We were invited to a media dinner at The Meatball Room in Regency Court, a plaza on the northwest corner of Jog and Yamato. Our usual restaurant reviews are done incognito where we pay for our food. We must disclose that we were invited and treated for free. While we believe our review is objective, readers should understand the potential for bias.
The interior and exterior are both gorgeous as you can see in our photos. We were treated to a broad sampling of the menu, most of which was delicious. A couple things didn’t click for us but that goes to personal preferences rather than quality. The restaurant was full and reservations for dinner are probably necessary right now. There was still plenty of parking in the plaza. They are not open for lunch yet but hope to do so soon.
Here are some interior shots:
Here are two of the owners with the chef:
And here’s a shot of the exterior seating area with fire tables and an outdoor bar:
The tasting started with bread and butter. Seems like a routine thing but most restaurant meals start with it. The bread seemed freshly baked and had a sesame seed crust. The pats of butter were soft and it was a good start.
Next we were served Anaheim Peppers stuffed with beef, sausage, cheese and more. This was a very tasty dish. We like it and everyone else seemed to as well. The plates emptied quickly.
At the same time we were served Bsked Clams Oreganate. The chef went to great lengths to explain the process behind the bread crumbs. This is one of the dishes that didn’t click for me, but it’s not something I would usually order and everyone else ate them up.
There was a break before the next course. I should mention they have an extensive wine list and I had a Pinot Noir by Mark West that was very good.
Next up came three salads: a chop salad that was fine but not special; a kale salad that was both good and unusual; and a beet salad that was outstanding. Servers were pleasant and friendly.
After another break the next course included meatballs and pizza. We tried three kinds of meatballs. The “classic” were excellent, with great flavor and texture. The turkey meatballs with basil pesto is something I would normally not order but these were so good I could see trying them again. The pesto sauce was a delight and paired well with the meat. On the other hand the taco meatballs did not work for me. They were well made but I just didn’t get it. They did not have anything like a taco flavor so I was confused.
The event ran longer than I expected so I left before the dessert course. I did get a slice of the Harvest Pizza on the way out and it was brilliant. The other pie looked good but I didn’t get a taste. One of the other guests mentioned that he had been before and raved about the pizza.
We will definitely be back at The Meatball Room, probably when they open for lunch.
