Postino’s new meatballs and goat cheese small plate goes for $11.
Image: Timothy Malcolm
Lost in the announcement that it’ll open a second Houston location in Montrose, Postino unveiled a new menu section last month. Called “Snacky Things,” it includes three vegetarian options—beets and ricotta with curried pistachios, arugula, and poppyseed vinaigrette; cauliflower with raisins, capers, and romesco; shishito peppers with pecorino and Sierra Nevada mustard—and a bright chef’s crudo of ahi tuna with watermelon, cucumber, red onion, sesame, mint, and orange chili vinaigrette.
But there’s one other dish there, and we must talk about it: meatballs and goat cheese with pomodoro and parsley.
A good meatball is a testament to execution. We know its usual ingredients—meat (whether one protein or a combination), egg, bread crumbs, salt, pepper, garlic, onion, parsley—and there are variations, but a dense sphere that’s cooked thoroughly but packs juice and layered flavor is difficult to achieve. And a good meatball stands on its own. It doesn’t need sauce, though a quick lemon squeeze is an underrated addition (lemon zest in the meatball, as is tradition in Greece, is even better).
Postino’s meatball (pork and beef combined) comes in a cast-iron pan with sauce (the pomodoro), but it’s a small ladling, just enough to add acidic depth. The goat cheese could also feel like overkill, but it adds a tangy creaminess you didn’t realize you were missing. It’s a picture-perfect nosh, the kind of dish I’d order again and again, maybe with a Chianti. And it’s all because the meatballs are perfect. Here’s hoping Postino finds another way to incorporate this little magician on its menu.
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