Mimi Blue★

The meatball-only menu sounds like fast food, but the concept here takes the form of a cosmopolitan Italian kitchen with low lighting, buzzy energy, a constant clatter of plates, and the recipes of co-owner Michael Kosene’s grandmother. Five savory options include classic beef-and-sausage, luscious veggie, and a consistently good special. Choose a topping—spicy Bolognese and garlic-tinged cream sauce are standouts. The overlooked brunch menu sets the giant meatballs atop airy biscuits in a puddle of decadent sausage gravy, and the lemon-thyme pancake balls, a cross between flapjacks and delicate cake doughnut holes, stand alone without syrup. Lunch and dinner daily, brunch Sat.–Sun.