Inspiration is at our core; we thrive on it, and we look to unearth it in what others see as clutter. To do that, we often times break from the norm – or the every day routine – and try something new and inspiring. Follow us long enough and you’ll begin to see a reoccurring theme at the Z -food. Whether it’s a themed potluck, grilling out on our patio, or just ordering in pizza[s], food helps inspire us.
Once a month, we Zs get out of the office and explore; we stretch both our legs and our bellies as we patronize a local eating establishment. There are plenty of choices, all within walking distance from the office. The unwilling participant this time was a new(ish) addition to the Newport culinary scene – the Packhouse.
Located at 1004 Monmouth St., this gem offered our famished group a wide range of meatballs [yes, meatballs] with enough a-la-carte variations to guarantee that no one in our party ordered the same exact same thing.
“But wait, meatballs” you ask, “Like spaghetti and…?” Nope. Not really.
Though they are of the same ilk, The Packhouse presents their house-ground, hand-packed little guys in a way that is unique, delicious and a little entertaining. Without getting into too much detail, you choose a meatball from column A, pair it with a sauce from column B, maybe some bread or greens from column C, and then top it off with different little do-dads from columns D-G. They also have a pretty decent craft beer list (if your into that kind of thing), but given that we were all being responsible adults, the only beer anyone opted for was of the “root” variety.
Bob [the owner] could have very well just served us good meatballs atop a pile of various pastas. I’m sure they would have been good. But truly inspired meatballs come from saying, “instead of pasta, maybe on top of ice-cream?”
Maybe not.
