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Bourbon BBQ Meatloaf

Bourbon BBBQ Meatloaf from Joey's on Chandler Street in Worcester, MA

Bourbon BBBQ Meatloaf from Joey's on Chandler Street in Worcester, MA

I do not have fond memories of meat loaf. My mother, who in all fairness had little interest in cooking, served a meatloaf as dry as it was flavorless, most frequently with instant mashed potatoes. (Don’t worry. This lovely woman does not live anywhere near Worcester and will never read this review.) The meatloaf served in my college cafeteria tasted…well, it tasted exactly like you would expect a cafeteria meatloaf would taste. And yet despite my early exposure I continually seek out this American staple, perhaps searching for the meatloaf that I never had in my otherwise happy childhood. I recently continued my quest at Joey’s Bar & Grill where I experienced their Bourbon BBQ Meatloaf, which tasted exactly as I always imagined a meatloaf could taste. Joey’s tender, remarkably moist meatloaf is made from short ribs and is served with a very tangy BBQ sauce. The meal included a flavorful medley carrots, squash, and broccoli, perfectly roasted, not too soft with just the right amount of bite. (I added just a bit of salt to bring out the flavors.) To balance the flavors and textures of this meal’s stars, the mashed potatoes were simple and smooth with just a few pieces of potato skin. The portion was more than generous, including three slices of meatloaf. There was enough to bring home for the next day’s lunch. At $17, this meal was a bargain, especially when you consider the upscale but friendly atmosphere and fantastic service. -JD

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Grilled Chicken and Ravioli

Grilled Chicken and Ravioli from Joey’s Bar and Grill on Chandler Street in Worcester, MA

Grilled Chicken and Ravioli from Joey’s Bar and Grill on Chandler Street in Worcester, MA

One of the first things I noticed about Joey’s Bar and Grill when I got there was how large it was even though it has a small store front in a strip mall on Chandler Street. The decor was modern, but homey with local art on the walls and a fairly large bar—which is good because there was a crowd of people waiting to eat.

It was restaurant week so there was a special menu, which I ordered from, as well as the standard menu featuring a nice mix of Italian and American fare.

For an appetizer I had the Chicken Chili. It was sized perfectly for an appetizer, giving me a good taste without filling me up at all and leaving me plenty of room for my entree. The chili was tomato based, with lots of chicken and lots of other filler (peppers, onions etc…) and had a very nice flavor with just a hint of spiciness. The tart of the tomato balanced the heat of the chili and the sweetness of the peppers perfectly, leaving an overall fantastic mix.

For my entree I had the Grilled Chicken and Ravioli, which was described as; Grilled chicken breast with baby spinach tossed roasted yellow pepper cream sauce over spinach an garlic ravioli. It came with 2 smallish breasts of chicken grilled perfectly, they were moist and tender with nice grill marks and garnished with sprigs of Rosemary along with 6-8 large ravioli drizzled with the sauce. The ravioli were also cooked perfectly al dente with just the right amount of texture. The sauce was excellent, though a little sparse and was just on the ravioli with none on the chicken, though the chicken really didn’t need it. The flavors of the sauce complemented the ravioli perfectly and were a great counterpoint to the grilled chicken. Overall an excellent dish.

For dessert, I had the cookie sundae. This was a very large soft, fresh white chocolate macadamia nut cookie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, whipped cream and some hot chocolate sauce. The cookie was soft, but still firm enough to balance the ice cream nicely creating a very pleasing dessert. -DL