Worcester Foodies | Reviewing Restaurants and Food in Central Mass

Bootleggers Prohibition Pub on Chandler Street in Worcester, MA

This month, the foodies took a step back in time with a trip to Worcester’s new Bootleggers Prohibition Pub. After discovering the secret entrance – which yes, can be found using the giant billboard out front – diners walked into an industrial-style restaurant playing old Westerns on the TVs and roaring ‘20s music from the speakers. Bootleggers was formerly EVO Dining until the Maykel family (with chef Al Maykel at the helm) decided to gut the entire place – concept included. They went with a prohibition-era pub instead and while some felt they didn’t fully commit to the concept, most enjoyed the bit of whimsy that came along with the visit.

The Cohiba Street Taco from Bootlegger Prohibition Pub 2 on Chandler Street in Worcester, MA

As always, the best way to start at a speakeasy is the cocktails. Bootleggers has a full drink menu full of all the prohibition-era cocktails you’d expect. It also has a litany of moonshine cocktails, made with moonshine of all different flavors, including strawberry, blackberry, cherry, peach, apple pie and something called ‘ole smoky blue flame.’ Bootleggers easily makes this sometimes harsh drink more approachable with its flavor selection. The Moonshine Mule, a Catdaddy moonshine with ginger beer, honey, lemon juice and bitters, was tried by one foodie and then ordered by many. The prohibition-era cocktails also delighted diners, with the Old Fashioned and the French 77 winning rave reviews from foodies. Of course, there’s also a wine list and a beer selection, which includes a Bootleggers house made brew, for the slightly less adventurous. All the foodies agreed – Bootleggers is a great place for a drink.

Many foodies were won over right away with Bootleggers “Bluenose Bites,” essentially appetizers, section of the menu. When asked about the Coney Island Fries, Robyn told us, “It was amazing, I would come back just to order these delicious nuggets of goodness again.” The Southern Fried Lollypop Wings, which include three spicy wings served with coleslaw and bourbon-infused maple syrup, the Still-Potsticker, which offer three steamed and seared pork- and kimchee-filled dumplings accompanied by a spicy Korean BBQ sauce, and the Italian Meatballs, which have three meatballs made of hot Italian sausage and beef served over a tomato sauce and garnished with shaved cheese, were all big hits among the diners.

Chef Al Maykel visiting diners at Bootlegger Prohibition Pub on Chandler Street in Worcester, MA

Each of the foodies easily found something intriguing on Bootleggers’ extensive menu. Along with some traditional pub grub fare, the menu also included sections for tacos and loaded hot dogs. Many enjoyed sandwiches, which donned names to fit the era include The Gatsby, a pressed Italian roll with havarti, cheddar, fresh mozzarella, bacon, tomato, fresh basil and garlic oil served with warm tomato sauce for dipping, and The Goodfella, capicola, pepperoni, provolone cheese, banana peppers, tomato, sweet onion with garlic oil and balsamic vinegar served in a pressed Italian roll. The burgers, even the veggie burger, were enormous and included unique heaping toppings. The Topless Floozie has a buffalo dry-rubbed patty topped with a fried egg, coleslaw and cheddar cheese, while the Blackberry Moonshiner Burger came covered in blackberry moonshine barbecue sauce topped with blue cheese, apple cider fromage, bacon, lettuce and onion. The street tacos section of the menu offers a few different options, including the Cohiba and the Naked Clam which has fried Cajun claim strips over shredded lettuce, sweet onion and tomato with a Sriracha lime agave drizzle. Dogs include ones topped with sauerkraut and horseradish mustard to a chili dog with banana peppers. Those foodies who tried for a high-end entree, namely the Seafood Fra Diablo, found little to be desired, unfortunately. Drew said, “When I ordered it, I was not told they were out of scallops, and was served the dish incomplete to what is advertised. The shrimp were tiny rock shrimp. The muscles were good and the calamari was average.” Overall, everyone agreed they’d love to go back for another taste. Donna said that, “the drinks alone were worth a trip to hang at the very cool bar” and Evan agreed, saying, “With so many delicious looking/sounding dishes and all at a very reasonable price, I will be sure to head back to the Bootleggers Prohibition Pub.”

In November the Worcester Foodies paid a visit to Bootleggers Prohibition Pub. Here is what they ate and here is what…

Posted by Mass Foodies on Thursday, November 10, 2016

Carefully slicing meat at Terra Brasilis on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, MA

Worcester’s Seven Hills have seen their fair share of eateries over the past decade; in fact, there is some question as to whether the upcoming restaurant boom will even be sustainable. One thing that we’ve observed, however, is a correlation between experience and success. In a time where choice is abundant, Jack Trout’s aptly named book, Differentiate Or Die: Survival in Our Era of Killer Competition, rings true for some of Central Massachusetts’ best restaurants. Weeks after opening, Mass Foodies’ local Foodies group ventured to Worcester’s newest Brazilian restaurant, Terra Brasilis to see if they bring a different experience to the Worcester restaurant scene.

