The Meatball Shop (On Stanton street, between Allen and Orchard street, next to Katz Diner and Sunshine cinema)

What restaurant do you open after working for Eric Ripert at Le Benardin and, at his recommendation, attended the Culinary Institute of America (C.I.A) with full James Beard Scholarship?

A meatball shop called "The Meatball Shop"

I went to Sunshine cinema (first time, awesome place) to watch "The Girl with the dragon tattoo" (awesome adaption of an awesome book). Needed a place to grab a quick bite and decided to go to The Meatball Shop, a place that i first learned about just a few days before.

The set up of the restaurant immediately tells you this is a fun place. Long communal table in the middle, a few tables on the side (for diners who prefer more intimacy), and a nice looking bar. I have no idea how to order food in the beginning and i had to ask the waiter. Turns out, you are suppose to "check some boxes" on the menu with a sharpie to indicate what food you want to order. The waiter will later return the menu after erasing your mark. A recyclable menu and ordering sheet. Cool.  

We ordered our meatballs to go since we were running late. Unfortunately i had to eat my meatballs in the dark. The only other food i recommend eating in the dark is --popcorn.  I can only 'taste' my food based on what i feel on my fingers and the smell of my food. There is the meatball, a piece of bread, and some vegetable on the side. I wolfed it down during the movie previews so that i won't be distracted when the movie starts.

Overall, i think the meatballs are delicious. I definitely want to return here someday and try their different meatballs with different sauces, with the lights ON!

here is a funny story, the book/movie "the girl with the dragon tattoo" was written in sweden by a swedish author. What's popular in sweden besides IKEA?  Meatballs. At one point i was stuffing meatball in my mouth while the actor in the movie is teaching his niece how to make meatballs......

 (i 'borrowed' this picture from the internet, sorry for not asking for permission)