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Funghi Pizza from Volturno Pizza on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, MA

It was with great anticipation that my dining companion and I went to Volturno for the May Foodies gathering. Housed within the old Edward Buick dealership on Shrewsbury Street, the design and layout of the restaurant was very inviting with extremely high ceilings and open spaces and sight lines. A massive bar sits elegantly in the middle of the room and two (specially-certified) wood-fired Neapolitan pizza ovens are on one end. The decor has an industrial feel that combines rustic wooden stools and wide plank tables with the original brick and windows of the old building making for a very comfortable and relaxing atmosphere.

We started our meal with a wonderful Calamari appetizer that included lightly grilled calamari, chili olives and ground chickpeas. The fresh calamari was warm and tender and when combined with the salty olives and creamy ground chickpeas provided a contrasting taste that was very good.

Next I chose the Funghi Pizza with Goat, Fior di Latte and Pecorino cheeses. The combination of cheeses was incredible as the distinctive taste of the goat cheese contrasted with the smooth mozzarella and salty pecorino. The entire pizza was covered with sautéed mushrooms that were prepared in an olive oil and garlic sauté but the most outstanding part of the pizza by far was the crust. Prepared authentically, this thin crust was light and airy, while holding its own against the strong flavors of the cheese and mushroom toppings. –JG

Volturno is a fairly new addition to Worcester’s Shrewsbury St, taking space in what used to be an old car dealership. They’ve managed to combine the old world look with new world conveniences creating a modern, but still rustic atmosphere. A lot of the seating is actually old-fashioned stools that are height adjustable, by screwing them up or down, around wooden tables. While they look beautiful, I found the stools somewhat less than comfortable and by the end of dinner I was ready to stop sitting. Otherwise, a really great looks and feels to the place. The service was prompt and attentive and very helpful, with a very good knowledge of the menu.

For dinner, I had the Funghi Pizza with olive oil, goat cheese fior di latte, thyme, and pecorino. The pizza is served for one, in an individual size. I found the size to be a very healthy portion; too small for sharing without something else to eat but just a little too large for a single person to eat without stuffing. The base of the crust was quite thin, but they managed to keep it soft and doughy at the same time, with a thicker doughy outer crust that was delicious and cooked to perfection. The mushrooms were cooked perfectly, with enough body and texture to not get overpowered by the crust and the goat cheese was slightly strong and a great counterpoint to the more earthy mushrooms. Combined, the flavors married very well creating an overall delicious pizza.

My overall take of the place is excellent and this is a place I’ll be coming back to. –DL

Herb and Mustard Encrusted Salmon from Flying Rhino on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, Massachusetts

When Flying Rhino opened at the turn of the century it heralded a new era for cuisine in Worcester. As much as I love a great diner, burger joint, and well established “usuals” I was desperate for a city menu that went beyond salads, burgers, steak, and fish and chips. The Flying Rhino was one of the risk takers to break out of the mold. They have stayed true to their model by offering a carefully balanced menu appealing to the comfort food addict as well as the adventurous foodie.

I admit that the parking situation in the Shrewsbury Street area keeps me away particularly since comparable restaurants such as EVO are nearby my locale and out of the Saturday night crowds on Shrewsbury Street. However, I was pleased to find that Flying Rhino has expanded their parking but we were the last to snag a spot on what should be a slow Tuesday night. I can’t imagine that the Rhino has a slow night thanks to their menu and drink list.

I wanted a taste of everything. We were getting ready to leave for warmer climes with lesser clothing therefore I exercised a certain amount of restraint when ordering. If I could have ordered anything I wanted from the last night of the winter menu offerings I would have selected Duck Farroto – Half duck roasted to perfection over sherry wild mushrooms farrotto with crispy fired cracklins $25. You had me at duck and sherry. I opted for a “healthier” choice although there were several which were on the smarter side.

I began with the Octoberfest salad which sounded outdated for April but the ingredients were appealing. The dish featured roasted butternut squash, beets, chorizo, goat cheese, pumpkin seeds on a bed of kale with honey mustard dressing. The honey mustard dressing was the shoe lace that gave this dish a seamless balance of seemingly opposite sensory perceptions sweet dressing, beets, and squash harmonizing with slightly bitter kale and goat cheese, topped off with savory chorizo and salty pumpkin seeds. This might have been enough to satisfy this gastronome but when is a gastronome ever satisfied?

I chose the herb and mustard encrusted salmon over black rice with bacon Brussels Sprouts with a balsamic drizzle. Bacon has this way of leaping of the page at me. It could be tongue with bacon and I might be tempted. Unfortunately my entrée was less successful than my starter. The black rice had the proper al dente texture but was cold and bland. The Brussels were overtly oily and overcooked and the bacon was scant. The fish was perfectly cooked but the overuse of the mustard seasoning overpowered the delicate flavors of the fish.

Not to worry. If you demand innovation in the Worcester restaurant industry you must naturally expect these things to happen. The Flying Rhino is doing far more right than they are doing wrong. Cold rice and over seasoned fish will not keep me from this great establishment in the Worcester food scene. -SW