A diner choosing fried fish from the Terra Brasilis buffet on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, MA.

To begin with, the space has some history. The much loved Piccadilly Pub resided here for nearly 40-years before closing in 2012. After that, several short lived restaurants tried to capitalize on brand and location as Paparazzi and The Pic, before closing last year. With Terra Brasilis moving in, there seem to be very little changed in the layout and seating—the thick knotty pine booths still reside in place and the bar sits next to the newly installed buffet fixtures in front of the new barbecue pit. Upon entering the restaurant, the group was eagerly welcomed and shown to their seats where it was explained how the restaurant worked: the waitress will serve drinks from the bar to you at your seats while you grab a large plate and visit the buffet. At the end of the buffet, you pay by the weight of your plate and are given a ticket which you use if you decide to have seconds, desserts, or non-alcholic drinks from the register. At the end of the night, you see the hostess stand by the entrance to settle your bill. Mass Foodies contributor, Donna Dufault, explained, “The service was very personable. There are not many (if any) weigh-and-pay buffets, so the explanation was helpful.” Scott Erb added, “The fact that the staff was so pleasant and attentive the entire time–from seating us, to bringing us drinks, through clearing the plates—really made us feel at home.”

A diner chooses her proteins, rice, and vegetables at Terra Brasilis buffet on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, MA.

With a large selection of food, it was nice to see some familiar items that would make the less adventures happy while also having truly authentic items to give a taste of the chef’s home country of Brazil. But, let’s face it, no one goes to a buffet looking for a fine dining experience. There is a certain stigma that a buffet has, thanks in part to the “all you can eat Chinese buffet” movement that allows Americans to over indulge without thinking about quality or price. The buffet here, however, was clean, well lit and offered a variety of hot and cold, pickled and sautéed, options. “Being a vegetarian,” explained contributor Julie Giacobbe, “I was able to find a variety of rices, vegetables and non-meat products that didn’t make me feel as though I was missing out.”

Weigh-And-Pay allows diners to control how much they eat (and pay) and choose only what appeals to them at Terra Brasilis buffet on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, MA.

The main stage of any barbecue place (Brazilian or otherwise) is the meat. Terra Brasilis offered seemingly countless meats, both safe and expected (e.g., garlic beef, bacon wrapped chicken, and pork loin) and traditional and exotic (e.g., spicy sausage, and chicken hearts). They are open roasted and carved to the diner’s preference and most of the meats were prepared using rubs and spices that are common to the Brazilian culture and palate. The only complaint that was repeated amongst the group was that many of the meats were overdone. “Unfortunately, my chicken was inedible because it was so dry—meanwhile, my husband’s was perfectly moist,” Robin Lane stated. “There seemed to be some inconsistency in the meats—some cuts were perfect, others were dry,” added Amy Peterson. This is the caveat with open flame barbecue, specifically in a buffet setting. Most Brazilian barbecues offer pampas style service—where they come to the table and carve the meat directly onto your plate—which accounts for the idle cooking time (meat continues to cook despite not being over the heat source, which, means that a perfectly cooked slice could be dry once you walk to the table, sit down, and enjoy some of the other items on the plate).

The dessert at Terra Brasilis on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, MA can stand on its own legs.

The finale, however, was the desserts. Made in house, the cakes were opulent slices made from scratch (with the exception of the cookies from the “Oreo cake,” understandably) that were larger than the plate. Evan Dufault, taking a break from his Oreo cake explained, “The Oreo cake was rich and decadent. It seemed to be soaked in milk which made it extremely moist. The Oreo cookie crumbles and the homemade frosting gave the cake wonderful texture and was borderline sinful. Easily the best part of the meal, as dessert usually is.”

Regardless if the meats may have disappointed some, it was forgiven immediately when the bills were paid—most of the dishes were $10 and, some, even less. During the night, there were several other parties enjoying the Brazilian barbecue, but the steady stream of customers coming for take out was notable. With colleges back in session in Worcester, being able to load a take-out container for under $10 worth of sustenance is a no-brainer. We’ve seen this similar success with Bay State Schwarma and Grill, an eatery on Water Street that offers cafeteria style service with middle eastern fare, and have no doubt that the value proposition of enjoying authentic flavors of different cultures is a sweet spot for differentiation in Worcester’s culinary stew.

To survive in “an era of killer competition” any business must differentiate itself from its competitors. While many restaurants need to do this with their menu, ingredients, service, or atmosphere, Terra Brasilis has a leg-up simply by being one of the only restaurants with a weigh-and-pay buffet model… add the authentic flavors and exotic selection of meats, any shortcomings can easily be forgiven. We look forward to see how they progress with the time and evolve with the city’s economic development.