For the fifth year running, the Brooklyn Brewery, The Brooklyn Kitchen, Brooklyn Grange, and The Meat Hook held the Meatball Slapdown last night. A dozen mostly Brooklyn-based vendors, including heavyweights like Delaney Barbecue and Mile End, and newcomers like Humboldt & Jackson and Emily, vied for the meatball trophy.
In addition to being an officially listed host, Brooklyn Brewery provided its tasting room and unlimited beer for the evening. The meatballs themselves varied from traditional to experimental, with a number of Mexican and Asian-influenced balls featuring alongside the ones with tomato sauce and cheese. Attendees voted for their favorite meatballs, as did a separate judges' panel (which included Serious Eats Managing Editor Jamie Feldmar.) At the end of the night, the traditional meatballs generally won out, with Lorimer Market and Brooklyn Star taking the top prizes.
Competition winners were awarded trophies, while attendees could enter a raffle to win one of three gift bundles, which included chocolate from Mast Brothers, condiments from A&B American Style, coffee from Coffeed, and a round of golf from the Trump Organization.
Final outcomes aside, we still had a lot of fun trying all the meatballs along the way. To check out some of last night's meatball action, jump to the slideshow ยป
The Winners
Judges' Picks
Runner up: Saltie
Winner: Brooklyn Star
People's Choice
Runner up: Saltie
Winner: Lorimer Market