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#SundayFunday – Things are Well-Rounded at the Certified Meatball Company

We use all the cliché Italian sayings when we attempt to sum up our experience with the richness of the Italian food culture. From Mama Mia to bellissimo, it seems that we all have Italian heritage when faced with an incredible bowl of pasta or ricotta pie, but there is no other word that can be used to describe the Certified Meatball Company in Boston, except well-rounded.

Inspired by the neighborhood butcher shop – a place held in high regards in most neighborhoods for their fresh cuts of prime meat and skilled artisans – Certified Meatball Company brings to Boston all that is good with quality foods, recipes, and culture.

With a menu of spherical entrees, desserts and drinks, Certified Meatball Company lives up to its name with meatballs at the center of it all. Between the panini stuffed with multiple meatballs and the bao balls – a meatball with sauce on a steamed bun – there is much to be said about Certified Meatball Company’s dedication to the classic Italian dish. It is the foundation for every item on the menu and offers a variety of eclectic twists. From Moroccan lamb to spicy Korean pork to veggie meatballs, there is a wide range of options to turn an ordinary Sunday dinner into a full-blown palette exploration to satisfy the cravings of #SundayFunday.

At Certified Meatball Company, their passion for the meatball spills into their dessert menu with desserts like the sweetballs – a cake ball ruffle – and the famous “The Lady Liberty” – a $27 sundae that consists of sweetballs and ice cream atop an Oreo waffle. But if you are a non-meatball lover – if people like this even exist – take a trip to this South Boston location and explore the shareable cocktails and Thai teas. Order a Das Cup – made with Pimms, Underberg, strawberry-ginger beer, and mint – or The Cobbler – made with Oloroso and fino sherry, blackberry citrus and mint – and gaze the stars under a 23-foot long skylight opening the roof of the restaurant.

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#SundayFunday – Don’t Stay Cooped up this Weekend

The Coop in Millbury, MA

We all salivate at the mere thought of barbeque. There is something about a brisket sandwich smothered in a flavorful, smoked barbeque sauce that makes us reminiscent of summer days and while we can all indulge in a little more barbeque from time to time, it is often hard to find a great place in New England. Yes, we have B.T.’s Smokehouse, but they can’t be the only ones holding down the fort for the entire barbeque industry in Central Massachusetts.

Enter Millbury’s The Coop – where the name lives up to their obsession with chickens and barbeque. With over 17 barbeque sauces and 6 dry rubs, the Coop offers no shortage of distinct tastes. Barbeque varies by region, with four main styles: Memphis, Tenn.; North Carolina; Kansas City; and Texas. Each variation is unique to its place of origin, but something must be said for the classic flavors with a twist provided by the Coop. Located in downtown, Millbury, the Coop is quickly becoming a favorite for local barbeque enthusiasts.

Yes, their menu offers classic barbeque platters like 2lbs of Coop house spice rub chicken wings with a side of fries, but they also offer platters unique to their location. The Sunday Brunch sandwich – a pulled pork sandwich stuffed with waffle fries, bacon, fried eggs, and buttermilk ranch barbeque – and the BBQ Brisket Ruben – a classic Ruben sandwich topped with slaw, Swiss, fried pickles and boom boom sauce (obviously, a house special) – are only but a few unique dishes at The Coop. But if these dishes are not #SundayFunday enough for you, then opt-in for the St. Louis Style Ribs – served with cornbread (a must have) – and end your meal with brown sugar vanilla bread pudding. Between the caramel sauce and whipped cream from the bread pudding and the famous Coop Juice – their twist on a classic Sangria – you’ll leave fully satisfied and wish you had more time to enjoy your #SundayFunday adventure to Millbury.