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Porchetta Eggs Benedict from Via

Porchetta Eggs Benedict from Via on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, MA

Porchetta Eggs Benedict from Via on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, MA
The most recent Foodies adventure, took us to Via on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, to enjoy their newly released brunch menu. The popular restaurant, known for its Italian comfort food, added Sunday Brunch as part of their menu a little over a month ago. With and extensive menu from appetizers, main courses, and a number of brunch cocktails, you must check out Via Brunch as soon as you can!

This past Sunday was the absolute perfect day to be outside on the Via patio. The warm, morning sun was shining in, and a slight breeze allowed us Foodies to sit comfortably with the windows open. For starters, we split the House Made Zeppole, warm Italian donuts, fried to order and tossed in cinnamon sugar. Think Dunkin Donuts munchkins, but much better! We also shared a Smoked Salmon Plate, which was absolutely amazing! If you like smoked salmon, this is an appetizer I would highly recommend. The crunchy and buttery Tuscan well paired well with the crisp, red onions, capers and mustard sauce. Top that all off with thinly sliced, smoked salmon and you have a delightfully, satisfying and savory appetizer. My drink of choice was a Mimosa, and as much as I love this signature breakfast cocktail, I do wish I opted for the Flight of Bubbles; a sampling of Bellini and Mimosa options with different fruit juices was beautifully displayed, and seemed a better bang for your buck at $13, than a single champagne glass Mimosa for $10.

For my main course, it was easy to decide on the Porchetta Eggs Benedict. For one, I have never really had eggs Benedict, but my love for poached eggs, drew me to this breakfast staple. I had also heard some really great things about how it looked from some photographer friends that had taken pictures of the feast not too long ago. The shaved porchetta was served over grilled Tuscan bread, local poached eggs and a lemon pepper aioli. The entire dish was also drizzled with this wonderful, rich gravy that really pulled all of the flavors together. The porchetta almost took on a shaved steak flavor with the gravy and the Tuscan bread was so delicious! I love any type of aioli anyway too, but the lemon pepper flavor definitely replaced what normally would be hollandaise quite nicely. The dish was heavy and as I would normally recommend sharing, I couldn’t stop eating it.

The wait staff was friendly and attentive. They handled all requests and order promptly and with much enthusiasm, especially given we had a large party. At Via you certainly come to expect a certain level of service and professionalism, and they did not disappoint. With their hearty portions, and an array of different menu options, bring and appetite and grab a group of friends when you come to Via brunch!

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Three Soft Shell Tacos from Livia’s Dish

Three Soft Shell Tacos from Livia's Dish on Main Street in Worcester, MA

Three Soft Shell Tacos from Livia's Dish on Main Street in Worcester, MA

Many of my friends had been talking about Livia’s Dish and the great meals that they enjoyed there with their family and friends.  Friends have been posting about their $5 Wednesday burger night or their Sunday Brunch. So I knew this months foodie night was not to be missed. Tucked away on the outskirts of Worcester, Livia’s Dish is a quaint house sitting right on Rte 9. Walking into the restaurant I felt like I was entering a friends home – such a welcome casual feel all around.

While we were there on a Wednesday night I thought about the burger but really was in the mood for something a little different. Though after seeing the burgers and the homemade rolls I might need to check them out on my next visit. They have a diverse menu but what caught my eye was something off of the bar plate menu – Three Soft Shell Tacos. While it was on the bar plate menu this was a good sized dinner portion of lightly crisped haddock. Loved the light crisp as it allows you to really enjoy the fish and enjoy a light meal without feeling too full.  The three tacos came on a stand that allowed me to easily grab each to enjoy without losing all of the fillings on the plate.  What makes fish tacos are the generous accompaniments – in this case a nice spicy chipotle aioli and spicy cilantro slaw.  I really enjoy spicy spicy foods so if that isn’t something you enjoy, no worries these were light on the spicy side, could have been a tad spicier for my taste.  Overall, great dinner, service and atmosphere.  The question isn’t when I will be back but what Sunday brunch will I be at. Enjoy!