Meatball madness

From the softball-size hulks at Apizz and Gramercy Tavern to the tiny sliders served at The Little Owl and Locanda Verde, meatballs have been gaining big momentum on restaurant menus. Now, with the recent opening of The Meatball Shop on the Lower East Side — which is drawing large crowds to Stanton Street — the craze appears to have hit its zenith. These days, it’s not uncommon to find humble renditions at see-and-be-seen hot spots such as Brinkley’s and Abe & Arthur’s, “meatballs” made with nontraditional ingredients like tuna (as a special at Esca) and even a “spaghetti & meatballs” cupcake at Ruthy’s. We combed the city for the latest and tastiest spins on the home-cooked specialty. Get ready to play ball!

Helayne Seidman

Japanese balls and beer

Photos: Meatball madness

PHOTOS: SEE ALL THE DISHES!

Japanese balls and beer

Salty snacks and premium Japanese beer on draft (Hitachino White Ale, Sapporo) are the draws at Jeffrey Chodorow’s new resto-lounge Tanuki Tavern in the Gansevoort Hotel, whose menu is modeled after an “izakaya,” or Japanese pub. Not surprisingly, the vast menu’s No. 1 seller is the $7 chicken meatballs — “tori dango” — with a crispy rice crust. Reminiscent of the fried Italian rice balls known as arancini, they’ve got an addictive crunch thanks to a coating made from sushi rice mixed with vinegar, kombu (Japanese kelp) and a touch of mirin (sweet rice wine) and sugar. Perfect popped in your mouth and washed down with a glass of beer.

Tanuki Tavern, Hotel Gansevoort, 18 Ninth Ave.; 212-660-6766

More than 1,000 meatballs

A hit since opening last month, Lower East Side eatery The Meatball Shop is doing a bustling business, thanks to a ridiculously tasty assortment of meatballs that can be mixed and matched with all manner of sauces, sides and sandwich breads.

Former high school pals Daniel Holzman and Michael Chernow reunited to open this runaway one-hit wonder, which resembles a rustic wine bar with modern touches.

• Meatballs by the numbers: Each day, Holzman and his growing staff (“We started with five cooks and now we have 35 on the schedule”) shape and sell more than 1,000 meatballs. Think beef, spicy pork, chicken, salmon and veggie, plus a weekly special (next up: special balls for Passover).

• Best balls: Our favorites include pork flecked with hot pepper and chicken redolent with rosemary and fennel. Perhaps the easiest way to sample them is by ordering half a dozen tiny sliders ($3 each) — although the menu’s latest addition, “The Smash,” is a pretty perfect meal: two balls pressed onto a brioche bun and served with sauce, cheese and a side salad ($8). Then again, they’re also pretty darn good on top of an addictive mash of white beans or even a healthy side of steamed spinach.