Tag: Cavatelli

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Porchetta at La Cucina

Porchetta at La Cecina on Hamilton Street in Worcester, MA

Porchetta at La Cecina on Hamilton Street in Worcester, MA

La Cucina Italiana, a BYOB restaurant on Hamilton Street in Worcester, hosted Worcester Foodies this month. I had eaten there before, but I was eager to try it again. The dining area is an open room with booths that surround a handful of tables. They also have some old black and white photographs of Worcester County, which is a nice accent. The dining area is homey and comforting, which to me meant the meal was about to be the same.

Our very attentive server immediately brought us bread and olive oil to enjoy as we reviewed the menu. La Cucina Italiana offers tried and true Italian favorites such as lasagna, chicken Parmesan, eggplant Parmesan, meatballs with pasta, pizza and so much more. Many of the dishes tempted me, but I chose the Porchetta from the specials listed on the blackboard.

To start, I ordered a cup of Pasta Fagioli Soup, which was served piping hot. The tender beans and pasta were as plentiful as the flavor in this rich, hearty soup. Although I did add red pepper flakes for a little spice.

The Porchetta was a popular choice in our group. The generous portion of pork was rolled and stuffed with spicy ham, salami and a mixture of cheese with cavatelli pasta and a topping of wonderful brown mushroom gravy. The meat and cheese stuffing added a zesty, spicy flavor to complement the tender pork. The mushroom dressing brought an earthy finish to each bite. Then the pork was somewhat crispy on the outside, but soft in the center.

This family-run restaurant really made us feel right at home. Our servers were extremely attentive and helpful. They were always there to replenish the water glasses and the bread basket. The rest of the service team pitched in too, which made our dining experience outstanding.

I would certainly recommend La Cucina Italiana to friends and family, especially if they are looking for a casual Italian meal at a great price.

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Swordfish & Salmon

Swordfish and Salmon

Swordfish and Salmon

This evening Worcester Foodies met at Joey’s Bar & Grill at 344 Chandler Street (where’s Ross?!). This restaurant is slightly hard to find, as it sits in a lot back from Chandler Street – keep your eyes open for the sign, not the building.

On the inside, Joey’s is upscale pub dining. The furnishings are clean and modern; it’s comparable to the relatively new Zorba’s, a little further west on in Webster Square.

Our dinner was held in the back dining room, a rent-able function room that would hold about 30 (seated) or about 80 (standing – I recently attended a political campaign kickoff party here). The space is nice, adjacent to the restrooms (so guests don’t need to walk through the entire restaurant). One hang-up is the walls are painted a dull mustard yellow-orange and the monotone paintings are blah enough to put a crying baby to sleep. Zzzzzz…

I chose the three-course restaurant week menu. The cost was $23.13, reasonable but made briefly me wonder if I had jumped three hundred years into the future.

My first course was the Caesar Salad [“Our homemade dressing, croutons and parmesan cheese”]. I added anchovies (no charge) to salt things up. The lettuce was fresh and crisp. On top were large soft croutons instead of the packaged, hard ones. The Caesar salad was larger than the shrimp appetizer, and smaller than the garden salad. I’d wished they’d used a touch less dressing; the lettuce was so good, it didn’t need artificial enhancement.

My main course was the Swordfish & Salmon [“Pan seared swordfish and salmon medallions with reed peppers and roasted leeks in a pesto cream over ricotta cavatelli”]. Of all the entrees offered at Joey’s for Restaurant Week, this was probably the largest portion. I give the taste a “B.” The pesto cream was a bit overdone – I would have liked it less dense to appreciate the fish. Also, presentation isn’t normally very important to me, but this meal looked like something I could’ve spooned out from my own crockpot.

For dessert, I chose the Lemon Sorbet [“Light and refreshing sorbet served with mixed berries”]. After my heavy, creamy entrée, this was a nice, light, and slightly tart choice. I don’t regret my dessert choice, though I will point out the Cookie Sundae was made with a delicious fresh chocolate chip cookie.

In sum, I’d recommend Joey’s as a very good middle-ground restaurant, three steps above Panera and Chipotle, and one step below the Sole or 111.