(credit: Chef Marcus Samuelsson)

When most people think of meatballs, they tend to gravitate to the Italian pork and veal variety smothered in red sauce and perfect in a meatball sub sandwich. But Harlem’s Red Rooster goes the other way, to Chef Marcus Samuelsson’s Swedish roots with Helga’s Meatballs covered in lingonberry preserves, and paired with cabbage and potatoes.

(credit: FeistyFoodie.com)

When Donatella Arpaia opened Donatella in Chelsea, she knew she had to include her veal meatballs. Not only are they a fantastic interpretation of her mother’s recipe, they’ve even won New York Wine & Food Festival’s Meatball Madness–a cooking competition amongst some of the country’s top chefs.

(credit: Siobhan Wallace)

The Meatball Shop anchors its entire menu around its delicious meatballs. You can make up your own entree by choosing from their different varieties and sauces, you can even determine how you’d like your balls served. Be sure to check out their special ball of the day.

(credit: Frankies Spuntino)

Frankies Spuntino is all about making simple meals unforgettable delicious, and their meatballs are no exception. These all-beef balls are uniquely filled with pine nuts and raisins before being covered with a generous helping of red sauce and Parmesan.

(credit: Apizz)

The Lower East Side’s Ápizz may not have the biggest reputation, but it should. For their meatballs, they use beef, pork, and veal, and baked the balls in red sauce rendering them fabulously tender and moist. Another unique take is by covering them with dollops of ricotta.

Siobhan Wallace is the co-founder of BlondieandBrownie.com.