Sopecitos de Carnitas | Mass Food & Wine

Oaxacan Chorizo Taco From Niche Test Kitchen in Worcester

“Unique.” That is the word that is the essence of my experience at the Niche Test Kitchen. From the format of the evening, to the food itself, unique is what it all was.

I’ve never been to a test kitchen before and I was excited by the layout and the yummy smells wafting through the air. Owner Mike Covino brought out his “A” team for the evening. Chef de Cuisine Neil Rogers and Executive Chef Steve Champagne pulled out all the stops with their “nose to tail” 6 course tasting menu.

Chef Neil Rogers and team created a menu that each dish contained part of a locally sourced pork from Chimney Hill Farm. I found out that the crew even took part in the rendering of the animal to create some succulent dishes for the evening.

I have to say one of my favorite parts of the evening was the layout of the test kitchen. As a participant, we were able to wander around the whole time between engaging with the Chefs as they cooked and then saunter over to the 4 high top tables where we found ourselves moving from one to another to chat with each other and gush about what we were served. This was great because usually we are sitting at a table and often do not get to chat with others if they are at the other end of the table. By far, my most enjoyable Foodies night yet!

Now for the good part. The food! There were 6 courses, but I’ll concentrate on the ones I loved the most.

For the first course, we had a Bratwurst and a Spiced Pork Spread from the People’s Kitchen. Being part German and growing up on some yummy German food, I’m a sucker for Bratwurst. OMG, it’s hard to keep me away if there is bratwurst around. This one was amazing. Succulent and juicy served on brioche with pickled veggies. What more can you ask for? Yum!

The Second course was from the Fix. We were served a Taylors Ham slider along with two different choices of Poutine. A Bloody Mary Poutine and a Bon Mi Poutine. I love me some Taylors Ham. I grew up on Taylors Ham. It is now part of my formative cuisine years. It’s hard to find in New England and have only seen it in a couple of places. It was very exciting to see the Chefs create their own version and put it on a slider. I think this is what separates the Niche Group of Restaurants from many others. They actually create something new and exciting vs. other restaurants who may only serve what their distributors sell them. Niche goes the extra mile to create something worthy of a foodie palette.

The third course was from Rye & Thyme. Oysters on the half shell and the lettuce cups. I have to say that typically I’m not an oyster fan (texture issues) however when I saw the oysters and found out they had house cured pork, uni, quail eggs and a grapefruit mignonette, I had to try it. It was fabulous! I’d actually try it again if it get’s put on the menu at Rye and Thyme. My favorite however, was the Lettuce wraps. With pork belly, crumbly blue cheese dressing and minced shallots, I’m sure it will be a best seller. I went back for thirds.

Next up was Mezcal with Oaxacan Chorizo Tacos and Sopecitos De Carnitas. These two were by far my most favorite of the evening. I love me some spicy foods and the Taco’s delivered. They had saffron corn salsa, creamy adabo, radish and cilantro. A taste bud exsplosion! The Sopa’s (small corn masa bowls) were created with a black beans, avocado salsa, Cotija cheese and habanero oil. The Sopa’s were definitely a hit with almost everyone and I can see these being a regular hit for their menu. I also had second servings on these as well.

Now for Bocado. Niche’s tappas restaurant. We were served Porchetta con pimenton and Paella Grande. Who doesn’t love a Porchetta? This one was amazing. Prepared with pickled onion, shaved carrot salad and crushed marcona almonds, you are feasting on some very juicy pig with a tiny bit of crunch from the almonds and carrots. I can’t say enough about the Paella. This also had a bit of crunch from the sides of the pan. I love this. Large prawns sitting in the giant pan tempted you with the flavor of the sea. The rice was cooked perfectly and seasoned just right. It was fun to watch them cooking it in the large pan. Not something I get to see every day. I’ll definitely be ordering both when we go next. Let’s hope it get’s on the permanent menu.

Mexican Hot Chocolate Cheesecake From Niche Test Kitchen in Worcester

Last but not least, the final course. Churro bites and Mexican Hot Chocolate Cheesecake. If you are a chocolate lover, these are for you. Churros you can dip into the chocolate and a new dish for me, the Hot Chocolate Cheesecake. OMG, I could just fall into gluttony on that one. With a little bit of ancho chile and salted cashews, my mouth was watering at the description.

