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Filet Mignon

Restaurant: Ritual, Main Street

The Facts: An 8 oz filet mignon wrapped in bacon with a port wine demi glaze.  Served along smashed red potatoes and mixed vegetables of carrots and broccoli.

Foodie’s Review: First impressions were great as the meal was nicely presented with the filet resting lightly on the smashed potatoes with the colorful veggies rounding out the plate.  Sometimes when you ask for your steak to be medium, you never know what you will get, but mine was cooked perfectly with the right amount of juiciness and tenderness.  I always enjoy a nice sauce with my filet and preferably something light, and here the port demi glaze complemented the filet perfectly without being overwhelming to the taste buds.  For that extra touch and who doesn’t love bacon, the strip of bacon around the filet just made the filet all that juicer.  For me the portion was the right size but I could see that it might be on the tad smaller side for someone with a hearty appetite.

Though I am not sure how this dish related to the overall theme of Ritual, I would recommend this dish to those looking for a nice steak dinner.

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

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Seared Duck Breast

Restaurant: Ritual, Main Street

As it appears in the menu: Seasoned with crushed cocoa beans, hazelnut chocolate demi-glaze – 1st place Worcester Iron Chef

The Facts: Beautifully plated medallions of duck breast resting on a small portion of smashed potatoes.  I ordered with sautéed spinach instead of mixed vegetables.  A chocolate lava cake, the size of cupcake, was also on the plate.  The lava cake was a bit of a surprise as it was not called out explicitly in the meal description, but, what the heck, I love chocolate.

Foodie’s Review: This meal tasted even better than it looked, and it looked incredible.  Each flavor, duck, potato, spinach, and chocolate, was perfect individually.  And, as odd as it might sound, combining the duck with the chocolate, as suggested by the server, was fantastic.  I ate every last bite of food on my plate was perfectly sated, not too full and not needing any more. I understand why this creative dish won the Worcester Iron Chef competition.   Distinct, complementary flavors that never overwhelmed.

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