18 November 2015
By Tom Collins
tom@TheCork.ie
Ireland’s first meatball restaurant opens its doors in Cork, todays Wednesday 18th November. Owned and managed by dynamic young couple Grainne Holland and Tony Costello The Meatball Place brings a completely new dining experience to Cork, with a menu inspired by the humble meatball.
Located on Carey’s Lane in the trendy Huguenot Quarter of Cork City Centre, The Meatball Place is Holland and Costello’s first restaurant venture. While the concept for the restaurant came from time the couple spent in Melbourne, Australia, the menu is pure Cork. All the ingredients are sourced locally by Holland – a chef by trade, trained in the Ballymaloe Cookery School – who hails from Carrigrohane in Cork.
Having graduated from Shannon College of Hotel Management and while both living and working in Australia, Holland and Costello came across a restaurant that was themed on meatballs. Seeing how successful the concept was, the couple recognised a gap in the market in Ireland and set about bringing their own version of this concept to Irish consumers.
While the menu includes such fan-favourites as chicken wings and bruschetta, the majority of the menu is made up of tasty meatball combinations. Customers choose their ball first, then blanket and bed with options including chicken with gorgonzola and pancetta meatballs on fresh spaghetti drizzled with spiced red onion and tomato sauce or salmon and herb meatballs covered in mixed herb yoghurt with rustic garlic and rosemary potatoes.
Starters range from €5 to €7 in price, with main courses costing a very affordable €10.Holland and Costello have invested just over €100,000 in creating a truly unique home for The Meatball Place, including 15 new jobs. The décor is funky, and the soundtrack is cool with jazz, blues and soft rock artists on the playlist. Currently operating across two floors, the couple have confirmed expansion plans, with an additional top floor due to open in January 2016. This will expand the venue capacity from 80 to 130 seated diners.
Speaking at the opening of new restaurant, Holland and Costello said: “We are so excited to see our dream finally come to life, and even more thrilled to open the restaurant in Grainne’s home city, which already has an incredible culinary reputation. Our restaurant is fun, friendly and affordable, plus we have a fantastic team working with us to give guests a great Cork welcome. It is our mission to give all our customers a really great dining experience – we want them to have a ball!”
The Meatball Place is open seven days a week from 12noon to 10pm daily, with a separate mouth-watering brunch menu available from 11am to 4pm on Saturday and Sunday.
Check out what tasty treats are in store for you via the online menu at www.themeatballplace.ie or visit Facebook/TheMeatballPlace and Twitter/@MeatballPlace for special offers and news.
The Meatball Place is located on 8-9 Carey’s Lane. Walk-ins are always welcome, or you can call 021 2390535 to make a reservation for a group of six or more!
