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Chimichurri Steak Frites

chimichurri steak frites from Brew City on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, MA

chimichurri steak frites from Brew City on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, MA

This month’s culinary adventure brought us to the restaurant that is most synonymous with a gigantic beer selection and crafted burgers in Worcester… Brew City. Over the last couple of years, I know that Brew City has been working on reinventing themselves by refreshing the decor, and updating their menu, which now leans more towards sophisticated comfort food rather than the traditional staples of just wings, beer and burgers.

With so many new and exciting items on the menu to try, I actually had a difficult time deciding what I wanted to have for dinner. I settled on the chimichurri steak frites. As the menu would describe it, this was grilled flank steak that was sliced thinly and topped with a classic Argentinian chimichurri sauce and served with sweet potato fries. For those of you who are not familiar with a chimichurri sauce, I would liken it to a type of pesto, but made with finely-chopped parsley, minced garlic, olive oil, oregano, and white or red wine vinegar instead of basil and pine nuts. It is slightly more acidic than a pesto.

When my meal came to the table, I knew that I was in for a treat. The steak was cooked to a perfect, medium-rare and the chimichurri sauce stood out; bright green against the crispy, orange sweet potato fries. The steak was juicy and tender and the sauce added a nice, tangy bite that was needed to break up the meatiness of the steak. The sweet potato fries were tossed in coarse sea salt and was just what was needed to contribute a salty bite. Overall, I was very impressed with my meal. I would have liked a few more pieces of steak, because it was cooked so perfectly (and also because the meal only came with four small slices). This was not a meal that I was expecting to get from the Brew City that I had remembered from years past. If you are looking for a place that’s familiar and inviting, that serves good food and has a lengthy beer menu to match, you should definitely check out Brew City… I bet you will be as pleasantly surprised as I was!

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Traditional Carne Asada

Traditional Carne Asada from Mezcal Tequila Cantina on Major Taylor Boulevard in Worcester

Traditional Carne Asada from Mezcal Tequila Cantina on Major Taylor Boulevard in WorcesterMezcal Tequila Cantina‘s new location across from the Hilton is very large. This may well be the largest, seating wise, restaurant in Worcester now. That doesn’t mean the service is any slower though, as I found the service to be very attentive.

For dinner, I chose the Traditional Carne Asada; Grilled marinated skirt steak, bacon-spiked refried beans, chimichurri sauce, lettuce, tomato and radish.

The portion size on this meal was perfect. It was enough to be filling but not so much to make you feel stuffed afterward. The skirt steak was marinated in the chimichurri sauce and was amazingly tender, with a great flavor that didn’t overpower the meat but complemented it nicely. The bacon spiked refried beans were fantastic. Large chunks of bacon mixed in and a texture that wasn’t too dry or watery. The beans were an excellent contrast with the steak, making an overall dish that was delicious and satisfying.

My only gripe with this meal would be the rice. It was fine, but on the bland side and it just didn’t hold up next to the rest of the meal.

Overall, this was an excellent meal that I will be having again.