Tag: arugula

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Mushroom Burger from The Fix

Mushroom Burger from The Fix on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, MA

Mushroom Burger from The Fix on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, MA

The Fix Burger Bar is the eighth concept for Mike Covino and the Niche Hospitality Group. And once again they did not let us down. As with all of Niche’s restaurants, nothing is ordinary and usual. The Fix follows suite. From the “adult milk shake” menu, to the appetizers and of course the burgers, be prepared for extraordinary. For those of you who are familiar with the original Mezcal location at 166 Shrewsbury St., you will notice the layout has not changed. New decor of course, but they maintained that “cozy/tucked in” feeling the original Mezcal was famous for.

Our party was seated promptly in the upper level and our server was friendly, attentive and accommodating to our unusually sized party of 15 foodies.

I began my adventure with a cocktail from the milkshake menu and chose the vanilla milkshake spiked with cognac. Um, can you say amazing? The first taste is a rich French vanilla flavor snowballing into a smooth buttery after taste of cognac and bitters. I would like to shake the hand of the creator of this beverage. A must try! For an appetizer I chose the chicken wings. Prepared with a rub of sweet, tangy BBQ herbs that leave a slight hint of spice that was just enough without being overwhelming. The wings were excellent! And finally the main course….the burger. With eight specialty burgers to choose from and all sounded great, I needed the help of my server who steered me toward the Mushroom Burger. A perfectly cooked beef patty served on a brioche roll, topped with sautéed mushrooms, grilled onions, arugula, provolone cheese and a fantastic truffle mayo, this was no ordinary burger. The first thing to stand out was the quality of the beef. It was loaded with juicy flavor but was not saturated with fat. I didn’t have a handful of grease after every bite. The toppings were fresh and of perfect amounts. Nothing worse than biting into a burger and having everything fall out of the back end. Not this burger. Clearly time had gone into matching great ingredients with high quality beef, proper portions and design. Did I mention it was cooked perfectly? The Mushroom Burger is a home run.

The menu offers other items beyond burgers, and even accommodates vegetarians. The specialty drinks and milk shakes are made to order using fresh ingredients, and believe me, you can taste the difference. So keep that in mind when ordering drinks, your shake may take a few minutes but it will be well worth it.

Niche Hospitality has done it again, taking an American classic food and adding a flare that is sure to please. The Fix Burger Bar is a hit and a great addition to the Worcester food scene.

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Tipsy Goat Pie from Corner Grille

Tipsy Goat Pie from Corner Grille on Pleasant Street in Worcester, MA

Tipsy Goat Pie from Corner Grille on Pleasant Street in Worcester, MA

When I was first invited to join Worcester Foodies I wondered whether I needed to add a “pretentiously intellectual” section to my closet, perhaps some thick-rimmed glasses and a scarf from Namibia. I’ve been fortunate enough to have amazing experiences travelling around the world but I grew up in small town central Massachusetts and if the food’s good, I’ll eat it.  Truthfully, if the food’s there I’ll eat it.  Worcester Foodies turned out to be a collection of folks after my own heart, people who love experiencing new places and new tastes with good company.  Corner Grille captures that essence perfectly.

A small, relaxed environment located on the road you’ve traveled every day but don’t always notice, Corner Grille makes luxurious food creations accessible. I know what you’re thinking: are you really calling pizza a luxurious food creation? The level of creativity and willingness to experiment involved in creating a pizza with chardonnay leek sauce, chicken, prosciutto, goat cheese, and arugula is not something you typically find in the place you stopped to grab a pie on the way home. Calling that creation The Tipsy Goat demonstrates precisely how Corner Grille makes “high-brow” taste accessible and fun. The pizza was delicious and surprisingly light, thanks in large part to the thin, crispy crust. Arugula can be overwhelming, but when combined with goat cheese it has a delightful flavor (a pairing I’ve enjoyed many times before).

The Foodies being a friendly bunch, I sampled several other pizzas and found all of them to be a delightful, unique, and exciting combination of flavors. With home-made juices, buffalo mac and cheese, and desserts piled high, Corner Grille has the comfort of a trip to your grandmother’s kitchen: your grandmother who studied at the finest culinary institutes in Europe. Rather than something to write home about, it’s something to write about at home.