I recently attended the Atlanta Meatball Festival where Atlanta restaurants competed to see who could create the best meatball. More than 20 restaurants put their balls to the test to win bragging rights and a chance to compete live at Taste of Atlanta where the champ will be crown. Produced by Taste of Atlanta, Chef Linda Harrell, executive chef at Cibo e Beve, served as the event’s chef host and proved that Atlanta’s got the best balls.

The event was packed with a mix of meatball enthusiasts deciding which balls were deserving of advancing to the live Taste of Atlanta competition. Attendees chose the top three winners by voting for their favorite with a single gold coin. I had a great time at the event, but there were only four meatballs made without breadcrumbs or soy sauce. I expected there to be slim pickings, but I was astonished that only four of the restaurants chose to buck tradition by not relying on breadcrumbs to hold their meatballs together.

It is quite easy to make meatballs sans gluten. Chef Linda used almond and potato flour as a binder while 1Kept, Double Zero, and Smoke Ring relied on eggs to hold their meatballs together. All of these entries were delicious and didn’t lack flavor or texture by leaving out breadcrumbs and/or soy sauce. Here are the yummy gluten-free balls at the event:

• 1Kept made Braised veal meatball with kimchi, scallions, charred orange vinaigrette made with Angel Fire spirits
• Smoke Ring had a smoked duck meatball with fire roasted poblano puree and cotija cheese cream served on kale salad
• Chef Linda made chicken meatball using freshly ground Springer Mountain Farms chicken
• Double Zero had a moist and flavorful pork belly meatball with the perfect dollop of sauce

If these chefs are up to the challenge of preparing meatballs without using breadcrumbs and soy sauce, are other chefs too set in their ways? Are they unwilling to make a change, or are they just sticking with what works? I challenge Atlanta’s chefs to leave out the gluten and experiment by using potato flour, eggs, and my secret ingredient of instant mashed potato flakes as a binder the next time they prepare meatballs (works great for meatloaf too). These gluten-free ingredients are inexpensive and can easily change a gluten-full meatball into a gluten-free one. Maybe these chefs will become inspired with how minor ingredient changes impact their menu and clientele.

Are you up to the challenge?