Posted on

It’s OK To Dine Alone When Going Out To Eat

Worcester Foodies enjoying Chef Bowser's Menu

Octopus Appetizer at The Urban Kitchen on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, MAMany of life’s greatest moments are celebrated by going out to dinner; a new job, graduating, date night. We share these life accomplishments over a meal and libations with friends and family. We have become so conditioned to these moments that the food becomes an afterthought—usually, the meal itself is judged purely on the celebration’s intent and not its ingredients. It’s as arbitrary as it is detrimental to choose dinner as a ceremonious event.

This has become most apparent to me after several visits to the newly opened Urban Kitchen and Bar, in the former location of Coral Seafood, on Shrewsbury Street.

Worcester Foodies enjoying Chef Bowser's MenuTo start, Chef Bowser has taken the lead of a national food movement (which has also been adopted, and in some cases improved upon, by other Worcester eateries) to carefully select ingredients and techniques that the casual consumer (which describes a vast majority of us, myself included) would find “experimental.” Take, for instant the octopus appetizer. Traditionally, as prepared at Mezé, it consists simply as a tentacle grilled with high quality olive oil and dry oregano. Urban, instead, uses orange and a blend of sweet ingredients to bring out a light flavor with hints of honey and maple syrup which masterfully marries the chorizo potato hash with chiles and cilantro which it is served over. The flavors are unexpected and hard to pinpoint but prepare the tastebuds for the course to come.

A common observation for those who graduate past the first course is the portion size of the meals. Partly because they are plated beautifully on a large, white plate and partly because they are beautiful in composition, the meals are a journey of the senses. Admittedly, we’ve become conditioned to always want more in life; if we aren’t engorged at the end of a meal, we are obviously being taken advantage of. But in the case of the Urban, the flavors, appearance, and portions will leave you comfortably satisfied. Whether the house made pastas, the Pan Seared Bass, Arctic Char, Chicken and Dumplings, or even the more expensive (and admittedly smaller portioned) lobster, the flavors will leave you wondering, “how?”

When you go to Urban Kitchen and Bar expect to order an appetizer, expect to spend upwards to $30 for a plate, expect to spend a little more on your drinks, but also expect to have one of the most unique combination of flavors, ingredients, and, above all, dining experiences.

With meals so thoroughly planned, dining at the Urban should be taken as a journey from appetizer through dessert. When you go to the Urban be selfish because the food demands your full attention—make it your reason to celebrate.

Lobster tail dinner at Urban on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, MA
ROASTED LOBSTER TAIL + BUTTER POACHED CLAW
Posted on

Seafood Mac and Cheese

Seafood Mac and Cheese from O'Connor's on West Boylston Street in Worcester, MA

Seafood Mac and Cheese from O'Connor's on West Boylston Street in Worcester, MA

When you think of O’Connor’s, I bet the first thing that comes to mind is “Irish food.” While you would be correct on some level, you would also be wrong! As pointed out by the esteemed owner, there is nothing in the restaurant’s name that would indicate it being a primarily Irish cuisine (besides it being an Irish name). Think of it as a melting pot of European fare, with influences from Italy, Spain, Portugal, as well as England and of course, Ireland.

It had been some time since I was last at O’Connor’s and I needed to take some time to get reacquainted with their rather large menu. The staff was very helpful in recommending their favorite dishes and explaining all of the specials that were being offered that night. After my deliberations were complete, I decided to order the seafood mac and cheese. This was a medley of shrimp, lobster meat, bay scallops, onion and cavatappi pasta in a creamy garlic, three cheese sauce, with a hint of spice blend. All of this creamy goodness was topped with buttery parmesan panko bread crumbs. The dish was presented beautifully in a rustic cast iron skillet that was piping hot right out of the oven!

When I first dove into my dish, the first thing that hit me was how deliciously creamy the cheese sauce was. It was velvety and was the perfect accompaniment to the type of pasta that was used. The corkscrew and ridged shape of the cavatappi held the cheese well so that every bite ensured that you bit into lots of cheese sauce. The shrimp were large and plump and cooked perfectly. You had to search for the bay scallops, due to their size however they also provided small morsels of seafood bliss. One thing that I was very surprised with was the amount of lobster meat that was provided in the dish. On more than one occasion, I came across large hunks of claw and knuckle meat…just what you would hope to find in a seafood mac and cheese. Although, as I continued eating, I couldn’t help but notice that I began to get a fishy aftertaste…almost as if the seafood was cooked with the pasta and cheese sauce, rather than separately and added and mixed just prior to service. Nevertheless, the dish was deeply satisfying and left me quite happy with my choice of meal. As I sat there in the restaurant and began to drift into a personal food coma, I reflected on my experience at O’Connor’s. Although it is a little bit out of the way, it is a definite spot to try if you are looking for European influence in the menu from top to bottom. With such a rich history, heritage and the menu to match, I am not surprised that O’Connor’s has enjoyed as much success as they have over the last 25 years!