Posted on

#FamilyEats: It’s All About Family at Legacy

The facade of Legacy Bar & Grill at Coe's Pond on Mill Street in Worcester, MA.

We’ve debunked the theory that chicken fingers are the essential elements in building a family-friendly menu with our growing list of #FamilyEats restaurants like the short-lived 2 Ovens, the delicate and sophisticated Fancy That and the quick and ready Antonio’s Pizza. But, at the end of the day, we are on the hunt for restaurants that give us all a piece of mind when dining out with our little ones. Often times, the best kids menu is one that is tailored to simplistic palettes with adult-approved quality ingredients. While that combination is not as rare as it used to be, it is still hard to find. Except at Legacy Bar & Grill.

Tuna Melt from Legacy Bar and GrilleLocated in the middle of a residential neighborhood in Worcester, Legacy speaks to the welcoming vibes needed to calm the chaos of a “family night out.” The tables are equipped with drawing menus and crayons to keep your kiddos busy while the adults are drawn to waterfront views of Coe’s Pond through a bank of windows that lines an entire wall of the restaurant. Although the reservoir views are always a motivator to get to the restaurant early and snag a window table, it is the extensive bar and food options that are the biggest draw – for good reason. Michael Sobel, executive chef, and co-owner wanted to create a restaurant that provided the family neighborhood a place to go after a long day at work or in celebration of days off on the weekend and he has succeeded. In the short eight months since opening, Legacy Bar & Grill has become the neighborhood “go-to” restaurant because of its menu celebrating American classics.

For adults, dining at Legacy means ordering classic comfort foods like fish and chips, deep fried beer battered haddock served with fries and slaw; meatloaf, a mixture of ground chuck, wrapped in bacon and topped with mushroom gravy and onion strings over garlic mashed potatoes and your choice of veggies; and classic tuna melts. Legacy recommends accompanying each dish with a great cocktail from the signature drink menu. Whether it is the passion mojito or the Moscow mule, a great drink has the ability to heighten the experience and if the kiddos are eating and drawing on their colorful menus without attempting to crawl under the table, then the parents are more than deserving of one of Legacy’s signature cocktails. When parents dine in at the beginning of the week, they will be particularly satisfied by Legacy’s family-focused fun meals like Mac and Cheese Mondays and Twin Dog Tuesdays.

To be clear, these fun and interactive nights allow families to create and indulge in their favorite pastas, fun toppings, and various styles of hot dogs. While mom and dad can order a bowl of linguini tossed in Legacy’s homemade mac and cheese sauce and topped with shrimp, goat cheese, spinach and tomato – the kids can order a bowl of cavatappi tossed in the same mac and cheese sauce but topped with kid-friendly ingredients like chicken tenders and hot dog bites. The same rules apply on Twin Dog Tuesdays. Parents might order high-end dogs topped with avocados and pulled pork or even indulge in a Reuben dog with corned beef, sauerkraut, and swiss cheese while the little foodies stick to plain hot dogs with ketchup on the side.

There comes a point in the family dining experience where parents look at each other and question their decision to bring the kiddos to dine out, but at Legacy Bar & Grill, the concept of family dining is embedded in the very existence of the restaurant. From the owners – a family with a long history in the restaurant industry – to the menu, Legacy instills the importance of family dining in a setting that appeals to both children and adults.

Posted on

#FamilyEats – Antonio’s by the Slice or the Pie

Antonio’s by the Slice or the Pie in Worcester, MA

Pizza has powers. There’s no question about it. The combination of cheeses, sauces, and crispy crusts give pizza the ability to turn anyone into a craving-induced food lover. Its powers can cure everything from Monday blues to weekend nostalgia. Chaotic family day? Skip cooking and order pizza. Long day at work? Skip going to the grocery store and grab a pie on the way home. And if you want to turn an ordinary family dinner into a night of quality time and pie sharing, head to Antonio’s Pizza by the Slice for a night of dining out on the patio with pizza, pasta, and drinks.

Honey Hot Wings from Antonio’s by the Slice in Worcester, MA
Honey Hot Wings from Antonio’s by the Slice in Worcester, MA

We all know pizza has become the quintessential New York food, but Antonio’s Pizza is holding down the fort in Worcester – one of its eight locations – with the perfect sauce to crust ratio. Opening its original location in Amherst, MA in 1991, Antonio’s opened in Worcester in 2016 and hasn’t slowed down since. In Worcester, Antonio’s Pizza by the Slice includes a call-ahead, drive-up pickup window, an open-concept kitchen and an outdoor dining option – all of the necessary options for a #FamilyEats destination.

Scott Weiner declared New York the “slice town” in his book, “Viva La Pizza! The Art of the Pizza Box,” because of New York’s emphasis on the sliced pizza opposed to the entire pie and honestly, there’s something to be said about the ability to order a slice over a pie and at Antonio’s they understand that. With a slice counter, Antonio’s speaks to the indecisive eater, the “I’m in a rush, let me get a slice” eater and ultimately to the little belly eaters – the kiddos. While the adults can order skillets filled to the brim with specialty pastas and topped with the likes of mushrooms, fresh tomatoes, herbs and even baked seafood, the kids can feed their simple needs with a slice of cheese pizza.

We can’t give Antonio’s kudos for their “order by the slice” philosophy without talking about their variations. Pizza options are a specialty at Antonio’s. From gluten-free to veggie pizzas, the pizza line up gives more options than most New York pizzerias. (Sorry, New York) They offer the standard cheese, pepperoni and Hawaiian pies but they also branch out their creative pizza skills with pies like the beaurider – a pizza topped with breaded chicken, cheese-filled tortellini, mozzarella cheese and basil pesto sauce – the chicken quesadilla – a pie topped with spicy chicken, pico de gallo with cilantro, sour cream, nacho chips, cheddar cheese and mozzarella cheese. These pizzas are for adventurous eaters and are the perfect way to liven up a family night out. The kids’ menu speaks to the simple taste pallet of a child: cheese pizza, pastas (with or without sauce) and chicken fingers but with so many options for pizza toppings, Antonio’s may be the place to get your picky eater to explore more menu items on your next family night out.

Chicken and gorgonzola salad + Calamari from Antonio’s by the Slice in Worcester, MA
Chicken and gorgonzola salad + Calamari from Antonio’s by the Slice in Worcester, MA