Middle Eastern | Page 6 of 8 | Mass Food & Wine

Chicken Kabob from Wexford House on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, MA

I would describe Wexford House atmosphere as cute, welcoming, and laid-back. I like that they bring you a bowl of popcorn (or two) while you are looking over the menu. The menu was diverse and had a wide selection of typical dishes you may expect, to some deliciously sounding comfort food options you do not always see – such as meatloaf. I have to be honest I was pleasantly surprised with how fantastic the food was. My neighbors were so kind to share their plate of hummus, feta, olives, and baba ganoush. The baba ganoush was out of this world! I loved it. Just enough smoky flavor, not overpowered with garlic and the pita bread was fresh. Simply scrumptious.

For my meal, I chose the chicken kabob with rice and a vegetable. The chicken was slightly dry but had great flavor, marinated in ginger. The rice was flavorful and the butternut squash was delicious, not too sweet but just enough. I have to say that all the meals that came to the table looked so appetizing; I think most of us ordered off the Middle Eastern section, which is what I am told Wexford House does best. I will go back, as I have some friends that really enjoy it and the baba ganoush is calling my name.

Chicken Le Mirage from Le Mirage on June Street in Worcester

Worcester has its share of “genre restaurants”; if you want Italian, there are eighteen readily available. Pizza? More than twenty. Japanese? A dozen. But if you are looking for Middle Eastern or Mediterranean there is a small handful and even less if you are also looking for BYOB. Le Mirage is one of them. Located at the corner of Chandler Street and June Street, the only thing that might be considered small about Le Mirage is it’s physical space—and that’s a good thing.

I always find that if there is a dish that shares the name of the restaurant, it’s usually its signature. With the Chicken Le Mirage, they couldn’t have chosen a better representative. Modestly described as, “sautéed chicken with walnuts in a gorgonzola cream sauce,” they couldn’t undersell the dish any more.

An oversized portion of penne doppia rigatura pasta is served with moist, plump chicken medallions that are perfect both in size and flavor—seasoned with a light Italian seasoning that introduces a familiarity with the pasta. The Gorgonzola cream sauce had the optimal viscosity with a rich, bold, deep flavor without being too intense. The walnuts added a complexity and sweetness to the dish that offsets any bite that the Gorgonzola brings to the cream sauce. Topped with crumbles of Gorgonzola that melt into the sauce, there couldn’t have been a better way that completes both the appearance and depth of flavors.

The flavors and textures of this dish were addictive and define gluttony: although my stomach said to stop, my five senses would not allow me to leave anything behind, even though half of this dish would have easily satisfied my appetite.

I have a general rule of thumb with restaurants: try something different each time. Sadly, I will break my own rule during my next visit to Le Mirage. –LV