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Chicken Artichoke

Chicken Artichoke from Blackstone Bistro in Worcester, MA

Chicken Artichoke from Blackstone Bistro in Worcester, MA

I have two main points I wish to express about my most recent outing with Worcester Foodies at Blackstone Bistro.  First point: I am not very smart sometimes.  Second point: See first point.

Despite Blackstone Bistro being eight minutes from my home, I had never been before and relied on my phone as a guide.  Thanks to Massachusetts’ notorious tangle of roads and after passing the same industrial park four times, I arrived a few minutes late wondering how I had missed this road which, as it turns out, I’ve been taking since childhood (see: first point).  The atmosphere at the Blackstone Bistro is very casual and inviting, an updated, classic american dining feel, so I was able to relax quickly and put my navigation troubles behind me.

For an appetizer I chose the Stuffed Mushrooms, mushroom caps with vegetarian homemade stuffing topped with a light garlic butter sauce, as I’ve been making an attempt to eat lighter and healthier lately. Yes, I know, but at least the butter and stuffing was on a vegetable (see: second point).  It was quite good and unlike most stuffed mushrooms I’ve had in that it wasn’t dripping in oil and butter.

Wanting to go light(er) for my main course, I ordered the Chicken Artichoke, a boneless chicken breast sautéed in a garlic lemon sauce with artichoke hearts.  When it arrived I saw that it was far creamier than anything I had been eating recently, but the first bite sealed my fate and the plate was soon empty. The lemon cut the cream, keeping it from overwhelming my palate and complimenting both the chicken and the artichoke. It was a delicious dish that was able to masquerade itself as light tasting, but I and my stomach will warn you (see: first AND second point): if you’re used to eating light, only eat half!

Blackstone Bistro is a place with friendly staff, fine service, and a safe menu. While the dessert choices seemed fairly basic (I decided to pass) and it seems as though free refills should be standard on soda (just a small pet peeve), it was a wonderful evening of good food in a great environment.

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Mac and Cheese

Mac and Cheese from Blackstone Bistro in Worcester, MA

Mac and Cheese from Blackstone Bistro in Worcester, MAMost people just use Quinsigamond Village to cut through a busier section of Route 146 to get to Holy Cross. However, what they probably miss is a small restaurant tucked in along side the road that is offering a refreshing take on many American classics. This location used to be home to Sweet T’s Southern Kitchen, but with a modern design and updated décor, there is some added class and civility to the restaurant’s ambiance. Given some of the choices that were available to me on the menu and some of the other choices I have made in regards to dishes in previous months, I wanted to simplify things…I ended up ordering the mac and cheese ($7.95). This mac and cheese was elbow macaroni smothered in their own creamy cheese sauce and topped with golden Parmesan bread crumbs. The dish came out of the kitchen piping hot, with a lovely, crispy crust on top. The macaroni was soft and with cheese sauce made for a velvet like consistency. It could have used some additional salt to make the dish pop. The plate was also garnished with various herbs around the plate’s edge which is a personal pet peeve of mine, because it doesn’t lend anything to the dish and can make for a messier presentation. However, with that being said, my meal transported me to a childhood classic that my parents used to make for me and is pretty much one of the most quintessential comfort dishes you can eat and Blackstone Bistro did a great rendition of it.