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Grilled Chicken Salad

I love Shrewsbury Street in the summer — it’s ok to be casual. Wear shorts, sit outside, or sit inside by an open window — it just feels like a summer thing to do. The Parkway Diner with it’s additional dinning space, bar, and large open window facing the street is one of many options. I went there again recently with Worcester Foodies. It was hot out and I wasn’t real hungry so I went with something light: the grilled chicken salad. I really wasn’t expecting much. It’s a dish I order when I don’t feel like thinking about what to eat; when I just want something healthy and light. When I took my first bite I was actually surprised at how good it was. It was really excellent. The lettuce was crisp, the chicken moist and tender, and the dressing delicious. It was just enough and I totally cleaned my plate — sopping up the remaining dressing with that one last morsel of chicken.

It was a great meal and even though there were eight of us it seemed like you could talk to any person at the table. It wasn’t too loud, the conversation flowed and was easily heard even with 7 flat screen TV’s surrounding the room. High bare tables, stools to match, paper napkins, baskets of fresh Italian bread, keno, good food, smiling faces and fresh cool air on a hot summer night … what more would you ask for? -RS

 

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Penne with Sausage and Veal Parmesan

When the time came to pick my restaurant for the Foodies event, I wanted to be one of the first people in the group to choose a diner. I am a huge fan of Guy Fieri’s show, Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives and I wanted my pick to summon my inner ‘Guy’ and try something off the beaten path. I ended up by choosing the Parkway Diner on Shrewsbury Street. After being strictly a diner for years, they recently underwent a renovation and opened an additional space behind the original diner to include a full bar, televisions and a wide array of New England sports memorabilia. For my meal, I decided on the pasta combo, which was a choice of either a sausage or a meatball, and your choice of chicken, veal or eggplant parm, over penne or spaghetti. I chose sausage, with veal parm, over penne. I was shocked at how much food you received for only $10.25. The pasta was cooked perfectly al dente, and the sauce had a bright tomato flavor and had good texture without being too chunky or too watery. The sausage was slightly spicy, dense and delicious. The veal was tender enough to cut it with a fork, and the melted mozzarella encrusted the veal and created a crispy and melty outer shell. I know that I would go back to the Parkway in a heartbeat for their quality food, big portions, small prices and inexpensive beers…it was a winner in my book! –ED