Tag: Worcester Restaurant Group

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Nothing Says Family Like VIA’s Suckling Pig

VIA's Suckling Pig Dinner in Worcester, MA

VIA Italian Table should be credited as one of the first restaurants in the city to have recognized the value in hosting pairing dinners for local clientele who sought equal parts education and camaraderie. These days, VIA routinely offers a plethora of both wine and beer dinners for guests to enjoy. The carefully curated multi-course affairs tend to evoke an experience that is both thoughtful and memorable. Now, Corporate Executive Chef Mark Hawley has begun to play with the idea of multi-course group dining in an entirely new fashion. In January of 2018, Hawley rolled out the Suckling Pig Dinner, a family-style meal intended to spark interactive dining for parties of 8.

Hawley oversees all three Worcester Restaurant Group – The Sole Proprietor, One Eleven Chop House and VIA – kitchens and has proven his ability to construct tidy plates fit for foodies time and time again. The Suckling Pig Dinner was conceived as the epitome of convivial dining – an intimate and gregarious feast that places emphasis on quality ingredients and good company. For Hawley, this is the sweet spot where fine dining and family dining meet.

Guests begin with a selection of appetizers, like the crispy pork meatballs with sweet and sour glaze, bruschetta built on loaves of grilled Tuscan bread, and the caprese salad, piled high with fresh burrata. The main course arrives on a silver platter, taking Chef Hawley an entire day to prepare. Its delivery comes in a whirlwind of fanfare – first presented whole, then carved for consumption. The suckling pig boasts tender light meat with a crisp exterior. Around the table, portions are large, laughs are inevitable, and old tales are ripe for the telling. We should warn you: given such a spectacle, other guests are apt to stare. Sometimes it’s okay to be the center of attention.

Reservations for the Suckling Pig dinner are open to parties on Tuesday evenings at a cost of $365. Beverage pairings of beer, wine, or whiskey are available as well and promise to be hand selected by VIA’s exceptionally knowledgeable team.

We’ve come to understand what Hawley means when he says, “Sometimes, we just want to eat like a family.” This is your chance.

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How do you shop smarter for healthy, affordable meals? The Chefs of ‘No Kid Hungry’ Dish Out Their Advice.

Mark Hawley, corporate executive chef, at for Worcester Restaurant Group (Photograph by Alex Belisle)

On March 27th, Worcester Restaurant Group will host a five course dinner and wine pairing event at 111 Chop House in honor of Share Our Strength’s ‘No Kid Hungry’ campaign. ‘No Kid Hungry’ aims to end child hunger in America by connecting young people and their families to healthy, affordable meals. Worcester Restaurant Group is joined by Niche Hospitality Group, deadhorse hill, Sonoma of Princeton, and Sweet Kitchen and Bar.

Attendees can expect an impressive spread of hors d’oeuvres from 6:00-7:00 p.m. featuring the likes of Aquavit Gravlax and Fried Pig Head Tacos. Chefs are pulling out all the stops for the five courses that follow including Piquillo Relleno, Poached Salmon, Lasagna Bolognese, Stuffed Beef Tenderloin, and Chocolate Cake served with Earl Grey Ice Cream.

In the spirit of ‘No Kid Hungry,’ we asked a few of the participants for their expert tips about “shopping smarter.”

Mark Hawley

Worcester Restaurant Group

Shop smart with a plan, cook only what you need, and try to use as much of what you bought as possible (just like people did in the old days before the luxury of buying fabricated, processed items.) If you respect and love the food in front of you, it will love you back.

Cauliflower is one of my favorite vegetables. Most people use just the florets, but every part of this vegetable is delicious. You can puree it, chop it into rice or cous cous, roast it on its own, use it in stir-fry…it even makes great pizza crust. And, the green leaves that typically get peeled off and thrown away can be transformed into a crisp chip with a buttery stem if you put them in the oven with some olive oil, salt, and pepper.

 

Bill Brady

Sonoma of Princeton

For healthy eating on a tight budget, buy vegetables in season, perhaps freezing the surplus. You can save a tremendous amount of money this way. Another tip is to “batch cook” by planning to cook three or four meals with one item. For instance, buy a whole chicken – this is relatively inexpensive.

Meal One: Whole roast it.

Meal Two: Use the leftover meat to make a low fat chicken salad.

Meal Three: Use the bones and scraps to make a chicken stock, add vegetables for a tasty soup.

 

Cornelius Rogers

Niche Hospitality Group

We are pretty conscious about what we buy and eat in our household, especially for [our children] Scarlett and Bear. Fresh is best. We always have fresh veggies and fruits to snack on. For lunch and dinner we cut them up for their plates instead of buying fries or chips. Pickles too, that’s one of their favorite snacks.

READ THE LABELS! Compare similar items together and see what is the best. Light, fat free, low fat can sometimes hide sugars and chemicals, and are generally higher in calories and sodium. Buy larger cuts of meat or whole birds instead of steaks and boneless skinless chicken breasts. You can get much more for your money and it will go much further. Think about how many people a turkey can feed on the holidays; that could translate into many healthy and different meals for an entire week. Buy a chuck roast and cook it low and slow. This is a great place to use your crockpot. Leftovers could become breakfast hash, sandwiches, and even tacos. That’s four meals out of one cut of meat.

Your seat at the ‘No Kid Hungry’ dinner and wine pairing can be reserved on the 111 Chop House website. Tickets are $150 including tax and gratuity. Proceeds will help families throughout the state make healthy choices and shop smarter.