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Chicken Capri from Le Mirage on June Street in Worcester, Massachusetts

Nestled on the corner of June and Chandler Street is Le Mirage, a family run, BYOB restaurant featuring a unique mix of Italian and Lebanese food. While I had heard of this eatery and driven by the establishment countless times, I had never dined there and was excited to do so with my fellow foodies! Upon entering the restaurant, I was shocked at how busy it was for a Tuesday night. All of the tables were filled with diners, young and old (regulars–I was told later by the owner and chef) engaged in lively conversations while casually sipping their beverage of choice. The meals in front of them were mouth watering and ranged from heaping plates of pasta to perfectly charred panini sandwiches. My husband and I were immediately greeted by the owner’s daughter who would also be our waitress for the evening. She was personable, passionate about the restaurant, and more importantly, incredibly knowledgeable about the menu. It was evident that she knew the ingredients in each and every dish, including the recently added choices for the city’s annual Restaurant Week.

As promised, the menu was a wonderful combination of traditional Italian and Lebanese food. While the foodie in me encouraged me to order something “out of my comfort zone” like the Baked Kibbie or Chicken Saiid, I am a sucker for pasta, and eventually decided upon the Chicken Capri – penne tossed with sautéed chicken, sun dried tomatoes, and spinach with a scampi sauce. The dish arrived piping hot and I could not wait to dig in. The portion was huge and I was starving. As I dug in, my taste buds did a dance. The penne was cooked perfectly to al dente. The chicken, was plentiful, moist and delicious with hints of garlic and lemon. There were large chunks of sun dried tomatoes, which have a natural tendency to be dense and salty, but infused in this dish were light and flavorful. The spinach was wilted, and miraculously maintained both its texture and flavor. My favorite part of the dish was the scampi sauce. It was light…not heavy or oily, with bright lemon and garlic flavors that mimicked the chicken marinade. I forced myself to stop eating 1/2 of the way through and was glad that I did, because my leftovers lasted for 2 more meals! I am so pleased to have discovered this hidden gem and will return to Le Mirage soon! -AV

One of the great things about being part of WorcesterFoodies is that we often dine at restaurants that we have heard about, but to date have not had the opportunity to enjoy. Thus was the case this month as we gathered at Le Mirage, a small, family-owned and operated BYOB restaurant on June Street in Worcester. Walking into Le Mirage we were greeted warmly by the owner and seated promptly with our group. Glancing at the menu I knew immediately that making a dinner choice would be difficult as the menu was a mix of some of my favorite Italian and Mediterranean dishes.

I finally decided upon the Shish Kabob beef tenders, not a very adventurous choice, but something I knew I would definitely enjoy. My dining companion and I chose to start our meal with the Fire Roasted Baba Ghannouj and pita bread appetizer. The smoking eggplant dip was creamy and light with just the right amount of garlic, the pita bread was soft and fresh and the whole thing was just the perfect starting point for our meal.

Next came a traditional salad of fresh mixed greens, tomatoes, red onions and cucumbers that was topped with a tangy mint lemon garlic and olive oil dressing that made the salad come alive with flavor. When my meal arrived the Shish Kabob skewers were jammed packed with seasoned and marinated beef, onions and peppers and served over a flavorful and moist rice pilaf and salad. The beef was perfectly cooked to a medium rare temperature and the vegetables, while cooked thoroughly, were firm and crispy.

In addition to enjoying an outstanding meal, the staff could not have been more accommodating and pleasant. All the meals were served timely, water glasses were filled promptly and our outstanding waitress greeted every request made at our table with a smile and a “thank you”. At the end of our meal, the owner joined us to ask if we had any questions and thanked us for coming in.

Le Mirage had an outstanding menu to choose from, great service and wonderful food, all in a casually sophisticated atmosphere that met every one of my expectations. –JG

Tag: italian

Chicken Capri

Shish Kabob Beef Tenders