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Soutzoukakia Smirneika from Meze Greek

Soutzoukakia Smirneika from Meze on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, MA

Soutzoukakia Smirneika from Meze on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, MA

Mezé Greek Tapas Bar & Grille is one of the newer restaurants and brings a Greek flair to the Shrewsbury St dining experience with their tapas themed restaurant. Having been here a few times in the past I was already familiar with their extensive menu of Greek favorites. After reviewing the menu I decided to have one dish that was a favorite of mine and one dish that I have not tried before.

The first plate I ordered was the Meze Pikilla Plate, which was a combination of five of their favorite cold dips. The dips included Tzatziki, taramosalata, tyrokaferi, skordalla, and Melitzanosalata. For most of us we are probably familiar with Tzatziki, but the other dips were equally pleasing. The Melitzanosalata was a roasted eggplant dip with garlic, oil, and vinegar that was blended into a smooth Smokey eggplant spread. The Skordalla was a similarly prepared dish but with potato instead of eggplant. The Tyrokafteri was a pleasantly creamy feta cheese spread with chunks of feta mixed in and last but not least was Taramosalata a Greek caviar spread that was a pink creamy caviar spread that was also delicious. The plate was prepared with a slice of tomato and cucumber separating each spread and a good portion of grilled pita bread. This dish is a perfect dish for sharing and sampling among friends. All of the spreads were worthy of being on this platter and would be a great start to the meal.

For my next course I strayed away from the traditional kabobs and dishes that I have enjoyed here before and opted for a dish called Soutzoukakia Smirneika. The dish was described as mixed ground beef and pork mini loafs, fried, and topped with homemade tomato sauce served on a bed of white rice. I’m not sure if it was my expectations were off or if the dish was suffering an identity crisis, but I would describe this almost as an Italian meatball (shaped like a sausage) and served with a red sauce and a small cup of sticky,cheesy rice. While the dish was well prepared and decent quality it did not quite hit the mark for me.

Overall, Mezé is a great place to go and sample a variety of Greek dishes. The food quality and service were great and the staff has always been friendly and helpful. Mezé is a great place to go with a group of friends and sample a great selection of Greek dishes.

Due to the tapas style eating, photos may not match the foodies review or description.

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Angela’s Sauté from Rosalina’s Kitchen

Angela’s Sauté from Rosalina's Kitchen on Hamilton Street in Worcester, MA

Angela’s Sauté from Rosalina's Kitchen on Hamilton Street in Worcester, MAAll right folks, it’s official…I am ready to say that I have tasted the most incredible Italian cuisine in the city! Rosalina’s Kitchen on Hamilton Street has blown the rest of the Italian eateries out of the water. True…its location is inconspicuous at best with a no-frill interior decor, yet this byob establishment has a dynamic menu that will leave even the hungriest individual completely satiated.

After being greeted by Angela, one of the owners, my bottle of red wine was quickly opened, poured and my appetizer order was taken. I was told that the eggplant rollatini was to die and was not disappointed. Rolls of delicately fried eggplant, ricotta, creamy mozzarella cheese, and a delightful red sauce quite literally melted in my mouth and disappeared from the plate my husband and I were sharing in a matter of seconds. The small side salad was quite substantial with crisp ingredients and a zesty homemade balsamic dressing. The entree arrived piping hot and absolutely ginormous! I had ordered Angela’s Sauté which consisted of chicken smothered in toasted pine nuts tossed with a tangy garlic & oil sauce with fresh mushrooms & spinach. I ordered mine over penne which was cooked al dente. The dish was truly exquisite! The chicken was moist and tender and the toasted pine nuts added texture and richness to the dish. I’m not sure who loved the dish more…my husband or myself as he spent just as much time “sneaking” bites off my plate as he did eating his own meal. If I’m being honest, I think I sampled dishes from at least five of my fellow foodies, all of which were equally delicious. I look forward to returning to Rosalina’s Kitchen and highly recommend this fine restaurant with the highest compliments to the chef and staff!