In a city that’s seen the birth of the cheesesteak and roast pork sandwich, the newly opened Mama’s Balls is using meatballs to reinvent Philadelphia’s favorite meat and bread staple. The meatballs are as distinctive as the name suggests: they’re traditional, as if straight from an Italian nonna’s kitchen, but with a sexy, unconventional kick.
The food truck gives new meaning to the phrase balls deep, offering a long roster of meatball variations. The menu includes the classic Mama (minced beef, pork and veal), its spicy variation Datz a Spicy Ball (the Mama made with ground hot sausage and topped with spicy pepper) and the Rabe Father (a turkey ball stuffed with asiagio cheese and finished with broccoli rabe and pesto). My personal favorite is the Blue Ball: a classic Mama stuffed and topped with melting, gooey blue cheese. It’s as rich as sin and actually pretty satisfying. The balls are served in hoagies for $8.50, with three nestled in a long roll, drenched in tomato sauce and blanketed under a mountain of parmesan and arugula. For those of us suffering from decision–making impotence, the sliders come on a plate of three individually–bunned meatballs, also for $8.50. I ordered the regular Mama, Datz a Spicy Ball and the Blue Ball. Each meatball was served in the fluffiest cloud of a bread roll: a white bun—soft and buttery—eagerly sponging up the meatball’s sauce. To up your ball game, bring a bottle of red wine, grab your balls and set up dinner on a stoop. Street eating at its best.
