Tag: Shrewsbury Street

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Chicken Teriyaki at Basil n’ Spice

Chicken Teriyaki with jasmine rice from Basil n' Spice on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, MA

Chicken Teriyaki with jasmine rice from Basil n' Spice on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, MA

Our October Foodies gathering was at Basil n’ Spice on Shrewsbury Street, a relatively new restaurant on the Worcester dining scene. Thai cuisine is a favorite of mine so I was looking forward to it.

It is in a location once occupied by an Indian restaurant. They did a contemporary-casual makeover to the dining room including a new eat-in bar area, freshly painted walls, and updated lighting. The room accommodates large parties and small intimate tables for quiet dinners.

The proprietor promptly greeted us saying, “Get ready for a meal full of authentic flavors.”

The menu is extensive with many popular Thai dishes such as Choo Chee and Pad Thai as well as the soups, curried dishes, rice options and several sauces.

My dining companion and I began our meal with Shrimp Fresh Rolls. The rolls combined crisp lettuce, cucumber, carrot and basil with shrimp all wrapped in rice paper and served with a peanut hoisin sauce, which worked well.

As interesting as the menu options looked, I ordered a classic: the Chicken Teriyaki with jasmine rice. It was a generous portion of freshly sautéed chicken cooked with a salty-sweet teriyaki sauce. I opted to add some additional spice. The heat was the perfect complement to teriyaki flavor.

The service team at Basil n’ Spice was outstanding starting with the owner who greeted us, sat us at our table and also took our order. In addition, she answered many questions we asked about the menu. She even told us she cooked some of the meals we enjoyed. Plus at least three or four other servers were there to help clear dishes, serve food, refill water glasses, and take drink orders.

Overall Basil n’ Spice was excellent. The atmosphere, food, and service make it a restaurant I highly recommend. I definitely will return to try some more adventurous dishes.

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British Beer Company Sights Shrewsbury Street in Worcester

British Beer Company coming to Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, MA

 

Bangers and Mash from British Beer Company

The recent and sudden closing of the Urban left a more than few heads spinning on the Shrewsbury restaurant scene. The change is good news for one firm, for securing a coveted spot on the Worcester restaurant scene has been on the British Beer Company principal Gary Simon’s radar for some time.

WorcesterScene spoke with Lisa Fosdick, BBC’s Director of Public Relations: “We’re delighted we’ve landed on Shrewsbury Street – we’re in great company with the other great restaurants here. This building is beautiful inside and out, and we’ll be able to offer outdoor seating and the parking is ideal, too.”

The British Beer Company, a privately held chain of 13 pub-style restaurants, started some 17 years ago: founders Harry Gnonk and Gary Simon loved British beers and since could not find them stateside, they launched their first traditional, British-style pub.

Little did the BBC founders know, said Fosdick, how spot on their craft-ale-focused venues would become.

British Beer Company BarWith so many restaurants struggling to manage the wave of change and growth in the craft beer industry, we asked Fosdick what keeps the BBC concept fresh. “Everyone says it, but we live it – we are totally dedicated to our customers. Each of our BBC location is loaded with local personality. We serve local craft beers and distilled spirits, we source food locally and we are always working hard to keep our food delicious and affordable for families, too. That’s been our key to maintaining a loyal patrons.”

Workers will begin to transform the new Shrewsbury Street venue this fall. Once again, BBC has secured Andy Thornton Interiors, the UK’s largest provider of architectural salvage, to outfit the space with authentic pub features and fixtures.

And as for the food? Expect pub-food favorites with a twist. Executive Chef James Gibney and his team have created a menu that mixes traditional British fare such as bangers and mash with artisan pizzas mouthwatering burgers and more, all paired with select British ales and crowd-favorite local craft beers. “It’s this eclectic mix that gives each of the BBC 13 locations their uniquely down-home, neighborhood hangout appeal.”