I have to admit, I've never really considered meatballs worthy enough as a stand alone meal. Sure they are good on top of spaghetti or covered in marinara sauce and mozzarella on a sub, but as an entree? I don't think so...
That was until the Ball or Nothing truck started making its ways through the streets of DC. With specialty meatballs and a series of sides that include mac and cheese and mascarpone polenta, I was more than ready to give a plate full of meatballs a go.
Unfortunately my initial impression was less than satisfactory. I can't stand food trucks that can't seem to move customers quickly through lines and while my co-workers all took their choices back to the office, I found myself in a line that had only served 2 or 3 people in about 10 minutes. Apparently the man on the truck thought it would be a much slower day and choose to let his side kick leave early for the day, which resulted in a minimum of a 30 minute wait in line.
When I finally made it to the front of the line I had the choice between Classic Meatballs, Veggie Balls, and BBQ Chicken Balls. Anyone who knows me knows I don't believe in meat substitutes, so I went for the BBQ Chicken Balls since they were topped with a peach salsa.
For $9, you're also allowed a choice of two sides with your meatballs. My options were heirloom tomato salad, mascarpone polenta, fennel arugula salad, and mac and cheese. Naturally, I went for the heavier options, the polenta and the mac and cheese. This proved to be a good choice because it left me with a significant amount of food, and I was starving after waiting in line for so long.
Back at the office, I went straight for the meatballs first because the BBQ sauce smelled fantastic and the peach salsa was calling to me. I have to admit that this truck knows how to make a pretty good meatball. It was the perfect consistency, not too hard or chewy or dry, and the BBQ sauce and peach salsa complimented each other well. I will say the salsa was a little more sour than I had expected it to be, but overall I thought it was a pretty great combination of flavors.
However, this truck really sold me on a repeat visit with its sides. I frequently find myself disappointed when I order mac and cheese, but the cheese sauce was nice and creamy and the noodles were cooked perfectly. It also didn't taste like it had been sitting around for a long time, as they top the noodles with cheese sauce right when they put it into the box for you.
But the mascarpone polenta is what really did it for me. I think polenta can be incredibly tricky to make but this one was perfect. It wasn't too sticky or thick, it was cooked just right. The mascarpone was rich, adding a touch of sweetness, and went well with the spill over of BBQ sauce from the meatballs.
Overall, I give this truck a B+ for main entree and A for sides. You can bet I'll be visiting Ball or Nothing any time they happen to be serving that mascarpone polenta.
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