A (Meatless) Meatball Shop Opens in a Very Familiar Hollywood Space Next Week

An all-new plant-based meatball shop is opening up inside a familiar Hollywood space next week. Brothers Meatballs is a co-creation from Mauro and Sergio Corbia, two longtime Italian chefs known for running the 29-year-old Mauro’s Cafe inside of Fred Segal on Melrose, and Fabiolus Cafe on Sunset, though now they’re moving into the meatless meatball game.

The new Brothers Meatballs is setting up shop starting February 26 at 6268 Sunset, right next door to Fabiolus inside the former Bowery. That longtime subway-tiled restaurant was meant as a small, intimate bar and restaurant homage to New York City, and earned a bit of local fame more than a decade ago for its thick pub-style bar burger that used an english muffin as a bun.

Sadly Bowery closed as a result of the ongoing pandemic, so now the Corbia brothers are on to keep the address alive, along with chef Mark Mittleman, formerly of Punta Cabras in Santa Monica and elsewhere.

Reps for the Corbia brothers tell Eater that the restaurant will offer a variety of plant-based Italian staples, from different meatballs — there’s a verde version with arugula and green tomato pesto, for example — to eggplant parmigiana and gluten-free meatless lasagna. The meatball themselves can be made as a sandwich on ciabatta or or as a plate, with salads, housemade chips, and sides to boot.

If it all sounds a little specific and comfort food-ish, that’s precisely the point. During the ongoing pandemic, plenty of new restaurant arrivals are leaning into pared-down menus and robust, satisfying foods. There’s the new Odie’s meatball sub takeaway from longtime Covell owner Dustin Lancaster, the carnitas-only Flaco shop in East Hollywood, and countless burger and pizza setups across the city at the moment. Now comes the Brothers Meatballs with its own plant-based take, arriving to the world next Friday, February 26. Expect hours from noon to 10 p.m. daily, with outdoor dining, pick-up, and delivery to start, and 30 seats inside once allowed by LA County.

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