Anyone who has lived in Worcester or in the surrounding areas, at one point has either heard of or eaten at Dino’s Ristorante Italiano. It’s a Worcester mainstay; part of the old-school style of restaurants that still linger around the city. Known for it’s classic dishes and sizable portions, Dino’s has always been synonymous with hearty Italian dishes.
After going over their menu, I knew there was only one dish that I needed to order. I decided on the Veal Cutlet Parmigiana ($17.95). This entree was described as a thinly pounded, lightly breaded veal cutlet, fried and topped with melted mozzarella cheese and rich tomato sauce. Every meal begins with your choice of either soup or salad so I decided to go with the salad topped with the house Italian dressing. The salad consisted of iceberg lettuce, shredded carrots, onions, olives, tomatoes and cucumbers. For me the best part of the salad was the dressing itself as it had a nice acidity and tang to it from the oil and vinegar that was a welcome reprieve from the rather mundane iceberg lettuce. Also, the salads were served in a small bowl, which made it a little more difficult for me to cut and conquer to salad.
As my meal arrived at my table, I was happy to see a gigantic side plate filled with linguine pasta doused in red sauce. However, upon tasting the pasta (which was cooked nicely), I found that the sauce lacked flavor and seasoning. It was begging for salt, and even oregano or basil to bring out the natural flavors of the tomato sauce. The veal itself was pounded very thinly, and had a very thin crust on it. This was appreciated because the taste of the veal was able to shine, instead of being overpowered by breading or the deep-frying itself. The creamy mozzarella was a nice addition to the veal. Even the sauce that was covering the mozzarella cheese and the veal seemed to benefit from the flavoring that was lent to it. Half way through my meal I realized that I was not going to finish. A to-go box was needed and lunch for the next couple of days was all set.
Having time to reflect on my meal, I found myself mostly disappointed. The ingredients were there to make this an outstanding dish, but it just seemed to lack some finesse and seasoning. I plan to return to Dino’s in the future with an open mind and empty stomach to sample another one of their classic Italian dishes.