Posted on

Veal Soprano at Dino’s

Veal Soprano at Dino's on Lord Street in Worcester, MA

Veal Soprano at Dino's on Lord Street in Worcester, MA

Dino’s Ristorante Italiano is hidden away in a mostly residential area off Plantation St that you would never find unless you knew about it. This old-school, Worcester restaurant has ample parking and seating and even on a Tuesday night, was pretty busy.

At Dino’s each meal starts with fresh bread and a diced tomato salad, sort of a deconstructed bruschetta, that was very tasty and great pickings while figuring out what to order of the enormous menu.

For dinner I chose the Veal Soprano, veal sautéed and topped with prosciutto, Fontana cheese and fresh sage in a sweet, light tomato sauce with leeks and diced tomatoes. The portion was huge, two large medallions of veal and a side of linguine that was big enough to be a meal itself. The sauce was quite tasty with small chucks of prosciutto and large chunks of tomato mixed in. The veal itself however was slightly overcooked and a bit tough and chewy. The flavor was still quite nice, but the texture was too tough for my liking. The pasta was cooked perfectly, but I felt the tomato sauce (not the same sauce as on the veal) and pasta were both average. Overall, I’d have to rate this as an average meal, balancing a great flavor with the overcooked meat.

Posted on

Veal Ragu

Veal Ragu from Joey's on Chandler Street in Worcester, MA

Veal Ragu from Joey's on Chandler Street in Worcester, MA

Nestled away in a small strip mall, slightly off the beaten path, is Joey’s Bar and Grill—a reliable name to the Worcester dining scene. Lesser restaurants would likely struggle with the location but Joey’s was packed during our last Worcester Foodies meeting—even on a Tuesday night. Joey’s offers a mixed menu of good staples and interesting dishes. Our waitress was very knowledgeable and helpful with the menu and specials of the day.

I decided to order the veal ragu. The veal ragu was described as slow roasted veal with wild mushrooms, white wine and sage. It was served over a bead of cracked pepper risotto. Accompanying the meal was an arugula, pancetta, and crisp apple salad. The meal was well prepared and the flavors described in the description were apparent and well balanced. My only comment on the meal was that salad had a slightly salty taste to it which brought out the flavors of the greens, apples and pancetta but was slightly over salty at times. The veal ragu and risotto were exceptionally prepared and went well together making for a wonderful felling like a home cooked comfort food meal with some unique flair to it. The slow cooked veal, carrots, mushrooms, and wine all blended well into a savory dish that I would definatley order again.

The food, service, staff, and attention to detail were evident at Joey’s. The chef smmed quite interested in checking up on his guests and making sure everyone as happy and content. Joey’s is a great place for a good meal that’s slightly of the beaten path for Worcester’s dining scene. If your ever in the Chandler St area Joey’s is worth a visit. -DO