I finally got my butt over to Rocky River to dine at
Polpetta. This restaurant is from my friends behind the now-closed
Cork & Cleaver and
Graffiti, so I was anxious to get in.
"Polpetta" literally means
meatball in Italian, and that's exactly what you get here.
Most of the dishes (
and even some of the craft cocktails) feature foods in ball-shaped bites, including the
Beer Cheese ($8) with Beer Battered Fresh Mozzarella, and Spicy Tomato Aioli.
Not the overly-fried and thick-battered mozzarella sticks you're used to!
Or the large portion of creamy, decadent
Spinach and Meatball Dip ($10) with Spinach and Parmesan Béchamel, Roasted Tomatoes, and Pita that left us scraping the bowl and still dreaming of it days later.
This one is a don't-miss on the menu, and perfect for sharing!
The overall concept is simple. 1-2-3.
Pick a ball. Pick a sauce. Pick a side. And there are plenty of options to choose from, including gluten-free, vegan, and vegetarian choices.
But they also offer a list of pre-selected
Go-To's, which I suggest if it's your first time there.
During Happy Hour, you can get smaller plate versions (
pictured below), and Chef Adam sent out their
Hot for Teacher with Lobster and Crab Balls, House Hot, and Mac and Cheese for us to try. The mac and cheese was unbelievable, and the dash of house-made hot sauce was the perfect kick. He was kind enough to send us home with a container of the hot sauce, and we made some amazing fried chicken sandwiches with it later that week.
I wish they'd bottle and sell the stuff.
Mr. H ordered one of their top sellers,
The Curtis ($14) with Lamb Balls, Tzatziki Sauce, and Panzanella Salad.
One for any gyro lover.
I had another fan favorite,
The Adam ($14) with Chicken Balls, Thai Peanut, and Fried Rice.
They were so different from each other, but both really tasty and a playful twist on well-known dishes.
That's what you can expect here. Good food, good cocktails, and lots of playful humor. Now open for lunch as well, and very family-friendly with plenty of parking since it's in a strip of businesses off of Detroit Road.
Polpetta
19900 Detroit Road
Rocky River, OH 44116
(216) 860-4474
8 comments:
I've tasted their balls at numerous events but have not been to Polpetta....yet! Definitely need to go sometime SOON!
I hate to be the debbie downer but we tried to go here when it first opened and were very turned off by how we were treated. We arrived around 5 or 530 p.m. on a Saturday, there were like two tables being used by diners and a couple people at the bar - not full at all. We asked for a table with a high chair for our daughter and were told the entire restaurant was being held for reservations (I'm assuming like 6 or 630 p.m. times) and they could not even give us one of the reserved high chairs. We walked out and never went back. It's a shame because the food sounded and looked good. Sigh.
I can't wait to try this! I love that they have vegan and veggie options too!
What an interesting concept. I never made it to Cork and Cleaver but had heard great things. I would definitely like to try the lobster and crab bites.
Yes, you’ll like it!
Sorry to hear this! I don’t think that’s typical because a lot of their staff came with them from their other restaurants. I’d encourage you to give it one more try.
Yes, lots! Something for everyone.
I miss C&C, but the same quality and care is given here.
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