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Worcester Foodies Visiting Via on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, MA for Brunch

The 2016 Summer edition of Worcester Restaurant Week is here and it’s the perfect time to get out there and try something new. With over 40 restaurants participating across the City of Worcester (and a few in surrounding towns) there is surely something for everyone!

Originated in 2009 and growing every year, Worcester Restaurant Week is a great opportunity for diners to enjoy the red-hot Worcester restaurant scene. From old favorites to the new hot spots, participating restaurants create a special 3-course, pre-fixe menu at super affordable prices – lunch at $14.16 and dinner at $24.16!

“Worcester Restaurant Week is a great time for us to showcase our 3 restaurants to new customers,” said Robb Ahlquist, owner of the Worcester Restaurant Group (VIA Italian Table, 111 Chop House, and Sole Proprietor).

During Restaurant Week, The Sole Proprietor is featuring both lunch and dinner. For lunch, some choices include Oven Baked Crab Cakes or Smoked Scallop Maki to start, creamy hot Chowder or fresh House Salad next and for entrées a spicy Dijon and Blue Lump Crab Crusted Cape Cod Bluefish, fresh Grilled Salmon or a Hanger Steak & Shrimp Skewer. During dinner, the menu includes cold Shrimp & Pasta Salad, Salmon Marsala or fresh North Atlantic Haddock. Save room for dessert too – their famous Flourless Chocolate Cake or Strawberry Pound Cake is perfect to finish your meal. At the Sole, you can upgrade your entrée to a Lobster Tail over Clam Bake Hash for only $27.16.

At One Eleven Chop House the dinner menu starts with a spicy Tomato Bisque, tender Grilled Lamb Riblets or Bang Bang Shrimp appetizers; first courses of fresh Mixed Green Salad or a Summer Grilled Watermelon Salad and entrées feature a Pan Seared North Atlantic Salmon, Beef Tenderloin and Shrimp Skewers or slow roasted BBQ Beef Brisket.

Next door at VIA Italian Table, both lunch and dinner are served. Intriguing options include Truffle Frites with Parmigiano or Black Pepper & Mascarpone Arancini as a first course; entrée options include Chicken Caesar Salad Pizza, Grilled Chicken Salad or a Salmon Livornese. Finish lunch with homemade Gelati or a rich and creamy Canoli Duo. Finally, dinner at VIA starts with a plentiful Tomato Mozzarella Stack or a Slow Roasted Pork Belly “BLT”; Mixed Greens Insalata or Chicken Orzo Soup are next and entrées include Grilled North Atlantic Salmon, Pappardelle Bolognese or Braised Pork Shank over creamy Parmesan Polenta.

So get out there and tempt your taste buds. Worcester Restaurant Week runs August 1st– August 13th. And yes, that is longer than just a week as the name implies so you have plenty of time to try a few different restaurants!

Sole Proprietor's Buster... the history of Worcester's favorite crustacean icon.

It is that time of year again, the world’s largest inflatable crab is sitting on the roof of the Sole Proprietor, so that means only one thing in Worcester – Buster is Back! And with him come some of the most incredible crab dishes you could imagine.

Having been to the Sole on many occasions, I have become accustomed to high quality seafood, served by knowledgeable staff members, in an upscale, yet comfortable atmosphere. But for whatever the reason, I have never been to the Sole during the crab promotion, which I can say now, will never happen again as the food and selection was out of this world.

Crab and Corn Chowder from Buster's Crab menu at The Sole on Highland Street in Worcester, MA. — Crab and Corn Chowder from Buster’s Crab menu at The Sole on Highland Street in Worcester, MA.

From crab chowder, to crab sushi, to crab legs the choices are amazing. You can get crab salad, crab risotto, jumbo soft shell crab, surf and turf (with crab), crab Rangoon’s, crab meat casserole. Oh did I mention they had crab? Of course, there are other items on the menu during this promotion, but trust me, if you like crab, this is the time to get it.

With all these choices it was really difficult to make a decision, and my dining companion who likes crab as much as I do, didn’t help. Luckily our helpful serving team came to the rescue.

To start, I had the Crab and Corn Chowder. Served piping hot, creamy and full of crab, this flavor-packed cup of chowder was the perfect way to start my crab-eating extravaganza.

Crabbed Stuffed Portobello Mushroom from The Sole on Highland Street in Worcester, MA

Next to the table was a Crabbed Stuffed Portobello Mushroom. My dining partner’s choice and an interesting combination of roasted mushroom with herb garlic cream cheese, then stuffed with chucks of Blue crab meat. Baked crispy with breadcrumbs and roasted red pepper vinaigrette, the combination of flavors exploded with each bite.

On to my main dish….and making a choice wasn’t easy as there was so many great options. I selected the Crab Cakes and my dining companion chose the Tempura Sesame Fried Jumbo Soft Shell Crabs. My dish was amazing, three generous crab cakes, pan fried, full of crab and delicious. The dish came with warm Asian coleslaw, drizzled with a spicy chili mayo and a side of herb rice pilaf. The crab cake was crispy outside, perfectly tender and moist on the inside and full of flavor from the salty crab, which was perfect along side the chili-drizzled, spicy Asian coleslaw.

At this point I wasn’t hungry, but I had to taste my companion’s Tempura Sesame Fried Jumbo Soft Shell Crabs. First, the presentation was awesome as the two pan-fried soft shell crabs were stacked on a Buckwheat Noodle Salad and plated perfectly. I waited as she worked her way around the battered crabs and snuck a forkful of salty, yet sweet crabmeat away when she wasn’t looking. Absolutely delightful!

To say the Sole Proprietor is good is an understatement. The Sole has been one of the most consistent restaurants in all of Massachusetts for more years than I can remember. It is on everyone’s “best seafood” list. The food is fresh, the menu is ever changing, the wine list is exceptional and the service is outstanding. Every time! The Sole is a testament to consistency and quality, and a truly exceptional dining experience.

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