Category: Casual Eats

Whether you’re looking to enjoy a quick bite to eat at the bar or sitting down to relax without the fanfare associated with white linen and fancy wine menus, Casual Eats takes a look at all of the food that can be enjoyed when you’re able to sit back and unwind.

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The Flying Rhino’s Trailblazer Burger

The Trailblazer Burger from The Flying Rhino on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, MA

The Flying Rhino: a Shrewsbury Street staple for many years, seemingly feels like the grandfather of the street of restaurants that has seen a rapid renaissance in the culinary department over the last five years. So to have that type of following, and the longevity to remain a mainstay in such an urban jungle of restaurants is actually quite a feat. Admittedly, I am not the same eater that I was several years ago. According to science, your taste buds technically change every 7 years, but even without the backing of scientific research, I did not like certain things 7 years ago or more that I enjoy now. Back then, I took one look at the Flying Rhino’s menu and walked out…I, for the life of me, could not find anything on the menu that I thought worthy of ordering. This was not the restaurant’s fault, but more of a fault of myself. Being a member of the Worcester Foodies has expanded my palate and introduced me to cuisines that I was not familiar with, didn’t originally like and took me out of my comfort culinary zone.

With that being said, whether it is a renewed menu, renewed taste buds or a combination of the two, I found myself at the Flying Rhino for my next adventure of this ongoing burger extravaganza looking at the menu while my salivary glands revved up. Up and down the menu were items that I wish I could order; they all sounded delicious compared to my first visit many years ago. Having only a few burgers on the menu to go with your array of pasta, seafood and a variety of meats, I went with the Trailblazer. As advertised, this was a 1/2 lb. beef burger topped with the Rhino’s award winning chili, cheddar cheese, spicy tortilla chips and Sriracha ranch ($13). The last few burgers I have done, I have tried to get away from the normal toppings that you usually see like mushrooms, BBQ sauce, bacon, etc. and branch out to items a bit more exotic, a big more unconventional…this chili topped burger seemed to fit the bill.

Ordered medium with house cut fries, the burger itself was juicy and succulent. Cooked perfectly medium, the exterior had a nice char and crunch to it, while the interior was moist and seasoned well. The chili, advertised as award winning, was rich and thick. Think of Sloppy Joe consistency chili on top of a burger. There was very minimal liquid and the chili was rich and deep in flavor. It was peppered with large chunks of meat and beans. The chili itself had a nice slow heat to it, that grew as you ate the burger. Everything was topped with spicy tortilla chips and a few pickle slices, which were actually the best bites of the meal. The chips added wonderful crunchy texture to an otherwise smooth and rich bite, and the acidity of the pickles helped cut the flavors as well, while added a crisp, cool temperature to the spicy burger.

Overall, I was extremely happy I decided to give the Flying Rhino another try. The food sounded, smelled and looked amazing. My meal, as well as the other meals from our party, were cooked to order, seasoned well and plated professionally. The burger was definitely a surprise and I will be a welcomed customer to return in the future to try one of their numerous delicious offerings. With the holiday season right around the corner, do you have a favorite burger place that would like to share? Ring in the New Year with a delicious All-American classic? If you have a recommendation for a great burger, tweet me @EDioufUC5 and your suggestion might be next on my list? Until next time…

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Mashed Burger from J. Anthony’s Italian Grill

The Mashed Burger from J. Anthony's Italian Grill in Auburn, MA.

A casual Monday night trip to Walmart and a hankering for everyone’s favorite All-American “sandwich” brought me to J. Anthony’s Italian Grill on Route 20 on the Auburn/Oxford line. Once again, this is another establishment that I drive by regularly and the parking lot always seems to be filled to capacity, even on weekdays. On the weekends, I’ve even seen parking attendants to help with overflow. With a customer following like that, it seemed like a place that I would need to try. Upon entering, you’re greeted with an unassuming ambiance. It is all very generic, with cliché Italian cues here and there throughout the restaurant. The bar area looked much more entertaining, with multiple flat screens playing the game of the day, dimly lit but bright enough to not need a flashlight to read the drink menu.

Taking a quick glance at the rest of the menu, it is easy to see why the place is always busy though. There are Italian classics up and down the menu, that cater to every palate and craving that you could have. They even have specials on certain nights of the week, to help drum up business I would guess. The burger I decided on for this dining event was the Mashed Burger ($9.99 – Mondays are $6 burger nights though!). This was a 1/2 pound beef burger, with mashed potatoes, onion rings and A1 sauce, cooked medium. Given the fact that I have tried many variations of beef/bacon/cheese/sauces that were offered on most burger menus, I felt the need again to try something out of the box.

The burger itself was cooked beautifully, and seemed bigger than the 1/2 pound of advertised beef. Usually when you cook a burger that large that has a decent fat ratio (80/20), the burgers will shrink significantly in size. This burger stayed large and moist and slightly pink on the interior. The mashed potatoes gave the burger an interesting texture. The potatoes seemed like they were on the drier side. If they were too mashed or fine, they wouldn’t be congealed enough to hold onto the burger. I would’ve liked for the potatoes to be seasoned more… some butter or garlic would’ve been the flavor boost that they desperately needed. The fried onion strings on top gave it a nice bite, with the tanginess of the traditional onion topping, with the crunch of the fried batter. The real kicker on this burger was the A1 sauce. It was delightfully tangy and enhanced the richness of the meat. It was like a BBQ sauce replacement, but thinner and smokier. The generous portion of fries were fried to a golden brown, but could’ve benefitted from some additional seasoning of salt and pepper.

Overall, I would call this burger quest a success. I had a delicious burger, enjoyed some great company and went some place that I had wanted to visit for some time. For those of you who were like me and drive by this restaurant everyday and haven’t stopped in for a quick bite, I highly recommend doing so soon. Have a suggestion on where I should visit next month? Tweet me @EDioufUC5 and you just might see your suggestion make the short list. Until next time my burger loving followers…