Robert Sietsema at The Meatball Shop; Sarah DiGregorio at Merit Kabob and Dumpling Palace

This week in the Voice, Robert Sietsema discovers the most "perfect meatball hero" at The Meatball Shop. Unfortunately, "the restaurant insists on making several more varieties, some of dubious worth." Sarah DiGregorio finds the one place in New York where "you can get Bangladeshi trotter stew and Tibetan spiced tripe in the same room, and that's Merit Kabob and Dumpling Palace."

Sam Sifton knocks a star off Chin Chin, a quarter-of-a-century-old Chinese restaurant, where the food is "prepared well: deeply flavored, toothsome, neither too spicy nor too bland."
[NY Times]

Gabriella Gershenson notes that Mile End "may be the first restaurant to bring the Montreal deli tradition to New York City. Perhaps more important, it could be the city's first proper Canadian dining establishment."
[TONY]

Ryan Sutton agrees with Sifton's assessment of Colicchio & Sons: "This replacement for the so-so Craftsteak is one of the most exciting new places to eat in New York."
[Bloomberg]

The Robs find "the kind of trademark sandwiches that develop cult followings" at Saltie, and "an excellent oyster po' boy" at Cheeky Sandwiches.
[NY Magazine]

Alan Richman has a meal at La Mangeoire, where "the menu is a work in progress," but he'd say "the food is coming along."
[GQ/Forked]

Gael Greene forces herself to wait 40 minutes at Pies 'n' Thighs for "the kind of meal that makes you grateful you thrive on the three main food groups: fat, salt and sugar," then loves "almost everything that hits the table" at Piquant.
[Insatiable Critic]

Tables for Two reckons that "A Voce [Columbus] has its pleasures... but [Missy] Robbins, a prudent chief executive, isn't taking any risks."
[New Yorker]

Have restaurant a tip or other food-related news? Send it to fork@villagevoice.com.