ChefVinny's XY Style: Soda & Swine: Now that's a Spicy Meatball.

Where:
Soda & Swine Meatball Co.
2943 Adams Avenue
San Diego, CA. 92116
(619) 269-7632 (SODA)
Hours: 11:30am-1:30am (Daily)
Price Range: $ Menu Items under $10.
Dress: Casual
Accepts cash and major credit cards

Running errands can build one's appetite, my stomach was making more sound than an afternoon matinee of "Bringin Da Noise, Bring in Da Funk" so when it read 1:00pm on the old iPhone, it was time for some sustenance. Choosing where to eat, is no easy task; I can be very indecisive. Chinese? Nah. Mexican? Maybe. Pizza? Perhaps What do you want? It drives my friends crazy. In my defense, they do it too. With the pangs of hunger steadily growing, my friend Frank said to pick something. ANYTHING. Just pick something. Swiping the restaurant finder app on my iPhone, I came across Soda & Swine. I had been told they had good food, at least, by friends who had been there. Off to University Heights for a meatball lunch.
Soda & Swine's menu is small and easy to navigate, once the guy behind the counter told us how the ordering process works.

Step 1: Choose Your Meatball. The most important step (after all, isn't this why you're here in the first place?). You have your choice of The Swine (Smoked Pork with Chipotle and Pepper jack cheese), The Hog (Chorizo with Chipotle and Mozzarella cheese) The Bovine (Beef with Marinara sauce and Mozzarella cheese), The Hen (Chicken with Mushroom Cream and Provolone cheese) and for the vegetarian, there's The Grain (Quinoa with Pesto Sauce and Feta cheese).
I choose The Bovine, while Frank decided to try The Swine and The Hen. Needless to say, he has a bigger appetite.

Step 2: Select Your Style. Here is where you decide how you want to dress those meatballs. You can have them made into a Slider, nestled into a Submarine, A La Carte or served a top of spaghetti. We both chose A La Carte for different reasons: I'm doing low-carb and Frank, because he wanted to see just how good the meatballs were without the addition of bread or pasta, You also have the option of building your own meatball. Not in the mood for meatballs? Try the Soda & Swine Burger or the Daily Burger.
Once the important steps are completed, one can choose from Soda & Swine's 25 sides to accompany the meal; everything from Hand Cut, Twice Cooked Fries to Crispy Polenta in Burrata Arrabbiata Sauce. After about 15 minutes, our lunch arrived, piping hot, in miniature cast iron skillets.

My beef meatballs seasoned with oregano and basil and ladled with marinara and draped in melted mozzarella was delicious, The apple salad with the delicate greens, Manchego cheese, celery and toasted hazelnuts was a refreshing contrast. The Swine came paired with the Crispy Polenta while the Hen came paired with the Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Bacon. I was able to sample a few bites of each and I gotta say they were equally satisfying. Soda & Swine also offers 22 kinds of bottled soda to choose from as well as a good selection of beer and wine. Try it...you'll like it.