Restaurant: Ritual, Main Street
As it appears in the menu: Seasoned with crushed cocoa beans, hazelnut chocolate demi-glaze – 1st place Worcester Iron Chef
The Facts: Beautifully plated medallions of duck breast resting on a small portion of smashed potatoes. I ordered with sautéed spinach instead of mixed vegetables. A chocolate lava cake, the size of cupcake, was also on the plate. The lava cake was a bit of a surprise as it was not called out explicitly in the meal description, but, what the heck, I love chocolate.
Foodie’s Review: This meal tasted even better than it looked, and it looked incredible. Each flavor, duck, potato, spinach, and chocolate, was perfect individually. And, as odd as it might sound, combining the duck with the chocolate, as suggested by the server, was fantastic. I ate every last bite of food on my plate was perfectly sated, not too full and not needing any more. I understand why this creative dish won the Worcester Iron Chef competition. Distinct, complementary flavors that never overwhelmed.
This review was done by an independent member of the Worcester Foodies group during their monthly meeting in May 2011.