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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La Cucina’s Cavatelli Bolognese

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

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

La Cucina Italiana is set in an unassuming building on Grafton Hill adjacent to Shakers Café. In truth, I didn’t even know it was there. Apparently they’ve only been open for a couple of months. It is owned and run by Anthony Paranelli Sr., his wife, Carolyn, and several family members including Anthony Paranelli Jr.

The interior on one side has a very unassuming café/diner feel, but the far right has a more elegant and warm restaurant feel. This is where we sat. Fun shabby chic recycled doors hanging against the wall with black and white photos of Worcester’s past added a nice touch. The room also featured a large chalkboard on the opposite wall with the day’s specials written large for all to see.

I ordered the Cavatelli Bolognese from the list of specials. I love Cavatelli pasta. I get tired of the regular choices such as penne and spaghetti. The cavatelli was cooked al dente with a good bite and chew to it. The sauce, or gravy as the Italians say, was a marinara with a house-made sausage minced and spread out in the sauce liberally. The dish was topped with some Parmesan cheese. This hearty portion was served in a large bowl. In fact, it was so hearty that I could only eat half, because I needed room to eat the very large piece of chocolate cake I had after.

Our group is full of good sharers so I was able to try several other dishes. I have to say that everything was great, especially the Porchetta.

We had a very attentive waitress. She was pleasant and worked with another energetic young lady. Both worked in tandem to serve our party of 15 with smiles all around.

Overall, I’d be happy to suggest going here for some classic Italian dishes at a great price. You’ll leave stuffed, or in my case with some leftovers. A few specials caught my eye that I’d like to go back to try on a different day. Although next time I’ll remember it’s a BYOB and bring a bottle of wine to go along with my pasta! They have glasses there for you too.

Additionally, I appreciated that Anthony Jr. came out to visit with us and chat after our meal. That’s a personal touch we enjoy from the owners, because we get to know them a little.

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Porchetta at La Cucina

Porchetta at La Cecina on Hamilton Street in Worcester, MA

Porchetta at La Cecina on Hamilton Street in Worcester, MA

La Cucina Italiana, a BYOB restaurant on Hamilton Street in Worcester, hosted Worcester Foodies this month. I had eaten there before, but I was eager to try it again. The dining area is an open room with booths that surround a handful of tables. They also have some old black and white photographs of Worcester County, which is a nice accent. The dining area is homey and comforting, which to me meant the meal was about to be the same.

Our very attentive server immediately brought us bread and olive oil to enjoy as we reviewed the menu. La Cucina Italiana offers tried and true Italian favorites such as lasagna, chicken Parmesan, eggplant Parmesan, meatballs with pasta, pizza and so much more. Many of the dishes tempted me, but I chose the Porchetta from the specials listed on the blackboard.

To start, I ordered a cup of Pasta Fagioli Soup, which was served piping hot. The tender beans and pasta were as plentiful as the flavor in this rich, hearty soup. Although I did add red pepper flakes for a little spice.

The Porchetta was a popular choice in our group. The generous portion of pork was rolled and stuffed with spicy ham, salami and a mixture of cheese with cavatelli pasta and a topping of wonderful brown mushroom gravy. The meat and cheese stuffing added a zesty, spicy flavor to complement the tender pork. The mushroom dressing brought an earthy finish to each bite. Then the pork was somewhat crispy on the outside, but soft in the center.

This family-run restaurant really made us feel right at home. Our servers were extremely attentive and helpful. They were always there to replenish the water glasses and the bread basket. The rest of the service team pitched in too, which made our dining experience outstanding.

I would certainly recommend La Cucina Italiana to friends and family, especially if they are looking for a casual Italian meal at a great price.