Oh, the mighty meatball. As anyone raised in a large Italian family — or just those who appreciate Italian food — can tell you, meatball is king. Entire meals and menus are built around it, and throughout Philadelphia, there are several new Italian-focused restaurants whose meals are built upon the meatball’s bedrock.

SIN Philadelphia
At Northern Liberties’ SIN Philadelphia, Executive Chef Steven Kim said its’ meatballs were designed to be “tender, juicy and melt-in-your-mouth perfection when paired with our signature homemade gravy,” a tomato base whose inspiration is updated from a recipe Kim used at Jose Garces’ 24. Though Kim won’t reveal what goes into his meatball — it’s “top secret” — SIN’s chef does state that this appetizer is a great starter to a full meal.