Tag: scallops

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Brew City Chiopino

Brew City Chiopino from Brew City on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester

Brew City Chiopino from Brew City on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester

Entering Brew City I had the impression of a casual local establishment. A friendly server pointed us to our table. My husband and I headed over to join friends who had already arrived. The service throughout the evening was very prompt and always ready to refill a drink order.

Brew City has a nice list of “Brews,” so what is a patron to do? I ordered from their extensive beer list. Shipyard Pumpkin Head was my choice. It came with a cinnamon sugar rim. This is my “go-to” beer during the fall season.

My husband and I started with the meatball appetizer and were not disappointed. We were served four large meatballs with sauce. I found the meatballs to be exceptionally flavorful and juicy. I think I just found my new favorite appetizer.

It was hard to choose from the menu. I found so many menu options to my liking but I finally settled on the entree called “Brew City Chiopino” it was a combination of shrimp, scallops, muscles, white fish and potatoes in a spicy tomato broth. I would order this again, first because you do not see Chiopino on many menus and because quite honestly it was fantastic. The spicy tomato and fish broth was rich and flavorful. I thought the portion to be very large, it came served with two wedges of crusty bread that I barely had the room to sample after eating all the seafood and slurping up the delicious broth. The dish had a small spice to it but nothing the average person would not enjoy. I found it a bit spicy for me but I admit I am a lightweight when it comes to spice at times. I enjoyed it immensely and would go back and order it again.

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Seafood Calabrese from Dino’s

Seafood Calabrese from Dino's on Lord Street in Worcester, MA

Seafood Calabrese from Dino's on Lord Street in Worcester, MA

Dino’s Ristorante Italiano has been serving Worcester’s Italian appetites for over 60 years. I was looking forward to this stop as I have never dined here before.

The menu is packed with classic Italian staples like pizza, chicken and veal Parmesan, meatballs, alfredo, etc., as well as a respectable mid priced wine list. I decided to look for my “go to” Italian dish, Seafood Fra Diavolo. I was in luck when I found the Seafood Calabrese, a seafood medley of Shrimp, scallops, calamari and mussels served over pasta in a spicy marinara sauce.

While waiting for our dinner the very attentive waitress served the table with fresh Italian bread and a brushetta that was to die for. I had to ask where they purchased the bread, and was told it was delivered daily from Culpeppers Bakery in Worcester. We were off to a good start.

My entrée arrived in a timely manner. The portion was huge; unfortunately, the flavor was not. I had to ask the waitress for crushed red pepper to add to the salt and black pepper the dish needed just to give it a lift. Not good for a dish that is advertised served in a “simmering spicy marinara sauce.” The dish was prepared well enough, but the flavor went nowhere.

Unfortunately, my impression of Dino’s is that quantity outweighs quality. If you’re looking for a lot of food at a low price point, Dino’s delivers. Otherwise, I feel they fall short.