[CLOSED] Enmore is punching well above its weight in the tasty snack department of late. We've got crunchy crepes from Doughbox Diner, the king of curries from Faheem's, Moorish chicken from Emma's Snack Bar and all the cheese at the Stinking Bishops. And that's before we get to the queues snaking around the block for Cow and the Moon gelato.
Now Ballers Polpetteria has joined the party and they’ve brought meatballs. Instead of a Mom and Pop operation, owner Kris Schiller has based his business model on the Meccano method – cheap and easy dinners where you construct your ideal meal from the available components.
First thing is to determine your meatball delivery method. Are you the type who likes to mess with the burger recipe by cramming two meatballs into a milk bun with melted mozzarella and tomato sugo? Or are you a firm traditionalist who believes that meatballs belong on top of spaghetti? You can do both here.
Strike gold with a bed of buttery polenta. We add three classic beef meatballs (you can’t mix and match meats), along with a spicy tomato sauce and parmesan. If cornmeal isn’t really your preferred vehicle, go for the sub – it's a crusty roll jammed with three spicy pork meatballs, pesto and melted provolone.
Even the desserts are round. Scoops of honey almond ice cream from Serendipity are sandwiched in a mini sesame seed bun, and you can add whipped cream and Nutella for a dollar. On our visit their liquor license had yet to come through, but craft beers and cider are part of the plan.
Ballers isn’t going for the authentic Italian vibe (the wall art by Scott Marsh of a pig with shades, a cow with a cap and a bling-sporting chicken tipped us off) but this meatball shop is a fun, fast dinner addition to the Enmore Road buffet for days when only spherical food will hit the spot.