Entering Bocado I got the feeling of an intimate encounter, I was greeted warmly by a friendly server who immediately made me feel at ease. My husband and I were lead to a room where the rest of our party was ensconced. The room was dimly lit with Spanish style paintings adorning the walls and soothing warm colors with bursts of reds and browns, the perfect mood for what we came for!
The server was prompt with presenting us various drink recommendations based on those which he thought truly showed the feel of what Bocado was all about. The Red Sangria was fantastic and, in my humble opinion, a must try.
We started off the night with a cheese and Charcuterie platter with Manchego cheese and a dry cured Serrano ham–light, flavorful, and it made your taste buds wake up and want to try more.
The Tortilla Espanola (potatoe, egg and onion omelette) was a little bit dissapointing. I’m not sure I would have called it an omelet as I was searching of the egg; nonetheless, drop ‘omelette’ from the name and it was a delicate light dish of layered potatoes.
Pollo Asado Con Naranja Y Aceitunas – A very long name for slow roasted chicken thighs with orange, fennel, rosemary and olives. The most pronounced flavor in this dish were the olives, however as they are mentioned last in the list of ingredients I was a little surprised as they were the one ingredient I tasted above all the others, when it came to the orance, fennel or rosemary, their flavors were subtle.
Calamares con Ajo – fried calamari with garlic, lemon, parsley and orange horseradish cream. A must have if your a calamari lover! In my experience, calamari can be very tough if overcooked; which I find it is quite often. This calamari literally melted in your mouth; it was cooked to perfection, lightly fried and seasoned perfectly. This was some of the best calamari I have eaten.
Paella Classica and Paella De Carne – Both were excellent with the flavor or saffron rice coming through. The Classica had a deep fish based stock which I found very pleasing. The meat Paella was also good with an abundant amount of the various meats mixed in.
Finally the Postres Churros y Chocolate were presented for desert were a light sweet completion to the meal. The chocolate dipping sauce was extravagant and decadent.
I would go back and I would recommend this to many of my friends. There is something for everyone here. -RL
Food. Most everyone loves it, not everybody can prepare it well. In Worcester county, those restaurants that both prepare arguably the best dishes and care about promoting the art of food preparation can be found at the annual Worcester’s Best Chef competition.
