Ravioli | Page 3 of 6 | Mass Food & Wine

Lamb and Grape Leaves Stuffed Ravioli from Rosalina's Kitchen on Hamilton Street in Worcester, MA

I ordered one of the specials from Rosalina’s Kitchen.
The lamb and grape leaves stuffed ravioli. And I knew that it could go either way, because sometimes folks just don’t know how to cook lamb and make it well. Other times you stumble on something of mythic proportions and you can’t stop eating. This was the case with these ravioli. After that first bite and realization that this may be the best ravioli I’ve ever had, I knew I had to take a second bite and be sure my first reaction was not just about the delight of finding something different. And this was something different, something special. It was mix of flavors from different cultures that you don’t normally find on an Italian menu. And that second bite backed up the first reaction. Wow. I knew I should do my “Foodie” duty and offer some up to my surrounding foodies. I wanted to explain just how great these little pillows of pasta, stuffed to the breaking point with perfectly flavored lamb and grape leaves, were bites of heaven. The sauce a perfect match of butter and lemon. But I opted to keep my mouth shut and only open it when the next bite was coming. There were no left overs and there was very little sharing. (Of course my husband did get a bite.) And frankly, I am ok with that.

Lobster Ravioli from Blackstone Bistro in Worcester, MA

Blackstone Bistro boasts dinners from $7.95 to a high of $13.95, matching the casual feel of the restaurant. Seeing one of my favorite dishes on the menu, I chose to go high with the lobster ravioli with a creamy lobster sauce. The dish arrived with four good-sized ravioli covered in a thick, creamy sauce. It may look like a small portion, but the sauce is so thick and rich that it is very filling. There were a few tiny bites of claw meat mixed in with the sauce. The raviolis were well constructed, but the insides were a bit disappointing. There was a fishy flavor to the filling, leading me to believe the meat was not coming from a fresh lobster. The meat inside seemed to be mostly claw meat chopped very small and mixed with cheese. I was surprised to see lobster ravioli on the menu of such a casual restaurant, so I took the bait and gave it a try. The food around the table looked like comfort food in large portions, so if I return I would go for a basic dish like chicken parmesan or pasta primavera.