I drive by La Cucina Italiana all the time because it’s located near me in Worcester. It looks like a cute place where locals hang out and enjoy their BYOB wine. When we entered the place, there was a hostess desk without a host. So we stood there for a few minutes and no one came over to check in with us. We were there for more than a few minutes before anyone even made eye contact. Finally, a young man came swinging by and asked if we had been helped. He did not wait for an answer before moving along to his next task, even though we smiled and said we were waiting for our friends to arrive. It was a disappointing beginning to the evening.
The menu had several items that looked promising and the board of specials won me over. I ordered one of the specials: the Manicotti. Manicotti lets you know the quality of the sauce and cheese a place puts together in order to entice an Italian food fan. The large portion filled my plate. I dug in and found the taste to be just like mom used to make–and my mom is an excellent cook. I thoroughly enjoyed my meal.
Our server was nice and she smiled as we asked questions and bantered. She did share with us the dishes she favored on the menu and several folks at our table ordered these items. Her suggestions didn’t disappoint. The chef came out to ask how things were. He also showed interest in our Foodies group. Then he thanked us for coming out. He was genuinely a very nice guy.
Overall La Cucina Italiana is one of those nice little neighborhood restaurants that makes good food. It is a place to go to when you don’t feel like making food at home. Bring some wine, order one of the specials, and enjoy.