starting today, thanks to the opening of Certified Meatball Company in South Boston (429 W. Broadway). The restaurant takes its name seriously, with meatballs (and “sweetballs”) galore, cocktails, and more.
Plans for Certified Meatball Company, a member of the Boston Nightlife Ventures family, first surfaced in 2015, when the original plan placed the restaurant in Somerville’s Davis Square. The location later shifted to Southie, where the restaurant has been under construction for more than a year. Today, it’s finally open, with interior decor by Rhode Island’s Morris Nathanson Design and a menu designed by BNV’s chief culinary officer, Bill Brodsky.
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Certified Meatball Company
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Certified Meatball Company
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Certified Meatball Company
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Certified Meatball Company
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Meatballs provide the base for every item on the menu, and varieties range from classic beef to Moroccan lamb, spicy Korean pork, and veggie. The ball form carries through to the house specialties, which include items like Swedish meatballs, shrimp and grits (yes, the shrimp are balls), and a curried cashew veggie kofta that incorporates paneer balls.
The menu also includes panini (stuffed with multiple meatballs), bao balls (one ball with sauce on a steamed bun), and for dessert: sweetballs (cake ball truffles) and “The Lady Liberty,” a $27 sundae that consists of sweetballs and ice cream atop an Oreo waffle.
For drinks, Certified Meatball offers shareable cocktails, including a Thai tea service for four with lemongrass vodka, sake, coconut, and loose Thai tea. Individual drinks include draft cocktails from beverage director Michael Boughton, such as Das Cup, made with Pimms, Underberg, strawberry-ginger beer, and mint; and The Cobbler, made with Oloroso and fino sherry, blackberry, citrus, and mint. There is also a frozen banana and rum drink, plus wine, sake, beer, and cider. The bar seats 16, and a 23-foot-long skylight opens up the roof of the restaurant.
Certified Meatball Company is open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. and will eventually add weekend brunch. Other members of the BNV family include Southern Kin Cookhouse, Griddler’s Burgers & Dogs, Wink & Nod, and The Tap Trailhouse.
