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Pistachio Pesto Mozzarella Sausage Pecorino Pizza

Pistachio Pesto Mozzarella Sausage Pecorino Pizza from Volturno on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, MA

Pistachio Pesto Mozzarella Sausage Pecorino Pizza from Volturno on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, MA

Volturno is Shrewsbury Streets newest entry into a bustling dinner scene. At first I was a little skeptical when I heard another pizza and Italian dining establishment was joining the mix, but Volturno has carved out its own spot in Shrewsbury Streets restaurant row. The owners of Volturno did an excellent job blending the old Edward Buick space with a new restaurant leaving an industrial open concept dining space that fits well with this brick oven dining spot.

For starters I decided to start with the grilled calamari, chili, olives, chickpeas, and parsley appetizer. A pleasant change from the usual fried calamari dish, the grilled calamari appetizer was extremely fresh and well prepared. The calamari was perfectly prepared, served over a bed of humus and chickpeas and topped with fresh greens. My only suggestion would have been to have the chili and olive portions of this dish a little more prominent to give the dish a little more flavor.

For my main course I opted for the Pistachio Pesto Mozzarella Sausage Pecorino Pizza. This perfectly prepared personal size pizza was a excellent choice of fresh ingredients that worked well together. The ground sausage, fresh mozzarella and pistachio pesto type mix worked well together to create a mild fresh pizza that is worth going back for. The pistachio flavors were somewhat lost in the sausage and pest—perhaps more coarsely ground bits might have added little more flavor and texture. The locally sourced fresh ingredients were evident in this worthwhile addition to the Shrewsbury Street dining scene.

In my opinion Volturno has carved out a place in the Shrewsbury Street dining scene that is worth going back for repeat visit. Nice atmosphere, great pizza, and a renovated Worcester landmark of a building make Volturno worth a try. And if you have room after dinner don’t forget to try the Nutella dessert pizza….. 
 -DO

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Funghi Pizza with Goat, Fior di Latte and Pecorino cheeses

Funghi Pizza from Volturno Pizza on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, MA

Funghi Pizza from Volturno Pizza on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, MA

It was with great anticipation that my dining companion and I went to Volturno for the May Foodies gathering. Housed within the old Edward Buick dealership on Shrewsbury Street, the design and layout of the restaurant was very inviting with extremely high ceilings and open spaces and sight lines. A massive bar sits elegantly in the middle of the room and two (specially-certified) wood-fired Neapolitan pizza ovens are on one end. The decor has an industrial feel that combines rustic wooden stools and wide plank tables with the original brick and windows of the old building making for a very comfortable and relaxing atmosphere.

We started our meal with a wonderful Calamari appetizer that included lightly grilled calamari, chili olives and ground chickpeas. The fresh calamari was warm and tender and when combined with the salty olives and creamy ground chickpeas provided a contrasting taste that was very good.

Next I chose the Funghi Pizza with Goat, Fior di Latte and Pecorino cheeses. The combination of cheeses was incredible as the distinctive taste of the goat cheese contrasted with the smooth mozzarella and salty pecorino. The entire pizza was covered with sautéed mushrooms that were prepared in an olive oil and garlic sauté but the most outstanding part of the pizza by far was the crust. Prepared authentically, this thin crust was light and airy, while holding its own against the strong flavors of the cheese and mushroom toppings. –JG

  Funghi Pizza from Volturno Pizza on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, MA

Volturno is a fairly new addition to Worcester’s Shrewsbury St, taking space in what used to be an old car dealership. They’ve managed to combine the old world look with new world conveniences creating a modern, but still rustic atmosphere. A lot of the seating is actually old-fashioned stools that are height adjustable, by screwing them up or down, around wooden tables. While they look beautiful, I found the stools somewhat less than comfortable and by the end of dinner I was ready to stop sitting. Otherwise, a really great looks and feels to the place. The service was prompt and attentive and very helpful, with a very good knowledge of the menu.

For dinner, I had the Funghi Pizza with olive oil, goat cheese fior di latte, thyme, and pecorino. The pizza is served for one, in an individual size. I found the size to be a very healthy portion; too small for sharing without something else to eat but just a little too large for a single person to eat without stuffing. The base of the crust was quite thin, but they managed to keep it soft and doughy at the same time, with a thicker doughy outer crust that was delicious and cooked to perfection. The mushrooms were cooked perfectly, with enough body and texture to not get overpowered by the crust and the goat cheese was slightly strong and a great counterpoint to the more earthy mushrooms. Combined, the flavors married very well creating an overall delicious pizza.

My overall take of the place is excellent and this is a place I’ll be coming back to. –DL