Tag: WFXLI

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The Twisted Fork Bistro Seared Scallops

The Twisted Fork Bistro Seared Scallops

The Twisted Fork is a short drive from the Webster Square area of Worcester. At the top of Dead Horse Hill the Twisted Fork sits in a strip mall tempting your taste buds with its interesting menu.

Upon entering the restaurant the owner and chef, Jay Powell, whose passion and eclectic personality are apparent instantly, greeted us. The restaurant is a modest size with a small bar area. When we sat down, Chef Jay shared that his restaurant is a scratch kitchen, which means everything is made in-house from scratch.

The menu offered a variety of options. To start, I went with the Mushroom Truffle Soup, which was a rich creamy mushroom soup with black truffles and a dollop of sour cream. It was a masterful combination of flavors. Also, it was quite possibly the best mushroom soup, and largest quantity of soup, I have ever had. It was a portion that could have served two or three people.

For my main course, I ordered the Seared Scallops. This decent-sized portion of scallops and Brussels sprouts came on a citrus parsnip puree topped with a bacon emulsion and finished with a blood orange olive oil. The scallops were seared perfectly. The surprise star of the dish was the parsnip puree. This flavor pulled the dish together. The citrus noted in the puree and blood orange olive oil helped create a dish I want to order again and again.

Our servers, Miss Lindsey and the owner’s wife, Nancy, provided friendly and helpful assistance all night. Nancy is also the pastry chef. She makes sinfully delicious desserts. Service can be a little slow as the chef explained to us that they only have three burners and, of course, everything is made from scratch.

The Twisted Fork’s only downside was the small kitchen. It seems like having a bigger kitchen would allow them to make everything from scratch within a reasonable amount of time. However, the owner and his team showed us their sincere passion for food in the dining experience they created for us. The Twisted Fork is definitely worth a return trip.

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Salmon Fellini

Salmon Fellini from Dino's on Lord Street in Worcester, MA

Salmon Fellini from Dino's on Lord Street in Worcester, MA

It had been 12 years since my last visit to Dino’s and I was delighted to see it had remained largely unchanged, a comforting blend of at-home Italian dining dressed up for a family celebration. Being one of the last to arrive (foodies always seem eager to arrive early), I took my seat and reacquainted myself with the menu.

I chose to start with the Goat Cheese Pear Salad, a wild greens salad topped with spiced walnuts, fresh caramelized pears, marinated tomato wedges, goat cheese, and a balsamic vinaigrette dressing. Though the look of the salad was a little underwhelming upon its arrival, the ingredients were fresh and came together well which made for a solid, though not exceptional, start to the meal.

Since seafood is a claimed specialty for Dino’s and there is only so much meat, tomato sauce, and pasta a human body should process, I decided to order the Salmon Fellini. Described as “Atlantic salmon broiled and topped with artichoke hearts, sun dried tomatoes and leeks, topped with spears of asparagus and honey dijon sauce,” it seemed healthy enough to count as lighter fair and had enough sweet, fatty sauce to make me happy (ordering it over a buttery risotto is something I’ll conveniently ignore). The meal was delicious, and I was surprised at how well the honey dijon accented the salmon and sun dried tomatoes in particular. It was also one of the few dishes on the table that came in a manageable portion size, much to my belt’s delight.

With great, no-nonsense service and a selection of dependable dishes, Dino’s continues to be the work-horse of Worcester’s Italian restaurants. It may not always be the prettiest, shiniest, or most innovative, but it is great nonetheless for its charm and consistent level of quality. It won’t take as long for me to reconnect next time.