New York's premiere meatball eatery, The Meatball Shop is releasing a cookbook (Nov 1) by Daniel Holzman and Michael Chernow (pre-order here). Here's a meaty preview from the fine folks at  Eater. Count me in. I recently had the good fortune of popping in their West Village store after catching a show at the Mercury Lounge. Though 11:30 on a Monday night, the place was wall-to-wall packed. After a short wait my companions and I were ushered through the noisy dining rooom to a large communal table. The menu is basically a checklist. Meatballs can be taken naked (4 balls), as sliders (1 ball), smashed on a brioche bun (2 balls), on a bed of veggies (3 balls), or on a hero (3 balls). You also can mix and match with five different sauces. It's perfect for the adventurous yet indecisive eater - though a nightmare for the indecisive who suffer from menu anxiety. Considering the small space, the noise and the seemingly endless number of possible meatball combinations one can choose from, the Meatball Shop worked incredibly efficiently. There were balls before us in less than 15 minutes. Among our favorites meatballs were the classic and the spicy pork. The mushroom gravy sauce rocked as well (fingers crossed that it's in the cookbook). For dessert there are mix-and-match ice cream sandwiches wherein you choose the flavor of ice cream as well as the kind of cookie on both sides. The options never end! Madness, I say.

I need a hero!