Tag: Meze

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4 Great Places in Central Mass to Dine Outdoors

A group of diners enjoying the weather at Ceres Bistro in Worcester, MA

Central Massachusetts’ all too short outdoor dining season has begun…with many local eateries capitalizing on the good weather and offering dining al fresco!

Dining outdoors means different things to different restaurants. Some restaurants, like Volturno, Lock 50, La Scala, Vintage Grille and The Mill 185 have built large open-air patios outfitted to take advantage of the good weather months. Others like Nuovo, Meze, Brew City and Corner Grille set up tables on the sidewalks in front of their restaurants giving your meal a bit more of an urban feel. Mezcal in Worcester brings the outdoors inside by opening the floor-to-ceiling glass doors while their Leominster location offers patio dining under umbrellas. Looking for waterfront dining? Guiseppe’s in Northborough offers upscale dining on a deck overlooking Solomon Pond and Point Breeze on Lake Webster bring deck dining (and drinking) to a whole new level. Still others like Smokestack, The Citizen and VIA offer covered patios to extend the outdoor dining experience even when Mother Nature doesn’t fully cooperate.

So whether it’s a quiet spot to enjoy a romantic dinner, a sun-drenched patio to people watch or dinner on the deck lakeside with cocktails and friends, there is an al fresco spot to match any occasion and mood!

Here are a few of our favorite places to eat, drink and enjoy the good weather months while they last!

Ceres Bistro

One of Worcester’s most elegant outdoor dining experiences, Ceres Bistro offers full-menu dining in the garden patio surrounded by luxurious plantings, flowers and landscaping. Live jazz on Thursday evenings and drinks at the open-air bar are also popular in the warmer months!

Flying Rhino

For outdoor dining, Flying Rhino has it all. Tables with umbrellas on the sidewalk for that urban feel, a huge outdoor deck for a more casual, relaxed experience and one weekend every summer, they transform their parking lot into a full blown, stick your feet in the sand beach and cookout experience that will make you forget you are on Shrewsbury St. One of the more popular decks in Worcester so get here early if you want a table.

Zorba’s

At Zorba’s Worcester location, you can enjoy a full Greek dining experience under an enormous covered patio that runs the entire length of the front of the restaurant. A summer experience not to be missed is enjoying one of their famous sangrias and a selection of meze’s on this patio! And for when the weather isn’t perfect, Zorba’s patio is covered to make sure you can still enjoy the experience.

NU Café

Located right outside the front door, the big comfortable patio at NU Café features lots of tables with umbrellas to relax and enjoy coffee, fruit smoothies, breakfast and lunch. A great place anytime of the day, the patio at NU Café sits off the street, making it a quiet oasis from the hectic pace of the day.

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Channeling My Inner Greek

Spanaki from Meze Greek Tapas on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, MA

Spanaki from Meze Greek Tapas on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, MA

I’m French (technically Northern French, I won’t say the “C” word—not that there is anything wrong with that) but after a recent trip to Greece I find a part of me wishing that I were Greek. Full disclosure: I also wish that I were Italian sometimes. So, you can imagine my excitement when I heard that a Greek tapas-style restaurant was opening in the heart of Shrewsbury Street. After a visit to Mezé on opening night, I was hooked. The atmosphere is designed to replicate the typical al fresco eateries you’d find in Greece and the menu is inspired by the Mediterranean style.

Octopus from Meze on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, MAFrom the wine (some of the greatest Greek selections—although missing Robola of Kefalonia) and ouzo through the hot and cold dishes, the menu speaks to the nature of the Grecian diet. For this visit, I opted for the spanaki (spinach salad) which consisted of baby spinach, walnuts, sun dried tomatoes, crumbled feta cheese, tossed with a balsamic vinegar dressing. The dish was surprisingly large for a spinach salad, but perfectly captured the essence of its flavors.

For my meal, I opted for the Octapodi (octopus). I am bad when it comes to tapas—I don’t like to share. And, when it comes down to the octopus, you can hold me to that. I commonly will stop at Mezé Greek Tapas Bar & Grille on my way home from meetings just to have a glass of wine and enjoy the octopus at the bar. It’s prepared on a bed of onions and grilled with simple balsamic vinegar and olive oil. To be honest, it’s my new go-to meal because the presentation, flavors and consistency. The light meat of octopus absorbs the Mediterranean flavors and satisfies all gustatory perceptions.

I look forward to any night that I know I can belly up to the bar and enjoy a glass of wine, octopus, and spinach salad. It brings out the Greek in me.