ASTORIA — A food vendor known for serving its savory meatball sandwiches at street fairs around the city opened its first brick-and-mortar eatery in Astoria this weekend.
Mighty Balls, which got its start four years ago as a vendor at the Hester Street Fair and later at the holiday market in Union Square, opened a storefront Saturday at 35-11 34th Ave. where customers can build their own meatball sandwiches from a menu of different meat and sauce options.
Patrons are able to choose their type of meatball, sauce and cheese, and the menu also includes suggested combinations, like the "Great Balls of Fire" — pork meatballs with housemade spicy feta cheese in a jalapeño jelly sauce.
"Our sauces are a little on the funky side," said owner Kerri Brewer, who said other favorites on the menu include the classic "Spicy Italian" made with pork meatballs with tomato sauce and mozzarella, and a vegetarian meatball option that comes with parmesan and an onion sauce.
The casual eatery serves its meatballs as a slider, with just one ball on a bun for $4, or three meatballs on a hero for $10. You can also order them without the bread for $9.
Brewer opted to focus on meatballs because of the versatility they offer for a mix-and-match menu, as well as their international appeal, Brewer said.
"Every culture's got some variety of meatballs," she said. "And the way that we're able to build the menu, where people can play around with the different sauces and the different balls...it's a good launching pad."
A food photographer with a background in the hospitality industry, Brewer said they chose Astoria as the home for the first Mighty Balls restaurant because of the neighborhood's reputation for great food.
"It's a really interesting place in terms of food," she said. "There's so many fun concepts here and we kind of wanted to be a part of that scene."
Mighty Balls also plans to add outdoor seating soon, she said.
