Cavatelli Portobello

Worcester has its share of Italian eateries. What makes Caffe Espresso Trattoria stand out from the pack is its home-made ingredients, authentic cooking, and its alcohol policy (bring your own!). Having just moved from a small, paper-tablecloth style storefront on Wall Street, its new location on Chandler Street brings together an authentic fare with a intimately lit atmosphere.

The Cavatelli Portobello is the dish that everyone must try when dining at Caffe Espresso Trattoria. The cavatelli pasta, a small folded-over pasta shell popular in the Avellino province of Italy, is a doughy noodle that masterfully absorbs the flavors brought together in this dish to offer your tastebuds an opportunity to delicately decipher the ingredients within each bite. In addition to healthy slices of portobello mushrooms (often considered the filet mignon of the vegetarian world), a portobello red wine sauce combines with garlic, fresh herbs and spices, and a rich parmesan cheese that brings the entire meal together. The contrasting texture of the portobello and cavatelli pasta, combined with a thin sliced grilled chicken brings a new dynamic to the culinary experience that could simply be described as deliberate and masterfully crafted. Although it was my hopes to bring half home for lunch the following day, my tastebuds would not permit any to be left undevoured at diner.

When considering Italian in Worcester, one cannot overlook the ascendance of Caffe Espresso Trattoria. -LV

I have heard about Caffe Espresso Trattoria for years but haven’t made it there to check it out in person, so I was very excited for this Foodies event. I sat down with the group and was poured a glass of the wine that my friends had brought with them—yay for BYOB! I checked out the menu online several times in anticipation of this dinner so I had a few options for what I wanted to eat. While waiting, I enjoyed some of the fresh Italian bread that was delivered to our table. I like that they brought butter and olive oil, providing diners with the choice. I think the bread could have been improved by warming, but that’s personal preference. It was very fresh – as I would expect from any quality restaurant. Next came the salads, which were included with most of the pasta dinners. I chose the house vinaigrette dressing that I think had some sun dried tomato flavor in it. I liked it but felt it could have been improved with a boost in flavor; more vinegar, maybe? Finally…time for the pasta! I eat only whole-wheat pasta at home so the thought of a house made cavatelli was exciting! I ordered the Cavatelli Portobello, which included the homemade pasta with Portobello mushrooms, wine, garlic, and parmigian cheese (sic). I also added grilled chicken to add some protein to my dinner. The large plate of pasta arrived at the table and it smelled fantastic! I could definitely smell the garlic and I knew it was a good choice even before my first bite. The pasta had a rich mushroom taste that was balanced out by the garlic. The homemade pasta was definitely softer than al dente, but I think that’s to be expected with fresh pasta. I don’t have much to compare it to, but I did enjoy it and didn’t think it was too soft. I had to stop myself from eating this whole dish and I found myself looking forward to the leftovers until lunchtime the next day. The only improvement I would have made is adding more chicken for the $3.50 upcharge and maybe offering some freshly ground parmesan to diners once the meals were delivered as the pre-grated stuff on the table just doesn’t make the grade. Overall, I really enjoyed this meal at Caffe Espresso Trattoria. Personally, I think the price point was a bit high for it to be a casual weeknight go-to spot, but as a BYOB, home made Italian option, it will definitely go on the list for a night out. -JM

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Cavatelli Portobello

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