Tag: Foodies LVIII: La Cucina

Eggplant Rollatini at La Cucina Italiana on Hamilton Street in Worcester

For December 2015, Foodies went to La Cucina Italiana—a family owned Italian restaurant nestled on Grafton Hill’s Hamilton Street in Worcester, MA. Here is what the group ordered:

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New Italian BYOB Addition to Worcester

Cavatelli Bolognese from La Cucina Italiana on Hamilton Street in Worcester, MA

Cavatelli Bolognese from La Cucina Italiana on Hamilton Street in Worcester, MA

La Cucina Italiana is a new addition to Worcester’s food scene in an area where we are seriously lacking places to eat: the Hamilton Street/Grafton Street area. Closer to Lake Ave. than downtown Worcester and sharing a building with Shaker Cafe, La Cucina Italiana is a fantastic casual dining option. For a Tuesday night, it was bustling with various families coming in and out for some traditional Italian fare.

At first glance, the menu seemed pretty basic but tripe caught my eye for the adventurous eaters. They have many traditional pasta dishes, salads, soups, and pizza. I went with one of the eight specials that night: the Cavatelli Bolognese. They were great in accommodating my lactose intolerance. The dish came quickly in a large serving bowl of al dente cavatelli and home-made sauce. The best word to describe the meat sauce is delicious. On top of that for only $12.95, it was more than one meal.

We enjoyed great service from the moment we entered the restaurant until we left with full bellies. I never felt rushed and never had to wait for anything, which is rare for such a large group.

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised. It’s a nice addition to Worcester’s collection of Italian restaurants. When you are looking for casual, hearty Italian food, be sure to check them out. As an added bonus, it is BYOB.

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Manicotti at La Cucina Italiana

Manicotti at La Cucina Italiana on Hamilton Street in Worcester, MA

Manicotti at La Cucina Italiana on Hamilton Street in Worcester, MA

I drive by La Cucina Italiana all the time because it’s located near me in Worcester. It looks like a cute place where locals hang out and enjoy their BYOB wine. When we entered the place, there was a hostess desk without a host. So we stood there for a few minutes and no one came over to check in with us. We were there for more than a few minutes before anyone even made eye contact. Finally, a young man came swinging by and asked if we had been helped. He did not wait for an answer before moving along to his next task, even though we smiled and said we were waiting for our friends to arrive. It was a disappointing beginning to the evening.

The menu had several items that looked promising and the board of specials won me over. I ordered one of the specials: the Manicotti. Manicotti lets you know the quality of the sauce and cheese a place puts together in order to entice an Italian food fan. The large portion filled my plate. I dug in and found the taste to be just like mom used to make–and my mom is an excellent cook. I thoroughly enjoyed my meal.

Our server was nice and she smiled as we asked questions and bantered. She did share with us the dishes she favored on the menu and several folks at our table ordered these items. Her suggestions didn’t disappoint. The chef came out to ask how things were. He also showed interest in our Foodies group. Then he thanked us for coming out. He was genuinely a very nice guy.

Overall La Cucina Italiana is one of those nice little neighborhood restaurants that makes good food. It is a place to go to when you don’t feel like making food at home. Bring some wine, order one of the specials, and enjoy.