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Porcini Mushroom

Restaurant: Ritual, Main Street

The Facts: Sauteed in wine, lemon and garlic tossed with chèvre and served over linguine.

Foodie’s Review: For those looking to skip the meat in their linguine should try Ritual’s rendition of the Porcini Mushroom. Perfectly tender linguine acts as the ambassador to the sauce, mushrooms and flakes of Parmesan. Right off the bat, the heavy zest from the lemon and garlic medley dance with the flavors from the wine sauce and drizzle of balsamic. Unlike the traditional pasta dish, the combination of Parmesan and the perfectly portioned chèvre (goat cheese) interact perfectly with the taste buds, leaving the aftertaste in your mouth feeling dry like drinking a deep red wine. The texture of the mushrooms and pasta are quick to replace the dryness with the zest from the lemon. The dish is a constant roller coaster for your pallet, leaving you wanting more.

This review was done by an independent member of the Worcester Foodies group during their monthly meeting in May 2011.

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Mousaka

The Mousaka available at Ritual on Main Street.

Restaurant: Ritual, Main Street

As it appears in the menu: Eggplant stack, stuffed with seasoned beef and béchamel cream sauce.

The Facts: Three layers of meat (ground beef) and lightly fried eggplant. The dish was topped in a light potato crust.

Foodie’s Review: The presentation was flt (not stacked as indicated in the menu) and boring as it also lacked a garnish. With that said, the first bite was flavorful and delicious. The meat was seasoned well and the eggplant was lightly fried and tasted of hints of lemon and olive oil. The dish was reminiscent of Shepherds pie. Overally, a good dish, but could have been improved upon in appearance and being accompanied by a side.

This review was done by an independent member of the Worcester Foodies group during their monthly meeting in May 2011.