BRIEF: Eat This! The Original Meatball Vault

Feb. 04--Meatballs: Chances are if you lived in Des Plaines, you've spent some time at Oliveti's, the Italian restaurant run by the Ferrazzuolo family. After it closed in 2012, brothers Anthony and Michael looked to continue their family's cooking lineage. Their strategy is to focus on one product: the mighty meatball. After several pop-up stints at the First Midwest Bank Amphitheater in Tinley Park and at Alpine Valley in Wisconsin, The Original Meatball Vault has taken root at a more permanent location at the Chicago French Market. The Ferrazzuolo brothers' goal: Create a Chipotle-esque model, where customers can assemble four varieties of meatballs in various vehicles (pasta, sandwich, salad, et al.). The best one I sampled was the beef meatball with nothing more than marinara sauce and gooey provolone cheese. The interior was tender and smooth, with a delightfully toothsome chew and a flavor not unlike a lightly garlicked veal meatloaf. Three meatballs for $8.50, each additional meatball $1. Chicago French Market, 131 N. Clinton St., frenchmarketchicago.com