Posted on

Low Carb Option from an Italian Eatery

Rosalina's Kitchen on Hamilton Street in Worcester, MA

Rosalina's Kitchen on Hamilton Street in Worcester, MAI do low carb, so it can be a challenge to figure out what to order when I’m out for dinner with friends; and, even more so, when we end up at an Italian Restaurant. Add to that dilemma the fact that this particular restaurant—Rosalina’s Kitchen—makes their own ravioli of which everyone raves about! Luckily, I like steak and Rosalina’s Kitchen has a really good one: a great, big boneless ribeye. The menu doesn’t say how much it weighs but I’m a big eater and it was plenty. It was about 1″ to 1-1/4″ thick and pretty much filled the plate. They will serve it with a blue cheese sauce option, but I had opted for plain and it was delicious. It was grilled it to perfection — slightly charred on the outside and a nice consistent medium rare throughout. As a side, I had their Caesar salad with white anchovies. In my opinion, it would have been better with the regular dark anchovies but even with the white variety the salad was fresh, crisp, and with the dressing very tasty. In addition to the great food, the cost saving BYOB policy, and the comfortable atmosphere, the service was top notch. There were 15 people at out table and we all were served at the same time, all the orders were correct, and we never left wanting for anything. Go — you won’t regret it.

Posted on

Steakhouse Burger

Steakhouse Burger from Joey's on Chandler Street in Worcester, MA

Steakhouse Burger from Joey's on Chandler Street in Worcester, MA

Burgers are a standard when it comes to American dining. In fact, even the average burger can be both satisfying and enjoyable without having to re-create the wheel. Joey’s Bar and Grill goes beyond its advantageous menu and has a small section dedicated to this American staple. With options like the Juicy Lucy it was hard to decide where my palate was going.

I am biased; anything with blue cheese is going to peak my interest, which is why I had to choose the steakhouse burger. Eight ounces of Angus beef topped with blue cheese, crispy onion strings, vine ripe tomatoes, crisp iceberge wedge lettuce, served on a brioche roll. I was not disappointed, the perfectly seasoned beef (a perfect medium rare) was almost secondary to the heaping pile of blue cheese. Topped with a lightly battered, crispy onion strings, the flavors came together perfectly to turn a standard into something more.

The side of pickles and the option for sweet potato french fries made this $10 dish a fulfilling meal. I look forward to returning to see if I am able to force myself to go beyond the burger and enjoy what my fellow foodies enjoyed. -LV