penne pasta | Mass Food & Wine

Mac and Cheese from Corner Grille on Pleasant Street in Worcester, MA

Well, what can I say. It’s probably one of the best I’ve ever had, and I’m pretty picky and have certain expectations about how it’s prepared. The Corner Grille’s mac and cheese is made with all the things I like: It is thick and rich. Typically, it’s cut as a giant square allowing you to see all the wonderful penne pasta in it—and the bubbly cheese! The top has the crumbs I love and it’s cooked with a patina of golden browns and a bit crispier than the rest. My favorite! The mac and cheese portion is very large. Even if it is typically a side dish, it’s large enough for a meal; which is why I typically share it with my wife (this way I can partake in both pizza and mac and cheese). The best thing about the mac and cheese from Corner Grille is that you can find it in their freezer and not have to special order it. Just walk in, grab one, heat it up at home, get comfy and enjoy a special treat. The best!

Veal Piccata from Le Mirage on June Street in Worcester

The menu at Le Mirage presented me with a dilemma. It divides fairly evenly between Middle Eastern and Italian items, and I love them both. Most at my table, however, chose the Middle Eastern route. So I, to paraphrase Robert Frost, took the road less traveled by. I chose Italian, the Veal Piccata. My $19 entrée featured two sautéed veal filets in a lemon butter wine sauce, served over a generous bed of penne pasta. The veal was melt-in-your-mouth tender; the pasta was perfectly al dente, and the sauce was a delicate complement to both. The portion was ample, but I ate every bite. Le Mirage is BYOB, so you might want to check the menu on-line in advance of buying your wine or beer. The comments from my fellow dining companions were as enthusiastic as my own. So, unlike Robert Frost, I do not doubt if I should ever come back to this particular culinary fork in the road again. The Italian path was too good not to go back to Le Mirage and try the Middle Eastern. -JD