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Fettuccine Tossed with Fresh Parmesan

Fettuccine Tossed with Fresh Parmesan from Livia's Dish on Main Street in Worcester, MA

Fettuccine Tossed with Fresh Parmesan from Livia's Dish on Main Street in Worcester, MA

On Main Street, on the way into Leicester, you will find a small little restaurant front with about 10 parking spaces and a welcome sign drawing you into Livia’s Dish. As you enter, you can feel as though you are stepping into someone living room, with personalized touches and a homey feel. The smells of home cooked food emanating from the kitchen and the sound of customer’s conversations litter the air as you wait to be served. As we waited for the main course, we were greeted with homemade hummus and bread that had been slightly toasted, buttered and drizzled with Olive oil. While it was unlike any other hummus I have ever had, it was creamy and was a great start to the meal.

After perusing the menu, I decided on Livia’s Dish. This entrée was fettuccine tossed with fresh parmesan, parsley, butter and asparagus, topped with a perfectly poached egg. I was excited for the idea of having a poached egg to thicken the sauce and make the dish more rich. First off, the poached egg was less than perfectly poached, which was extremely disappointing. The yolk was almost fully cooked and not runny at all, as I was hoping for. The pasta was cooked so dente and had a good bite to it. The dish as a whole however desperately needed a generous seasoning of salt and pepper. The other aspects of the meal, like the parsley and the asparagus added a nice freshness and texture to a smooth, creamy plate of pasta. While my dinner was less than ideal, my wandering eye was drawn to other meals on our table that looked delicious. I would definitely be willing to go back and try something else on their menu. The ambiance and cheerful service would be enough the get me back a second time.

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Flying Rhino’s Grill Special

Grilled Chicken and Asparagus Over Pasta from Flying Rhino on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, MA

Grilled Chicken and Asparagus Over Pasta from Flying Rhino on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, MA

Entering Flying Rhino I got the feeling of a fun upbeat atmosphere.  I was greeted promptly by a friendly server who immediately made me feel welcome.  My husband and I headed to our table and joined our friends.  Our server was right behind us as we sat and was quick to inquire if we wished a beverage to start our night off.

We started with the lettuce wraps for an appetizer. My husband and I splitting them. They came with coarsely chopped chicken, shredded red cabbage and thinly shredded carrots. Two dipping sauces accompanied the dish. A peanut sauce and a soy based sauce. Both were very good. The lettuce provided was a soft “bib” lettuce and did well for wrapping the items. It was a little messy to eat but I found it very refreshing and an excellent start to my meal.

I ordered the “Grill special.”  The meal started off with a side kale salad, I almost didn’t order it. Kale to me is very rough and course and quite honestly doesn’t appeal to my sense of taste.  I’m very glad I took a chance. This small side salad had finely chopped kale, a touch of goat cheese and slivered carrots all tossed in a tasty dressing that moistened it just perfectly. I completely enjoyed my kale salad and would recommend it to those who wish to try something a little bit out of the ordinary. My main course came next with grilled chicken and asparagus in a light cream pesto sauce over pasta. It was very rich and flavorful. The chicken was grilled to perfection and although I found my pasta to be a tad overcooked I thought my meal was very good.

I would go back and I would recommend this to my friends. There is something for everyone here. -RL