Tag: Worcester Foodies XIV: Nuovo Restaurant

Nestled in a comfortable crossroads on the south end of Shrewsbury Street, Worcester Foodies made their way into Nuovo Restaurant where they were greeted by a family whose passion can be found in the dishes each foodie enjoyed.

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Parpadelle a’Matriciana

Being my first time at Nuovo Restaurant on Shrewsbury Street, I didn’t quite know what to expect, but I went in with an open mind. Upon entering I was greeted with chic designs and a dimly lit dining room with well dressed tables and an inviting environment. When we finally got to our meals, we had the choice from an array of Italian classics with a twist. To start my meal off, I ordered the Arancini, which are fried rice balls with ham, peas, and covered in a buffalo mozzarella marinara sauce. This was quite different but delicious in the same breathe. The crunchy outside gave way to a creamy rice center and the sauce put it over the top. The buffalo mozzarella added a slight heat to the dish that was welcome and was a great way to start any meal.

My main dish was the parpadelle a’matriciana, a parpadelle pasta dish with pancetta, onion, pecorino romano cheese and tomato sauce. When presented with my meal, it was a heaping plate of pasta displayed in a big bowl with an ornate pasta serving spoon for effect. The pasta was cooked al dente and the one particular item that stood out right from the start was the onions. They were cooked but still crunchy and gave an excellent textural contrast to the fork tender pasta. I found that the pancetta could have been a little more prominent as I found myself really having to search for the nuggets of delicious pork. When it was found, it added a nice smokey aspect to the meal. In addition to these tastes and textures, the pasta sauce was well balanced. Once again, it had a slight heat at the end but nothing that made it too overpowering nor unnoticeable. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone who is looking for a quiet meal with a spouse or significant other and wanted some delicious Italian meals that you can’t get many other places. -ED

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Nuovo’s Linguine alla Carbonara

2010 Seven Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon by J. Lohr

2010 Seven Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon by J. LohrIt’s easy to forget that many of the small restaurants in Worcester are truly family run. You won’t forget this when you dine at Nuovo Restaurant on Shrewsbury Street. Husband and wife duo, Loreta and Aleksander Gjonca, go the extra mile in not only making sure that the restaurants patrons are taken care of, but they are actually interested on how they did and what can be improved. It can be easy for restaurants to lose sight on how to improve the experience, but when you look at one of the many family owned restaurants in the city, their families livelihood often depends on the restaurant’s success.

J. Lohr Cabernet

For Worcester Foodies XIV a group of 19 hungry Worcesterites poured into Nuovo Restaurant, which has only been open since June 2011, to see what Aleksander was going to dish out. Having recently participated in the Worcester’s Best Chef Competition, he was eager to show the recently updated menu and also offer a fixed 4-course option with the group. With a bottle of  2010 Seven Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon by J. Lohr to start,  it was easy to relax in the comfortable and cozy atmosphere with contemporary details. The wine was a beautiful red-purple body with aromas of ripe fruits of black plum and hint of roasted vanilla and coconut. Mature and well structured, this wine certainly eased us into the atmosphere and meal to come.

Linquine alla Carbonara is a traditional Italian dish based on egg, cheese (in this case parmesan), and pancetta, mixed with a black pepper. Typically restaurants are bold when preparing any alla carbonara dish, focusing on the salty nature of pancetta (sometimes guanciale or local bacon is used highlight the salty, fat flavors) and an overwhelming cracked black pepper for spice. Nuovo Restaurant had opted to tone down the “salt and pepper” but added a garlic to subtly bring a different flavor to the palate. Foodies, serious or casual, could go either way on this dish. Those looking for that bold, overpowering flavors accustom to all a carbonara dishes will need to go heavy on the freshly cracked pepper and parmesan cheese topping, but those with a mild tolerance of spice will find this dish the perfect complement of texture, consistency and flavor, without being overcome by the intensity of spices.

All in all, Nuovo Restaurant, for only being open for a year has a lot going for it. The owners pay careful attention to the food, especially when trying to cater to a large group like ours, the atmosphere is intimate yet contemporary, and the staff is knowledgeable, efficient, and, above all, more than pleasant. When looking to break from your routine restaurant stops, Nuovo Restaurant on Shrewsbury Street should be on your short list.