garlic | Page 4 of 16 | Mass Food & Wine

Bo Xao Bong Cai Xanh from Dalat on Park Avenue in Worcester, MA

It’s disappointing that when most people think about Vietnamese food they immediately think of phở. Well, I should clarify, I’ve disappointed myself in so strictly associating Vietnamese restaurants with phở (but, in my defense, most restaurants have it in their name). That’s where Dalat Restaurant comes into the mix. Located across from the firehouse on Park Avenue, this Vietnamese restaurant is tucked away in a small, unassuming storefront nestled between a barber shop and foot massage parlor. Admittedly, many Worcester diners would opt for more active spots like Pho Dakao where, on weekend nights, a young active crowd is found singing karaoke with tasty libations in hand. But this helps keep Dalat real.

Upon entering the restaurant, you find a large open space with a dozen or so tables sparsely decorated (table cloth, fork, chopsticks, and napkin). Towards the rear is a counter where you can place your to-go orders and also pay once you’ve completed your meal. Next to the counter is a table with small television set where you’ll typically find some of the restaurants family members sitting. The atmosphere is great.

The menu, which contains over 100 items (of which the charming waitress had numerically memorized) from the common Vietnamese items like phở to the exotic items like pigs feet and blood. For my dinner, I chose to stay safe with the Bo Xao Bong Cai Xanh (beef with broccoli, for those who speak American-Chinese food). The meal consisted of thinly sliced beef, broccoli, white onions, and a sauce that combined sweet with spicy (just a hint) with undertones of soy, vinegar, garlic, and spices that complimented the thin meat and vegetables. The sticky white rice was the perfect accompaniment to the meal by helping savor the flavors of the sauce and make a more formidable bite with the beef and broccoli.

Yes, I may have skipped out on the exotic options but, knowing the beef with broccoli satisfied my needs, my next visit I may have to venture beyond my comfort zone.

Fall-off-the-bone Lamb Shank from Livia’s Dish on Main Street in Worcester, MA

It may be because of my fascination with the medieval time period (or perhaps my recent visit to Worcester Art Museum’s Knights!), but, whenever an opportunity presents itself to order a large chunk of meat off of the bone, I have to bite. To make it more appealing, whenever I see lamb on the menu of a restaurant I channel my inner Greek and assume that the divine intervention of Θαλία makes the decision clear.

Livia’s Dish opened in 2012 just beyond the Webster Square side of Main Street. They feature Italian and Mediterranean-influenced dishes with an emphasis on artisanal and local ingredients. The space was the previous home to Pho 2000 and, for a year, Bangkok House, so it was refreshing to see that owners Enton Mehillaj and Oriola Koci took the time to update the interior to start fresh with a split level restaurant that features two small dining areas—one, more intimate with a small bar for 6 and the other, more open and airy with large windows to the street.

While the selection of menu items didn’t surprise me, the lamb shank immediately caught my eye. The couscous (an option), a staple side for fish in Western Sicily, was the perfect starch for this dish: not only did it fit the restaurant’s advertised style, but the texture and flavor paired perfectly with the dish’s second side option of roasted zucchini and summer squash (which, admittedly, needed a little more salt seasoning). The meat was exactly how lamb shank should be prepared; braised with a port wine and plenty of garlic. The shank, which is the portion of meat directly beneath the knee, can often be the toughest cut of the lamb and takes time to braise properly to ensure that the tough connective tissue softens. If done right, as was the case here, the textures and flavors yield a rewarding, moist piece of meat that neatly pulls off the bone and maintains the rich flavors of the port and garlic.

Considered on the “outskirts,” Livia’s Dish provides a menu that deviates slightly from the norm but its unique flavors, ingredients, and combinations will please, intrigue, and satisfy. I look forward to joining Livia’s Dish for their brunch, where I may need to channel Διόνυσος to enjoy their pitchers of mimosas.