All in all, it was one of my absolutely favorite and “Unique” experiences to date. From the amazing food to the Chef’s and their team to the wonderful company of our foodies group, I can honestly say this one will go down in the books as one of my most cherished culinary experiences ever.

Thanks to WorcesterScene.com for arranging this all for us and also to Mike Covino, Chef Neil Rogers, Chef Steve Champagne and the rest of the team for creating this wonderful experience for us all to cherish.

Sopecitos De Carnitas From Niche Test Kitchen in Worcester

Thursday evening marked my return to Foodies! Hallelujah! After a brief hiatus due to giving birth, I am back, and boy, was I ready for this event – the long awaited opening of Niche’s Test Kitchen! The Niche restaurants are some of my favorite dining establishments in Worcester. Not only is their food and drink consistently delicious, but the service is always exceptional!

As a frequent diner to these restaurants, I was thrilled to be a part of the opening of the test kitchen. Located next door to Mezcal, the test kitchen is exactly as it sounds, an industrial kitchen loaded with all of the applianced and gadgets needed to produce delicious food. For the event, a small bar was set up along with some high top tables and stools. In front of the ovens and stoves was a long table where the food was served and from which us ‘Foodies’ could watch the magic happen and ask the chefs questions as the dishes were prepared, carefully plated, and served.

The dishes were served tapas style to give everyone an opportunity to sample (with room for seconds) potential dishes for each of Niche’s five restaurants. The night began with dishes served from The People’s Kitchen – Bratwurst and a delightful cheese platter including creamy goat cheese, smoked gouda, and spiced pork spread was served with crispy bread, pickled veggies, and various mustards. The goat cheese and gouda were delicious, yet expected, however, the pork spread was surprisingly light with hints of lime and fresh herbs. When paired on toast, was quite enjoyable.

Course number two was created by the chef from The Fix – Taylor Ham Sliders, Bloody Mary Poutine, and Banh Mi Poutine. The sliders were delicious served with a light coleslaw, however, the bread was overwhelming. A less bulky roll would have complimented the meat and slaw better. The poutines were both delicious, however, the tomato, mayo, horseradish ‘gravy’ served on the Bloody Mary Poutine was on the heavy side when paired with the french fries. On the contrary, the Banh Mi Poutine was absolutely stellar! The pork was tender and juicy and the lime, cilantro, and jalepenos complemented the dish beautifully! A MUST addition to The Fix’s already incredible menu!

Course number three came to us from Leominster’s Rye & Thyme – a favorite of mine despite not being located in Worcester proper! This was by far, my favorite course of the evening. The Pice de resistance of the night were the oysters, served raw with a creamy quail egg, grapefruit, and house made guanciale – a cured meat. The juxtaposition of flavors and textures was truly outstanding and created an umami effect of the taste buds. The lettuce cups served with blue cheese, pork belly lardons, and minced shallots were a tasty mouthful…crisp, creamy, and satisfying.

Course number four came from Mezcal – full disclosure, Mexican is not my favorite food, I have never been a fan of the spices and preparations for Mexican fare, hence why these two dishes were not my favorite. The Oaxacan Chorizo Tacos and Sopecitos de Carnitas were perfect appetizer-sized bites, however, the sopecitos were heavy and the base overpowered the filling. The tacos were good, but were similar to tacos already on Mezcal’s menu.

Bocado’s chef was up for the fifth and final main course dishes….I think Mike Covino saved the best, and probably the most gluttonous dish for last – Porchetta Con Pimenton – OMG! Words cannot express how incredibly, mouthwateringly satisfying this dish was….the meat was beautifully garnished with pickled onions and fresh herbs, however, the meat itself was a masterpiece…tender, fatty, and crunchy, all in a single bite – a PERFECT addition to the Bocado menu. The Paella, a dish again, that is not my favorite, was average. Served with prawns, I found the dish to be difficult to eat as you needed to “suck out” the meat from the prawns.

Finally dessert – did I have room in my stomach? NO…did I still eat dessert? OF COURSE! Churro bites, a favorite of mine when dining at Bocado and Mexican Chocolate Cheesecake Bite – need I say more? A wonderful ending to an even better evening filled with friends, cocktails, food, and royalty of Worcester chefs…what more could a Foodie ask for!

Tag: Sopecitos de Carnitas

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