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Chicken and Eggplant Parmesan with Linguine

Chicken and Eggplant Parmesan with Linguine from Rosalina's Kitchen on Hamilton Street in Worcester, MA

Chicken and Eggplant Parmesan with Linguine from Rosalina's Kitchen on Hamilton Street in Worcester, MARosalina’s Kitchen is place I’d heard wonderful things about but had not ventured to since it’s not on my usual routes around town. I walked in to find a bustling dining room – a great sign on a Wednesday night! The crowd was varied but everyone seemed to be enjoying the atmosphere and meals. As I sat with my group and looked over the menu, appetizers started arriving to those around me. Lucky for me they were generous portions and my friends were in sharing moods – the antipasto platter had a delicious assortment of meats and vegetables, a starter that struck a balance between light and satisfying. After much internal debate I went with the classic chicken and eggplant Parmesan with linguine for my meal. It was the classic preparation, as described on the menu – fried and topped with mozzarella and tomato sauce. The portion was huge – enough to share and take home leftovers. The chicken was moist and perfectly fried without feeling heavy while the eggplant was tender and flavorful. The sauce was a simple marinara with a bright tomato flavor. It was well balanced without being overly sweet or acidic.

Only after looking at the dessert ravioli on the specials board could I stop my self from eating this delicious dish. However, the call of peanut butter and Nutella ravioli was loud and I ordered a dish to split. There were 3 large fried ravioli filled with creamy peanut hazelnut chocolate goodness. Several bites were just enough to sate the sweet craving for several of us at the table.

I don’t frequently dine out for Italian but when the craving hits, Rosalina’s Kitchen will certainly be on my short list. She is truly dedicated to the success of her restaurant and she has the kitchen skills to back her up. Next on my “to try” list will be the homemade ravioli which are made weekly with creative fillings. If Rosalina’s Kitchen does creative as well as she does the classics, I’ll be in for a treat!

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Chicken Parmesan

Chicken Parmesan from Blackstone Bistro in Worcester, MA

Chicken Parmesan from Blackstone Bistro in Worcester, MASince the opening of the Blackstone Bistro back in the Fall, I have enjoyed many fine meals at this casual, BYOB restaurant so when I found out it was our next WorcesterFoodies destination I was excited. Before I left for dinner, I looked at the menu online to get a head start on what I was going to order, but unfortunately I was unable to make a decision because so many items looked great. I decided to wait and make my decision when I got to the restaurant, but that didn’t help because in addition to the regular menu there were also great specials to choose from.

I decided to order the Chili con Carne as an appetizer and my “go to” dish, the Chicken Parmesan as my meal. Lets start with the chili….I was warned by the server it can be a little “hot” for some diners, but for me, it was perfect. Served in a large, plentiful bowl, it was thick with beans, beef, tomatoes and peppers, spiced expertly. I enjoyed a Dogfish Head Indian Brown Ale with my chili and the caramel, brown sugar, hoppy flavor of the beer matched perfectly with the hearty flavor of this dish.

My meal began with a small house salad, which by itself, would have been uneventful, if not for the outstanding, homemade dressing. My Chicken Parmesan was cooked and served exactly as I had ordered. The dish consisted of two large, boneless chicken breasts, breaded and served crispy on the outside and tender and moist on the inside, topped with a sweet, rich marinara sauce and creamy mozzarella cheese. A side dish of penne pasta accompanied the chicken.

The atmosphere at the Blackstone Bistro is casual and the service was outstanding. Louis Pizzaro, owner / chef, is friendly and engaging as he met our group and thanked us for coming. Blackstone is BYOB, affordable and very highly recommended!