Coming Soon: Meatball Kitchen Is Excited to Bring Affordable, Homemade Comfort Food to Clifton’s Short Vine
August 20, 2013“I am looking forward to adding my New York experience and energy to all the exciting stuff that is going on in the Cincy culinary community. I love the atmosphere and aesthetics of current NYC restaurants, and want to combine that with Cincinnati’s friendly energy and new enthusiasm. I think Meatball Kitchen will be a perfect addition to the scene here. I spent a long time collaborating and experimenting and have come up with a truly delicious, addictive meatball. We go way beyond the familiar meatball to bring exciting new flavors to Cincinnati” – Dan Katz, owner
Meatball Kitchen will be the newest addition to Clifton’s Short Vine area, at 2912 Vine Street. The restaurant was conceived and developed by Dan Katz, a former New York City restaurant and bar owner who moved to Cincinnati to raise his young family. The restaurant will serve a core menu of turkey, beef, and vegetarian meatballs on sandwiches, pasta, and salads as well as rotating and seasonal specials such as lamb gyro meatballs, buffalo chicken meatballs, and meatball tacos. There will be a variety of exciting and innovative sides, many of which are influenced by the Mediterranean diet Dan enjoyed growing up, and by the Asian-inspired, vegetarian cuisine he often cooks at home for his family. Delicious cupcakes will be dreamed up by Dan’s talented dessert chef, April Dunaway. As for libations, Meatball Kitchen has a full liquor license, and will serve the essential beers, a select wine list, and a series of seasonally-inspired specialty alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.
Meatball Kitchen’s mission is to serve fast, fresh, affordable, creative food. Their core concept is that any delicious recipe can be turned into a meatball. Meatball Kitchen will be perfect for a business lunch, a family dinner, a night out with friends, or a cozy date. “It’s nice to be able to go somewhere and spend less than $10 for a whole meal. We won’t charge for atmosphere!” – Dan Katz, owner
To create the look and feel of the restaurant space, Katz is collaborating with his sister, Tali Katz, an interior designer whose home office is in Tel Aviv, Israel. Tali’s design portfolio includes restaurants and cafes in Tel Aviv as well as private residences. “The building is a blank slate right now,” Katz said. “Our goal for the décor is an inviting space that will transition seamlessly from day to night.”
In fact, Dan’s whole family is involved – his wife, Laura Katz, is a graphic designer who created the logo and branding for the restaurant. He often collaborates with his brother, Israel Katz, a partner in Fabbrica, a hip Italian restaurant in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Dan and Laura’s 11-month old son, Asher, is the official mascot of Meatball Kitchen.
Dan and his Meatball Kitchen crew have been hosting popular monthly pop-up dinners at The Kitchen Factory at 1609 Chase Avenue in Northside. Diners can sample the $5 sandwiches, $2 sides and $2 cupcakes. The next pop-up will be Wednesday, August 21, 6-8:30 PM. View details about the event on facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/events/1380629075496747/
Meatball Kitchen will be located at 2912 Vine Street near the University of Cincinnati also commonly known as Short Vine. In the past three years there has been over $150M of private investment on Short Vine, including five new Class A apartment developments and over 40 renovated structures by Uptown Rental Properties adding in excess of 500 new Short Vine residents. Between the North and South anchors to Short Vine the City of Cincinnati has allocated $2.5M for a streetscape project that will include underground utilities, installation of new lighting and the creation of “festival” streets from one end to the other. “Short Vine is Back!”
To find this great location, Dan worked with OnSiteRetail Group, a commercial real estate brokerage company focused on retail and restaurants in Ohio and Kentucky. OnSite are huge supporters of both Short Vine and Meatball Kitchen, they are true visionaries!
Meatball Kitchen is scheduled to open in November. More information will be released in the coming weeks. Follow along with what’s happening at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Meatball-Kitchen/318599961602673.
Send Press inquiries to: cincinnatimeatballs@gmail.com