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Meatball Hero in Lakeview Does Meatball Subs Like No One Else, Owner Says

By Ariel Cheung | August 12, 2015 6:10am
 Meatball Hero and Pasta opened July 6 just south of Clark, Halsted and Barry and offers meatball stuffed sandwiches, pasta and salads.
Meatball Hero and Pasta opened July 6 just south of Clark, Halsted and Barry and offers meatball stuffed sandwiches, pasta and salads.
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DNAinfo/Ariel Cheung

LAKEVIEW — "Got balls?" the sign outside asks cheekily. "We do!"

Indeed, they do — meatballs made from scratch, perfected with just the right mixture of cheese, breadcrumbs and meaty goodness and then stuffed inside freshly baked baguettes with giardiniera.

Meatball Hero and Pasta, which opened at 3037 N. Clark St. last month, replaces Sandwich Me In, which closed in April, just south of Clark, Barry and Halsted.

The new sandwich shop makes just four sandwiches, a handful of side dishes, salads and pasta. But what it does it doesreally well, owner Atif Ali said.

His idea for the Italian scratch kitchen came about during a finance class at University of Illinois at Chicago as a business proposal assignment. After he graduated, the plans solidified.

"We're specifically doing meatballs, which nobody does. The meatball thing is becoming kind of huge in New York, so I figured I'd try it out," Ali said.

Atif Ali, 29, of Uptown, opened Meatball Hero and Pasta in July with the hopes of crafting the perfect meatball sandwich. [DNAinfo/Ariel Cheung]

While there are meatball sandwiches abound in Chicago, few places focus so specifically on the hero. The Original Meatball Vault has a spot in the Chicago French Market. Wicker Park's Mondo Meatball opened in March but announced Tuesday it is closing.

On Clark Street, you can get meatball heroes small (two meatballs, $3.49-$4.49) or large (four meatballs, $6.99-$8.99) and made with beef, chicken, catfish or a veggie combo of eggplant, mushrooms, beans and oata. Sides like the airy polenta fries are $3, while mushroom risotto balls are $4 each.

Spaghetti comes with the four variety of meatballs for $7.99-$9.99, and the build-your-own pasta menu is $6.99. Salads are $5.99.

The key to his heroes is the manner in which they're prepared — instead of cutting the baguette the long way, Ali halves them, scoops out the insides and stuffs them.

"Now nothing's going to fall out. It's perfect," said Ali, who was unimpressed when he tried out his competitors' sandwiches.

"It was exactly what happens with all the others. It falls apart, the bread soaks through, and it's just a mess. You need a bib or something," he said.

Meatball Hero and Pasta offers a variety of meatball sandwiches and side dishes like polenta fries. The restaurant opened in July at 3037 N. Clark St. [DNAinfo/Ariel Cheung]

Cooking itself brings up memories of Ali's youth, filled with big family gatherings and "huge" meals cooked by his mother.

"It's always been kind of a part of my life. I remember as a little kid always being in the kitchen and watching my mom," he said. His family's business savvy didn't hurt, either — they own a couple 7-Eleven stores in Lakeview.

Ali, 29, lives in Uptown, but said the Clark Street spot was too good to pass up, especially considering there was little change needed from Sandwich Me In's design, other than some fresh paint and surfaces. While the corner is a little quiet, Ali said a planned business office next door will likely help bring in customers.

"We're getting local people from around the area, but people [farther away] still don't know about it," Ali said. With so many eateries in the neighborhood, he knows, "It's going to take a little bit of time."

Meatball Hero and Pasta is open from 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sundays-Thursdays and 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. The eatery offers delivery and carry-out, and is BYOB for dine-in customers. For more information, check out its Facebook page.

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