Not So Obsessed

I was skeptical of Meatball Obsession, the latest in a trilogy of meatball-only destinations.  I still haven't tried Meatball Factory (the second of these places to open), but I am a die-hard Meatball Shop fan.  Meatball Shop was the first to come up with the "all meatballs all the time" concept so I firmly believed they had to be the best.  However, it's not fair of me to denigrate something I've never even tried, so when Podz suggested we start our day in the West Village there, I couldn't argue. 

Meatball Obsession separates itself from the other restaurants by being no more than a window.  I was impressed to lean my head into the small space and see they were churning out meatballs quickly in Le Creuset dutch ovens.  Unfortunately, I can't eat somewhere just because I like their cookware, and that's about all I liked about this place.  My suspicions proved true as I found Meatball Obsession nowhere near as good as the Meatball Shop.  I tried two different varieties, the beef in the parma sauce (crispy pancetta, parmigiano-reggiano, and herbs) and the pork sausauge in the genoa sauce (herbs, pine nuts, and pecorino romano).  The sauces were ok, but nothing special and over-salted.  The meat itself had been ground so fine that it had a uniform texture, much like the ones you buy in the freezer section.  I can't even say the stick of focaccia bread rocked my boat since it didn't taste as fresh as it should (perhaps because it's sitting right next to a window in chilly New York weather).  The price may be slightly less than that of the Meatball Shop, but you're also getting a smaller portion.  Meatball Obsession offers one ball for $4, but for $7 at Meatball Shop, you get four balls that taste much better.

I'm glad I did the necessary research so I can now tell you not to waste your time with Meatball Obsession.  Stick to the original and head to Meatball Shop!