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Seafood Bianco from Dino’s

Seafood Bianco from Dino's

Seafood Bianco from Dino's

Dino’s is located in a quiet neighborhood at the end of what appears to be a cul-de-sac. Even this somewhat out of the way location didn’t seem to keep people from finding it as there were a surprising number of patrons for a Tuesday evening. I couldn’t help but take note of the size of the dishes delivered to nearby tables and the amount of to-go boxes that were leaving with people after their meals were complete. Nonetheless, I ordered the Seafood Bianco which included shrimp, scallops, calamari, and mussels nestled into linguini. The seafood was to be simmered in a white wine garlic sauce with tomatoes and leeks. When my meal arrived, the seafood promised on the menu was definitely included. There were at least 12-15 mussels, rings of calamari, a handful of bay scallops, but unfortunately, only 2-3 shrimp. Most of the mussels were good, the calamari and scallops were okay and the number of shrimp comparatively was disappointing.

The dish as a forkful was great at first; full of flavor and seafood. As I progressed, a thick garlic aftertaste emerged and the linguine became almost too slippery to collect. The sauce separated at the bottom of the bowl to create a souplike mix of oil and cheese. The portion was enormous, but I would rather have had less food with a more consistent sauce and a better ratio of fresh seafood. I feel a lot is lost when portions become large and I was a little disappointed. Dino’s is great if you want a dinner that will double as a lunch the next day, but the flavors of my dinner did not stand out and a lot is compromised.

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Grilled Gourmet Pizza and Italian Antipasto at Dino’s

Grilled Gourmet Pizza from Dino's on Lord Street in Worcester, MA

Dino’s has been a long time institution in the Worcester dining scene. I have to admit, it had been probably 5 years since I had been to Dino’s and my memory was fading but upon arriving, things looked pretty much the same as I had remembered. It was a hot day and after reviewing the menu I decided to go with something different than the traditional warm pasta dishes so I ordered a small appetizer pizza and the Italian Antipasto.

Grilled Gourmet Pizza from Dino's on Lord Street in Worcester, MAThe pizza was a Grilled Gourmet Pizza that was about the size of a dinner plate. It was topped with caramelized onions, shaved prosciutto, tomatoes, figs, fresh mozzarella, wild greens and extra virgin olive oil. The pizza contained many of my favorite ingredients and did not disappoint. The pizza was prepared well and all of the ingredients tasted fresh. The other guests at my table were initially a little curious about the pizza but upon trying it they became fans also.

Italian Antipasto from Dino's in Worcester, MAThe Italian Antipasto was quite a shocker when it arrived at the table. It was easily enough to serve 3-4 people as an appetizer or 2 people as a meal. It included artichokes, salami, provolone, black olives, marinated mushrooms, marinated red peppers, cheese, cherry peppers, fried eggplant, grilled bread, pepperchini peppers to name a few of the ingredients. The antipasto was massive and I ended up taking about two thirds of it home where it made a great meal the next day as well. My only suggestion would have been to have some real marinated Italian olives instead of just canned black olives.

Overall, I was very pleased with Dino’s, which had slid to the back of my memory even though it is a long standing local institution. Sometimes I forget the local favorites when there is always something new on the dining scene. Dino’s still holds up as a local favorite as was evident by a very busy dining room on a Tuesday night.