Getting the ball rolling

Meatballs are rolling onto the food scene, popping up in concept restaurants around the country. After seeing a few during her time in New York City, Vestavia Hills High School graduate Mary Susan Cashio decided to bring one of those restaurants back to Birmingham.

Owner of Cashio’s Meatball Market, which opened in Lakeview in October, Cashio said her goal with the restaurant is bringing a new spin on the typical meatball.

“When you go to a restaurant and you order spaghetti, meatballs just kind of come with it,” she said. “Our menu, you can pick whatever meatball you want and build the dish how you want it. You have your way with them, and I think that excites people.”

The menu at Cashio’s Meatball Market includes a range of red, white and pesto sauces, as well as meatballs ranging from traditional — a recipe from Cashio’s Grandma Angel — to catfish. Diners can also select sides including risotto, pasta, mashed potatoes and others to go under or next to their selection of meatball.

“It definitely lends its options, if you wanted to branch out or not, but that’s definitely what we wanted,” Cashio said. “You can stick to as classic Italian as you want, or you can basically build meatloaf.”

Chef Grayson Taft has free rein in the kitchen, and after seeing the success of his catfish meatball during the restaurant’s opening week, Cashio said she is excited to see his future specialty items.

“That’s been a hit, so I definitely have even more confidence in him going forward,” Cashio said.

Because the restaurant is a small space, which seats about 30 people, Cashio said she aimed to use clean lines and mirrors to make the space appear larger. With marble walls and pops of red throughout, the restaurant has a throwback appearance. 

“I didn’t really aim for it to look so retro, just the way I guess I described what all I wanted, when it came together, it definitely has a retro feel,” Cashio said.

The bathrooms also offer a special look, with caricatures of musicians ranging from Amy Winehouse to Stevie Wonder. “My dad really wanted Frank Sinatra,” Cashio said. “He said we had to have an Italian.”

Opening Cashio’s was a family affair, and although it took a little convincing to get her father on board, the experience has overall been a positive one, she said. In their first week, Cashio said they have had a packed house each night, in addition to a few pickup orders. This reaction is something Cashio said she hoped for with a Lakeview location.

“I definitely wanted to be in Lakeview if I was going to do something so risky as open a restaurant, having almost no knowledge of opening a restaurant,” she said. “Lakeview is so up and coming, and there’s so much foot traffic.”

With hopes for the restaurant to continue to grow, Cashio said she is most excited to get to leave her mark on the city of Birmingham.

“I’m looking forward to bringing something to Birmingham, finally,” she said. “I grew up here, so I’m glad I can finally contribute something back to Birmingham.”