Tag: burgers

Posted on by

Worcester Kicks Off 2018 With Seven New Restaurants

An artist rendition of the AC Hotel at City Square in downtown Worcester, MA.

Worcester’s food scene continued to grow in 2017 with the addition of a dozen new restaurants including the Railer’s Tavern and Kummerspeck, and Central Massachusetts doesn’t show signs of slowing down. As Worcester continues to expand its commercial spaces, grow by population and its demand to satisfy the needs of every foodie in the city, it solidifies itself as the culinary capital of New England. In 2018, Worcester has already revealed seven new restaurants and Mass Foodies has already seen some incredible plans for more. But, for now, here are some places that you should prepare your appetites for.

Maddi’s Cookery and TapHouse:

Opening in April of 2018, Maddi’s Cookery and TapHouse will add to the Canal District fever as a “truly neighborhood pub” according to the owner, Chef Adam Hicks. Maddi’s will serve a range of pub-style dishes, including salads, sandwiches, hamburgers and fish and chips. With an affordable wine list and a craft beer selection, Maddi’s may be the new “after-work hang out” this Spring.

110 Grill

If Worcester’s food scene lacks anything, it is a restaurant with an allergy sensitive menu but that will change with the addition of 110 Grill – attached to the new AC Marriott – this March. With featured appetizers, salads, sandwiches, hamburgers, entrees, and desserts, 110 Grill will bring a regular dining menu and an accompanying gluten-free menu to downtown Worcester. Creating five seating areas: a dining room, a lounge, a U-shaped bar, a private dining room for up to 50 guests, and an outdoor patio with couches and a fire pit, the restaurant will cover over 6,000 square feet of downtown space.

Protein House

Nurturing and supporting a healthy lifestyle, Protein House will offer a fast-casual environment with superior, healthy foods including protein pancakes, breakfast sandwiches, lean bowls, high protein burgers, PH wraps and acai bowls alongside cold press juices, protein shakes and wellness shots.  Opening at City Square, Protein House will cater to fitness and wellness foodies of Worcester with a diverse menu including a gluten-free option.

New England Craft Restaurant Concepts

New England Craft Restaurant Concepts is “a lively restaurant group inspired by innovative craft food and by extraordinary experience.” 2017 was just the beginning of the New England Craft Restaurant Concepts in Worcester with the addition of Brew on the Grid and Techni Mediterranean Grill in downtown. In 2018, they plan to expand their Worcester collection with four new places: STIX Noodle Bar – 72 Franklin Street – will serve up classic and creative ramen bowls in a contemporary space with hand-made curry and teppanyaki dishes; Revolution Pie + Pint – 50 Franklin Street – will cook up pizzas in an 850 degree oven in under two minutes and offer a large selection of entrees, sandwiches, salads and sharable apps; Craft Table and Bar – 50 Franklin Street – will feature craft beer, wines and innovative dishes with dishes including lamb lollipops and spice-crusted rib eye; Brew Beer Garden – 64 and 66 Franklin Street – will be the city’s new outdoor space to splurge on craft beers, homemade sausages, and “Wicked” pretzels.

Posted on by

Pistol Pete’s Smokestack Burger and Tots at Ashland Ale House

Pistol Pete's Smokestack Burger and Tots at Ashland Ale House

Being that it was the day after Thanksgiving and Black Friday, I was reluctant to relinquish the comfortable spot on the couch that I had been cultivating all day. And even though we had gorged ourselves the previous day, we still had to eat.

We found our way to Ashland with some friends upon their recommendation for a tasty burger. On the main drag, tucked in the corner of a shopping plaza, lies the Ashland Ale House. Given the relatively large restaurant front, I was surprised to see that despite its large appearance, the Ale House was quite homey inside. The bar’s location in the middle of the restaurant as well as the decor on brightly decorated walls made you feel at home.

Ashland Ale House’s menu offers anything from traditional burgers and sandwiches to steak tips and a wide array of seafood to comfort food classics such as meatloaf and prime rib. Given that I was there for a burger, I didn’t stray too much further than their burger selection. I had narrowed it down to two burgers, so I asked the resident expert for advice – our friendly server. Almost instantaneously, she offered her feedback between my two choices and together we settled on the Pistol Pete’s Smoke Stack Burger ($11.99). This particular choice promised melted cheddar cheese, applewood smoked bacon, smoky chipotle barbecue sauce, and a stack of onion straws. Among the variety of sides (fries, sweet potatoes fries, tots or Mac salad), I clearly chose tots. Because, hello?! Tots!

Probably the most impressive thing about this burger was the shock value when the server finally brought the burger to the table for service. This burger had to have been easily 8-10 inches tall with onion straws piled as high as the eye could see. My buttery brioche bun glistened under the lights of the table as I tried to figure out the best way to attack this monster. I eventually had to squash the onion straws down as best I could, assume the Guy Fieri-hunch-position and do everything short of unhinging my jaw like an anaconda to get my mouth around the burger. After the first couple bites of struggling for air, I decided to remove some of the onion straws to make my dining experience slightly more manageable.

The best part of the burger was most likely the bacon and the chipotle barbecue sauce. The bacon provided crunchy, porky texture and the sauce added a subtle heat that left me wanting more. I did find the burger to be slightly overcooked and under seasoned. Normally, a nice medium or even medium rare preparation (depending on the restaurant – shout out to you, Bull Mansion!) will suffice, and this was closer to the realm of medium-well. I think the sheer magnitude of onion straws made a lack of seasoning more pronounced. Not just with salt, but possibly chili powder to kick up the heat and compliment the BBQ sauce and bacon. The tots were deliciously crunchy and definitely brought me back to childhood.

The Ashland Ale House is a quirky little joint near the train tracks in Ashland that provides a quality pub style environment and offers enough variety to keep you coming back time and again to try something new. I personally would love to go back and order the Pancho Vill Burger. And, while the holidays tend to be hectic, don’t forget that you still have to eat. If you have a favorite burger that you want me to review, don’t forget to tweet me at @EDioufUC5 or leave a comment on Facebook and your recommendation might be my next spot.