Tag: basil

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Tour of Italy

Tour of Italy from Chioda's Trattoria on Frankling Street in Worcester

Tour of Italy from Chioda's Trattoria on Frankling Street in Worcester

During another snowy and blustery evening, one we have grown accustomed to in this never ending winter, the Foodies ventured out to Chioda’s Trattoria on Franklin Street. Just a stones throw away from Vincent’s, Chiodas overlooks Shrewsbury Street and the train yard for CSX. Upon entering, you are immediately transported to an old-style Italian eatery with tight quarters, rustic walls and Italian décor that surrounded you. The décor was stereotypical Italian restaurant that it was almost a cliché, but it reminded you of being at home, about to be served a nice home-cooked meal.

To start the meal, we decided on the Neopolitan. This delightful appetizer was composed of layers of fresh mozzarella, tomato, basil, portobello mushroom & prosciutto topped with balsamic vinegar dressing. Think of a stacked bruschetta with the addition of portobello mushrooms and salty prosciutto. This was a wonderful way to start the meal…the mozzarella was creamy, while you got some bite and tang from the tomato and the balsamic vinegar. The portobello mushroom was a wonderful addition as it added a meaty taste to the dish, while being complemented by the salty Italian ham.

For my main attraction, I decided to order the Tour of Italy, which came with a side salad. This was a compilation of Chiodas greatest hits all on one plate and smothered in a sweet, but tangy red sauce. The Tour of Italy consisted of two stuffed shells, a small portion of eggplant parmigiano, a small portion of chicken parmigiano, a spicy sausage and a house-made meatball. The rectangular plate that was presented in front of me looked amazing, and smelled even better. The two shells were cooked al dente and the ricotta cheese filling was partially melted on the inside. The chicken and eggplant parm had a delicate breading on them that crisped up nicely when they were fried. It was not too heavy or overpowering, and the eggplant almost had to taste and texture of something more meaty and substantial than a vegetable…delicious! The sausage was slightly spicy and had good snap to it when you bit into it. It was a nice mellow heat that lingered as you continued eating. Probably the best part of the meal was the house-made meatball. You could tell that they used at least two different meats in making the meatballs when you cut it in half and had a chance to look at the cross-section. There were different colors imparted by the different meats, while studded with herbs and other seasonings. It was juicy and flavorful.

This meal is everything you could want from your classic Italian restaurant; personalized service, friendly wait staff, fabulous food, huge portions and a great value. If you are ever in the mood for great Italian food, and want to get away from the hustle and bustle that the main streets of Worcester tend to have, I would highly recommend making the trip to Chiodas. You will not be disappointed and you will not leave hungry.

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BBQ Bacon Burger from The Fix

BBQ Bacon Burger from The Fix on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, MA

With the summer season upon us, nothing screams more “Americana” to me than a big, juicy hamburger. However, we have all fallen victim to the bland standard of hamburger that we have become accustomed to at family cookouts…small, overcooked, flavorless hockey pucks wedged between two buns. However, when you do find a place where you can get a good burger (and I mean GOOD burger), you want to eat there all the time. That was how I felt after my trip to The Fix. Before I go off on a tangent about my main course, first things first. The Fix is located on Shrewsbury Street and takes the place of the old Mezcal, which used to occupy the same real estate. Unlike Mezcal, where it used to feel crowded and cramped, The Fix gives off a much more relaxed and open vibe, even with similar floor plans.

As we first began our culinary roller coaster, we obviously needed to order drinks. My drink of choice was called Shake It Up. This drink was a delightful concoction of rum with muddled raspberries, basil and rhubarb bitters. Being a large fan of rum, this drink was a perfect example of how simple, fresh ingredients combined the proper way can let all the ingredients shine in their own right with the natural sweetness and aromatics of the raspberries and basil, with the tanginess of the bitters taking a bit of the edge off of the rum.

I digress though (again)…as we perused the menu, I had predetermined that I was going to order a burger. The first one that caught my eye was the BBQ Bacon Burger. How could you go wrong with bacon??? To start my meal, I had to order the Bleu Cheese Polenta tater tots. These delicious little taters came out fried to a crispy, golden brown, but the interior was velvety and rich. The polenta blended well with the bleu cheese to take some of it’s notorious ‘funk’ out of the dish. The Sriracha aioli and ranch dipping sauces were also a great addition to cut the richness of the tot.

When my burger arrived at our table, the first thing that struck me was the sheer size of it! It was massive! The plate was crowded with handcut fries that were salty and crunchy. The burger was cooked medium (which is also a rarity, even at a decent burger joint). Nestled on it were 4 large strips of bacon, caressed by BBQ baked beans. The onion and lettuce gave the burger a nice texture and crunch to the dish. The smoked gouda cheese brought everything together on a dish that reminded you more of quality BBQ than a traditional burger. With everything that was consumed at The Fix, I left full and happy. For anyone who has a large appetite and a craving for a perfectly cooked burger, head on down to Shrewsbury Street and get your fix on!