Tag: penne

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Chicken Capri

Chicken Capri from Le Mirage on June Street in Worcester, Massachusetts

Chicken Capri from Le Mirage on June Street in Worcester, Massachusetts

Nestled on the corner of June and Chandler Street is Le Mirage, a family run, BYOB restaurant featuring a unique mix of Italian and Lebanese food. While I had heard of this eatery and driven by the establishment countless times, I had never dined there and was excited to do so with my fellow foodies! Upon entering the restaurant, I was shocked at how busy it was for a Tuesday night. All of the tables were filled with diners, young and old (regulars–I was told later by the owner and chef) engaged in lively conversations while casually sipping their beverage of choice. The meals in front of them were mouth watering and ranged from heaping plates of pasta to perfectly charred panini sandwiches. My husband and I were immediately greeted by the owner’s daughter who would also be our waitress for the evening. She was personable, passionate about the restaurant, and more importantly, incredibly knowledgeable about the menu. It was evident that she knew the ingredients in each and every dish, including the recently added choices for the city’s annual Restaurant Week.

As promised, the menu was a wonderful combination of traditional Italian and Lebanese food. While the foodie in me encouraged me to order something “out of my comfort zone” like the Baked Kibbie or Chicken Saiid, I am a sucker for pasta, and eventually decided upon the Chicken Capri – penne tossed with sautéed chicken, sun dried tomatoes, and spinach with a scampi sauce. The dish arrived piping hot and I could not wait to dig in. The portion was huge and I was starving. As I dug in, my taste buds did a dance. The penne was cooked perfectly to al dente. The chicken, was plentiful, moist and delicious with hints of garlic and lemon. There were large chunks of sun dried tomatoes, which have a natural tendency to be dense and salty, but infused in this dish were light and flavorful. The spinach was wilted, and miraculously maintained both its texture and flavor. My favorite part of the dish was the scampi sauce. It was light…not heavy or oily, with bright lemon and garlic flavors that mimicked the chicken marinade. I forced myself to stop eating 1/2 of the way through and was glad that I did, because my leftovers lasted for 2 more meals! I am so pleased to have discovered this hidden gem and will return to Le Mirage soon! -AV

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Pollo Alla Vodka

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