Tag: hockey

Posted on by

The Railer Burger – from where else… The Railers Sports Tavern

The Railer Burger from The Railer's Tavern in Worcester, MA

Located on Commercial Street just a short few steps from Michael’s Cigar Bar and behind the DCU Center is the latest brainchild of the Niche Hospitality Group, the Railers Sports Tavern. Looking to capitalize on the city’s ability to bring professional hockey back, the Railers Sports Tavern combines local sports history with a rich New England sports heritage to bring you modern takes on pub classics, such as wings, pretzels, soups, and sandwiches. Sprinkle in some comfort food classic and a generous bar menu, and you have the makings of a popular spot to hit up before or after the Worcester Railers take the ice.

Having not been here before, I figured I would start with a staple and try the bone-in buffalo wings ($10). A generous portion of wings arrived doused in classic buffalo sauce and my personal favorite dipping sauce, ranch. The wings were crispy and not over-fried. The sauce was a very nice balance of flavor and heat, as I did not find myself reaching for my beer every bite. I was able to enjoy the slow, cumulative heat that the buffalo wing sauce provided, which was a nice departure from the “burn your mouth off and kill your taste buds” sauce you might be used to.

Now for the main attraction… the Railer Burger. Given that I was particularly hungry this evening, I decided to splurge for the Double OT ($14), which is two six-ounce patties, American cheese, sliced onion, pickles and Smokey Tavern sauce on a potato roll. As if that wasn’t enough, I decided to top it with the house-made Italian sausage (+ $2). After ordering, I was not quite sure what I had gotten myself into, but knew that I was going to leave full. Upon arrival, the burger was just as large as I thought it might be. Piled high with all the toppings, it almost needed its own scaffolding to hold it up and I was somehow going to have to become an anaconda, so I could unhinge my jaw if I had any hope of eating this Goliath. When I was able to settle in for my first bite, I found that the burger patties, while juicy were slightly overcooked. This is the most common problem that I have found with many of the burger restaurants I have tried. Unfortunately, there is a fine line between medium and ruined and most of the time the burgers are not very forgiving when it comes to this line. The burger patty was seasoned nicely and the America cheese provided a gooey cascade over the patties and other ingredients. The pickles were thick and added a nice tang of acidity to the burger. Although somewhat overlooked and underappreciated, sometimes a pickle is what you need to add a different textural element as well a flavor profile that helps elevate the burger from average to amazing. The house-made sausage was actually the best part of the dish as it was a unique texture as sausage “crumbles” and was seasoned beautifully. It was actually a very inventive use of the sausage, as it took the place of bacon as a garnish on the burger (even though bacon is still an option as well). I actually would have liked a little bit more of the tavern sauce. It was a delightful combination of BBQ sauce and possibly mayo creating an aioli that was rich and creamy. I kept finding myself dunking the French fries in any excess that dripped off the burger.

Looking back at this experience at the Railers Sports Tavern, my first impression was that it was a relatively new restaurant that was still working its kinks out. It is definitely a location that I would venture to again the next time New Found Glory plays the Palladium or when arena football makes its debut again. With a good size menu and relatively affordable prices for the type of food they offer, it’s worth a second visit. If you have a favorite burger place that you want to see featured on Mass Foodies, tweet me @EDioufUC5 and your suggestion might find it’s way on here next month. Until next time…

Posted on by

Niche To Open New Restaurant In Canal District

Niche Hospitality Group's newest restaurant, Nonna's Kitchen, will open in 2017 at the Ice Rink in the Canal District

Niche Hospitality Group’s newest brand, Nonna’s Pizza & Pasta, is set to open in the Canal District later this year.

Nearly a year ago, when Craig Blais of the WBDC introduced Cliff Rucker to Michael Covino, it was to first to help advise on how to grow the Worcester community through Cliff’s hockey vision, the Worcester Railers. Today, the relationship has evolved into a passion for local community and has created a new Niche Hospitality Group brand to live in the heart of the Canal District. While the Ice Center will be kicking off the hockey season in October 2017, Niche Hospitality Group is putting all efforts into a new restaurant concept opening in the late summer. The concept echos the relationship between Rucker and Covino, as well as the ever-growing movement in Worcester: Community.

Niche Hospitality Group—the parent company behind Bocado, The Citizen, Mezcal, The Fix, and Rye & Thyme American Tavern—prides itself on creating unique dining experiences and the latest venture will be nothing short of what we have come to expect. Opening late summer 2017, Nonna’s Pizza & Pasta will be located inside the Ice Center and embrace the Italian family-style dining concept with a menu focusing on pizza and pasta. While pizza and pasta may not be new to the local culinary scene, it will certainly add variety when it comes to family dining. “The goal of the restaurant is to be family-focused and offer a pizza style that the city has yet to see,” says Covino. Worcester’s pizza offerings have expanded recently, with the introduction of Dacosta’s Pizza Bakery and Volturno, but with Nonna’s Pizza & Pasta, Niche Hospitality Group is on the mission to take pizza in a different direction with an emphasis on Long Island style pizza – a pizza that isn’t thin like Neapolitan, but not as thick as a Chicago deep dish or a Brooklyn Sicilian.

The inspiration for this new restaurant is personal, with a tip of the hat to Rucker’s mother-in-law, Erasmina Piccirilli. Piccirilli immigrated from Italy when she was eight months pregnant with Cliff’s now wife, Susan. Her family set roots in Somerville, MA where home cooking took center stage. Although she never mastered the English language, or registered for a driver’s license, her cooking remains—to this day—an indescribable experience. Rucker and Susan have been married for 30 years, but that doesn’t stop his face from lighting up when thinking about Sunday dinner at Piccirilli’s home. “Every one of her dishes are infused with an indescribable level of unparalleled expertise and they fill your belly and warm your soul,” Rucker continued, “Nonna’s will pay homage to my mother-in-law and all other ‘Nonnas’ who have nourished the spirits of their families with a home-cooked Italian feast.”

With 120 seats, Nonna’s Pizza & Pasta will also redefine how we look at Italian cuisine, with two-floors, a full liquor license, including beer and wine on tap and whole lot of growing room. While eating at Nonna’s will be like Sunday dinner at grandma’s house, it will also cater to the fast-casual aspect of Italian cuisine with an “order-at-the-counter and go” feature. Offering pizza by the slice, half tray and full tray, deciding whether to eat-in or dine-out will be the only tough choice.

While the Nonna’s brand hasn’t launched yet, it is already growing… STEAM, also located in the Ice Center will serve coffee, Gelato (now you won’t have to travel to Eataly in Boston) and desserts. STEAM will be a quick pick-me-up for hockey fans while watching the game.

Keeping their focus on building community, Rucker and Covino are expanding their relationship in other ways also. Niche Hospitality Group was recently hired to create the Railer’s Sports Tavern on 90 Commercial Street, helping to provide a place for hockey fans to pregame and watch away games while enjoying a beer and pub style food.

Covino and Rucker are on a mission, whether it is building Nonna’s Pizza & Pasta, STEAM, or the Railer’s Sports Tavern they are strengthening Worcester’s community with food and adding to the dynamic fabric of the culinary capital of New England.