Aperitif's Nonni's Meatballs: 100 Favorite Dishes, No. 83

Aperitif Meatballs.jpg
Sara Rice
You wish your grandmother made meatballs this good
​ Some Italian food falls into the "boring red sauce" category--lackluster canned tomato-like product ladled over pasta in all shapes and sizes served with a side of equally mundane cheese.

Aperitif's Nonni's meatballs is just the opposite--it's the red sauce that makes the dish, thanks to a special ingredient.




AperitifMeatballs500lg.jpg
Sara Rice
The liberal serving of meatballs are made with a moist, savory mix of ground pork and veal, panko breadcrumbs, and pancetta that's blended so smooth it nearly melts, spreading its meatiness throughout the dish.

But the real star is the borderline-addictive marinara. "We use beer in the sauce," says chef Patrick Matthews. "Right now, it's Coors Light. It adds sweetness without acidity." You probably won't taste the beer, but you'll wonder why you can't stop shoveling it into your mouth.

Add a thick, gooey layer of mozzarella and parmesan over the top, and a portion that could feed a small country (even with the lunch-size portion), and you've got one of our favorite dishes in the Twin Cities.

APERITIF RESTAURANT & BAR
772 Bielenberg Dr, Woodbury
651.578.3000

Hungry for more? The dishes in our countdown thus far are linked below:

No. 84: Christos's Saganaki

No. 85: Sesame seed bagel at Seven Stars Coffee House

No. 86: Lemon ricotta pancake at Hell's Kitchen

No. 87: Blackbird gourmet banh mi

No. 88: Tank Goodness cookies

No. 89: Gal Bee at Sole Cafe

No. 90: Porter & Frye's El Pelon

No. 91: Coffee News' fish and chips

No. 92: Bread & Chocolate's Fabulous Fudge Bar

No. 93: People's Organic panna cotta

No. 94: Sea Salt Eatery crawdad po' boy

No. 95: Fuji Ya's Tofu Don

No. 96: Ike's Food and Cocktails The Weekender Bloody Mary

No. 97: Punch's Toto pizza

No. 98: Stockholm Pie Company's peanut butter fudge cream pie

No. 99: Dogwood Coffee Co.'s macchiato

No. 100: Al's Breakfast buttermilk pancakes

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