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Fettuccine Tossed with Fresh Parmesan from Livia's Dish on Main Street in Worcester, MA

On Main Street, on the way into Leicester, you will find a small little restaurant front with about 10 parking spaces and a welcome sign drawing you into Livia’s Dish. As you enter, you can feel as though you are stepping into someone living room, with personalized touches and a homey feel. The smells of home cooked food emanating from the kitchen and the sound of customer’s conversations litter the air as you wait to be served. As we waited for the main course, we were greeted with homemade hummus and bread that had been slightly toasted, buttered and drizzled with Olive oil. While it was unlike any other hummus I have ever had, it was creamy and was a great start to the meal.

After perusing the menu, I decided on Livia’s Dish. This entrée was fettuccine tossed with fresh parmesan, parsley, butter and asparagus, topped with a perfectly poached egg. I was excited for the idea of having a poached egg to thicken the sauce and make the dish more rich. First off, the poached egg was less than perfectly poached, which was extremely disappointing. The yolk was almost fully cooked and not runny at all, as I was hoping for. The pasta was cooked so dente and had a good bite to it. The dish as a whole however desperately needed a generous seasoning of salt and pepper. The other aspects of the meal, like the parsley and the asparagus added a nice freshness and texture to a smooth, creamy plate of pasta. While my dinner was less than ideal, my wandering eye was drawn to other meals on our table that looked delicious. I would definitely be willing to go back and try something else on their menu. The ambiance and cheerful service would be enough the get me back a second time.

I always look forward to dining at a new restaurant. Despite the fact that Worcester has hundreds of restaurants scattered throughout the city, I tend to visit the same circuit week after week. While I had been reading mixed reviews about Lago Ristorante, my palate was ready to visit this new establishment, and form my own opinion. The interior of Lago is dark and inviting with a partial view of the pond. The booths and tables hug the perimeter with a bar extending on one end. The exposed duct work gives the interior an industrial feel without being too contemporary and cold. When the waitress first handed me the one-sided paper menu, I was slightly disappointed. My initial reaction was due to the fact that the menu was unprotected and covered with oil and food stains. At first glance, the options appeared to be limited. Despite all this, I was pleasantly surprised when I found myself torn between not 2, but 4 dishes. After listening to the rest of my table place their orders, I ultimately decided upon the Pollo Al La Vodka. On the menu, the dish is described as twin chicken breasts sautéed with garlic, a hint of crushed pepper, diced tomatoes, and cream served over a choice of pasta – penne for me. Prior to the main course, a small house salad arrived at our table. The menu has a number of salads listed, including one under the specials of that evening, however, no where does it state that the meal includes a salad. Most restaurants will impart this information to the diner, and allow them to choose their dressing ~ not Lago. This salad arrived lightly dressed with a balsamic glaze. The portion was slightly disappointing with only a small handful of greens, a single cherry tomato halved, a slice of cucumber, an olive, and 2 pieces of red onion. Given the size of the salad, I was getting nervous that I would leave dinner hungry. However, when my dish arrived, my worries were quickly erased. The plate arrived with a plentiful portion of pasta and chicken garnished with fresh, green parsley. While the chicken was pounded, sautéed, and moist, it was not as garlicy as advertised. The pasta and sauce however, was absolutely delicious. I usually shy away from cream sauces because they tend to be heavy, however, this sauce was perfect! The texture was creamy, but not heavy, with the lingering kick that is given by red pepper flakes. Needless to say, despite the gigantic portion, I managed to eat almost every single bite with only a little help from the men at my table. Overall, the experience was decent. The atmosphere and main dish appealed to my desire to dine some place new, and the quality of the dish made me want to come back and try something new! -AV

Tag: parsley

Fettuccine Tossed with Fresh Parmesan

Pollo Alla Vodka