After Guy Fieri made a stop at Toronto’s Hey Meatball for his famous Food Network show, Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, we decided to see if Fieri’s review was really up to par.

Located at College and Crawford, in the heart of Little Italy, Hey Meatball has been upandrunning for the past 16 months.

The menu has a variety of classic home-cooked favourites, but with a twist. Chef and owner Rodney Bowers adds his specialty meatballs to every dish, turning a simple meal – like mac and cheese – into a revolutionary creation.

According to Toronto Life, Bowers credits his meatball-themed restaurant to a Turkish meatball (kofta) that he and his wife Natalie saw in Istanbul. There, customers picked their meatball (beef, lamb or chicken) and paired it with a side dish like salad or roast potatoes. Bowers brought this Turkish meal back home, but instead opted for a multicultural approach to the meatball.

Bowers says that he cooked several dishes for Fieri, who later picked three—The Rodfather, chicken and meatballs, and spaghetti and meatballs — to feature on the March 15 show.

Since then, Bowers says that the College Street restaurant has attracted a variety of new customers who travelled from across the GTA to get a taste of his one-of-a-kind meatballs.

Although Fieri featured some delicious classics on the show, we decided to put his review to the test and check out some of the featured meals and other mouth-watering dishes that he missed.

1.The Rodfather

What is it? An Italian-inspired meatball sandwich that’s so good, according to Fieri, Bowers added his name to the dish. The sandwich is filled with three large pork-balls, pesto, tomato sauce, and parmesan cheese, served on a ciabatta bun.

What we think: Bowers calls the sandwich “impeccable” and we agree. The meatballs are juicy, the sauce is tangy, and together the combination is amazing. The only downside to this dish is that the sandwich can be a bit messy, and with the bun dipped in meatball fat beforehand, it tends to fall apart. So bring lots of napkins.

Price: $12

Rating: 4.5/5

2.Mac and cheese with pork and beef meatballs

What is it? Exactly what it sounds like...  Cheesy pasta with a coating of breadcrumbs, topped with three meatballs made of a pork and beef mixture.

What we think: This is  delicious. The meatballs are  moist, juicy and flavourful. The pasta is s cooked perfectly, and the cheese sauce compliments the meatballs well. Plus, the breadcrumbs add a nice crunch. We felt that there was a little too much cheese, and a few bites were too greasy; however, neither of these critiques ruin the dish.  Be warned though: after you eat this, you will be so full you won’t want to eat for the rest of the day. But the bloated feeling is worth it.  

Price: $12

Rating: 4/5

3.Mushroom risotto with vegan balls and pesto

What is it? : Classic vegetarian risotto with a twist of “vegan balls” made of lentils and beans. A little bit of pesto tops off the dish.

What we think: The risotto is what should be expected with a classic risotto: super creamy and decadent. The parmesan cheese melts into the rice perfectly. Tasting like an Italian twist on falafel, the vegan balls add some earthiness and spice to the dish. The pesto seems dominated by the other heavy flavours on the plate, and we think some fresh greens or herbs could add a much-needed freshness to the dish.

Price: $12

Rating: 3.5/5