salad | Page 4 of 10 | Mass Food & Wine

Bo Luc Lat from Dalat Restaurant on Park Avenue in Worcester, MA

The menu at Dalat can be overwhelming at first. Over 100 items that are quite specific. For example there is beef with onions, but also beefs with broccoli. Then there is beef with onions and snow peas. And the options go on. Luckily for me, there was a little flap with six specials. I selected Bo Luc Lat which has stir fried beef chunks (yes, it said chunks) with onions on top of a fresh salad with a little bowl of rice on the side. The plate had cucumber and tomato slices on each side and some type of vegetable under the beef as the salad. I admit I am no expert on vegetables. Or Asian cuisine of any kind except rice. The beef was cooked in a syrupy brown sauce that was very sweet at first. Then I noticed it had a spicy kick. There was nothing on the menu specifying which dishes were spicy and which would be for me, so I had to drink a lot of water and half of my neighbor’s bottle of red wine. I also had to eat the rice despite trying to not eat carbs for the month of August. Despite requiring these modifications to my dining experience, I really liked the dish! It was spicy but the flavor was rich and delicious. The beef chunks were tender and well covered in the sweet sauce. This unassuming little restaurant had great food and I would return again- though I would ask if my selection was spicy!

The Big Fix Hamburger Salad from The Fix on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, MA

This month our Foodies group ventured to Niche Hospitality’s newest creation, The Fix Burger Bar on Shrewsbury Street, located in the old Mezcal space. We met up with our group in the lounge area and started the evening with a libation. Just a note, as with all Niche Hospitality restaurants, the cocktail menu at The Fix is as well thought out as the food menu with an awesome variety of craft cocktails, beer, wine and spirits. And while I didn’t try one on this occasion, they have a great selection of hand-crafted milkshakes and soda fountain classics. I enjoyed a Jefferson’s Bourbon with my good friend before heading up to our table.

The decor at The Fix is as important as the food and drink menu. The rich, dark wood, combined with the deep brown leathers and burnt orange walls create a casual yet upscale feel that sets the stage for your entire dining experience.

Seated upstairs in the semi-private dining area our group quickly got down to business ordering some appetizers and drinks. My dining partner and I chose the chicken wings that were prepared with a tasty dry herb BBQ rub and served with a tangy ranch dressing. The wings were steaming hot and crispy the dry rub had a very enjoyable jerk-, chili-, BBQ-type seasoning that was so good I can’t wait to go back for more. Fortunately I was able to steal a wing from the table behind us so I got more than my fill of these awesome wings. We also tasted the House Fried Potato Chip Nachos with Short Rib and the Pork Belly appetizers – both of which were outstanding.

After looking at a lot of great options for my main course, I chose the The Big Fix Hamburger Salad. A salad at a burger joint? Yes, and I am glad I did as this meal was one to remember. A huge classic burger, grilled perfectly, sat on top of an iceberg lettuce wheel and was finished with cheddar cheese, cherry tomato, red onion, diced house pickle and soft Brioche roll croutons. The burger was cooked perfectly, grilled on the outside and medium rare inside. The meat was described on the menu as a custom blend and certainly had a unique, hand-crafted feel and taste. It was well seasoned, but not overly seasoned and was the centerpiece of a truly enjoyable salad.

Overall, The Fix was outstanding and a spot I can see myself enjoying many more great meals.