Tag: Water Street

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Who doesn’t like gnocchi?

gnocchi with bleu cheese, crispy sweet potato, and fresh scallion from Lock 50 on Water Street in Worcester, MA.

As someone who gets rather overwhelmed by too many choices, I was a bit anxious browsing the menu at Lock 50. Not because there were multiple pages and every dish imaginable, but because the menu was divided into two sections: small plates and shareable plates. Can we still share small plates? How small are small plates? Are shareable plates only for sharing? Can I eat a whole shareable plate myself? PANIC! Luckily, I was sitting with people of a similar mind. Why don’t we just order everything that looks good to us? We ended up with a solid 3/4 of the menu for a group of 5. Absolutely no regrets. Some small plates are smaller than others, so I would recommend getting more than one even if you are part of a table for two on date night. The shareable plates are bigger, and can be eaten by one person, but Lock 50 is all about sharing so share!

I chose the gnocchi with bleu cheese, crispy sweet potato, and fresh scallion. This is one of the larger shareable plates (the shaved compressed octopus being an obvious tiny one). The gnocchi arrived in a bowl topped with crispy sweet potato. Crispy sweet potato is now my favorite topping. The sweet potato was extremely thin, thinner than a toothpick, but crunchy. I would add it to all my salads if I could. The gnocchi felt almost light, but full of flavor. I would not usually call gnocchi a light dish, but there really was a light, refreshing feeling to it and I could not stop eating. The bleu cheese added a savory element that a basic potato, flour, egg gnocchi can lack, and the scallions added to the presentation as well as the fresh taste of the gnocchi. Luckily, they brought an additional one to the table due to some kind of miscommunication so I was free to eat as much as I liked.

The service was excellent beginning with the menu clarifications. Recommendations from the waitress for drinks and dishes were solid.

It was frequently a little difficult to hear each other at our table of five. We were in the upstairs section, in the middle of the room, and the room can get quite loud with a full restaurant. Some sort of sound dampening foam may be a good investment. The dishes came out in a good time frame, two dishes at once with enough time before the next to enjoy. I recommend going to Lock 50 with a small group and doing what we did-order all the plates that catch your eye. The downside is that the bill can end up rather high as the prices are near the top of the range for Worcester, but it is an experience worth having.

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Mass Foodies Visits Worcester’s Lock 50

Mass Foodies review the menu options at Worcester's Lock 50.

It is never okay to indulge in the Seven Sins but at Lock 50, gluttony, pride and lust are inevitable traits infused with each dish.

Grilled Beets, Creamy Goat Cheese, Baby Kale, Blood Orange from Lock 50 on Water Street in Worcester, MA
Grilled Beets, Creamy Goat Cheese, Baby Kale, Blood Orange from Lock 50 on Water Street in Worcester, MA

Carefully choreographed with the precision of Executive Chef Tim Russo, Mass Foodies writers explored the palate and vision of Russo’s exceptional culinary skills with a night of fine dining and fine wine.

“The Potato Gnocchi was phenomenal,” says Robyn Lane, in between servings of small plates meant for discovering new favorites. The potato gnocchi with bleu cheese, crispy sweet potato and fresh scallions was the dish everyone knew they would come back for within the first few bites. “Oh, and the Fontina Cheese was amazing.”

With a constant rotation of new plates from the kitchen, the subtle “oohs and ahas” echoed throughout the room as dishes like the Shaved Compressed Octopus made its way to each table.

Writers for Mass Foodies share a moment while enjoying Lock 50 on Water Street in Worcester, MA.
Writers for Mass Foodies share a moment while enjoying Lock 50 on Water Street in Worcester, MA.

“The Octopus and the Porchetta dishes are my favorite to create. The Shaved Compressed Octopus technique was just a creative thought I had one day and it seems to be a favorite so far. The Porchetta with Grilled Sausage, Pork Rib, Stewed Lentils and Fried Polenta is where I can alleviate some steam. It’s a fun dish to create and not as delicate as the others,” says Executive Chef Russo.

Chef Tim Russo speaking with a group of Worcester Foodies during the June outing
Chef Tim Russo speaking with a group of Worcester Foodies during the June outing

The Chorizo Stuffed Calamari was a great play on the full use of a squid dish. The body, stuffed and proportionally enhanced with a Zesty Tomato Broth and Chickpeas, was adorned with a boost of flavors and a well-versed tapas presentation.

While Stephanie Orsi and Evan Dufault raved about the Potato Gnocchi – clearly a group favorite, Amy Peterson saw the magic in Russo’s eyes when speaking about the Porchetta dish and seconded him as her favorite of the night. “The act of sharing food creates conversation and brings about laughter and camaraderie. The Porchetta is a dish to be desired. The plate, something like an upscale Shepard’s selection embodied the tapas experience with culinary excellence,” says Peterson.