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The Worcester Foodies group meeting for their 86th consecutive month, this time at 110 Grill in Worcester, MA.

Worcester’s downtown renaissance has garnered a lot of well-deserved media attention lately. A few years back the Galleria Shopping Mall was torn down and Front Street was reconnected to the downtown area making room for the City Square revitalization project. New upscale hotels like the AC Marriott have opened, 145 Front Street built 230 brand new luxury apartments, new retail outlets have opened and yes…a new restaurant has moved in!

Chef’s Plate at Worcester's 110 Grill (A MEDLEY OF ROASTED RED PEPPER HUMMUS, TZATZIKI SAUCE, FIG JAM, CANDIED WALNUTS, RED GRAPES, ARTICHOKES, OLIVES, ROASTED RED PEPPERS AND CUCUMBERS, ACCOMPANIED BY GRILLED CIABATTA AND WARMED NAAN BREAD.) — Chef’s Plate at Worcester’s 110 Grill (A MEDLEY OF ROASTED RED PEPPER HUMMUS, TZATZIKI SAUCE, FIG JAM, CANDIED WALNUTS, RED GRAPES, ARTICHOKES, OLIVES, ROASTED RED PEPPERS AND CUCUMBERS, ACCOMPANIED BY GRILLED CIABATTA AND WARMED NAAN BREAD.)

Right smack in the middle of downtown – right beside the aforementioned AC Marriott – sits the 110 Grill. This brand new, 7,000 square-foot restaurant opened in May 2018 and the Foodies recently made it the location of their latest gathering.

The Foodies have stayed away from chain restaurants, but the 110 Grill is a bit different. It is a smaller, localized chain, having opened their first restaurant in Chelmsford, MA in 2015. Since then they have added 13 other locations with Worcester being the latest addition. Everyone was excited to try their take on Modern American Cuisine.

The restaurant has a large, bright lounge area with a nice 30 seat U-shaped bar, a great selection of craft beers and an impressive wine list. The open kitchen overlooks the dining area and there is a small function room that can be utilized for larger parties, meetings and special events. Outside there is a very cool outdoor patio and fire pit that was bustling on the beautiful summer evening we visited.

The overall feel of the restaurant is one of casual elegance. Warm rich wood, contemporary details, open and clean visual lines. When you walk in, you immediately feel comfortable and welcome. As Lindsay put it, “Big windows along the front of the restaurant allow you to overlook some of downtown Worcester’s new sights. I can’t wait to spend and evening on the patio trying some options from the cocktail menu”. Stephanie added, “I was born and raised in Worcester and I really enjoy seeing my City grow and thrive.

Evan described the menu at the 110 Grill as “fresh takes on some American Classics.” Both the lunch and dinner menus are extensive, with lots of choices to satisfy any mood, from light and casual salads, burgers, comfort classics such as Meatloaf or Mac & Cheese, to pasta and fish dishes or all out with a NY Sirloin or Rib Eye Steak.

Crispy Fried Pickle Chips from 110 Grill in Worcester, MA (CRISPY DILL PICKLE CHIPS, SERVED WITH HONEY MUSTARD AND SRIRACHA AIOLI DIPPING SAUCES.)

We all arrived and were seated immediately as our server began the process of taking drink and app orders. The restaurant’s GM Patrick McClelland was kind enough to send over some chef’s tastings before our meals. The large plates, made up of a medley of roasted red pepper hummus, tzatziki sauce, fig jam, candied walnuts, grapes, artichokes, olives and grilled naan, set the bar very high. Looking down the long high-top table it seemed everyone enjoyed these starters as a variety of drinks including bourbons, draught beers, wines and more were brought to the table.

The table also ordered a number of other appetizers. Robyn thought “the apps were excellent. The Deep-fried Pickles were cooked perfectly and came with two unique dipping sauces. The Calamari was crispy outside and tender and hot inside. But her favorite app was the Hot Crab Dip, something she said, “I will order again when I return.”

On to the main courses…

Chicken Pesto Pasta from 110 Grill in Worcester, MA (PAN-SEARED CHICKEN, ROASTED TOMATOES, ARTICHOKES AND CAVATAPPI PASTA, TOSSED IN A CREAMY PESTO SAUCE AND FINISHED WITH SHAVED REGGIANO.)

The Pesto Pasta, either with chicken or without, was a popular choice. Evan said, “The Chicken Pesto Pasta was seasoned beautifully, with the pesto fresh and large shavings of cheese abundant on top.” Julie thought it was “delicious and huge, plenty big enough to serve two people.”

Amanda had the Kale and Brussels Sprout Salad along with The Grilled Salmon. She thought “the salmon was cooked perfectly, very tender and flaky. The salad was colorful and crisp, and the variety of ingredients really complemented each other well.” She also tried a taste of the BBQ Pork Mac & Cheese and added “it was amazing.”

Steve reiterated Amanda’s thoughts on the BBQ Pulled Pork Mac & Cheese saying, “it was very tasty and something I would absolutely order again.”

“The Cuban Swordfish was fantastic,” said Dana. The blackened swordfish was well seasoned and grilled perfectly with a nice char. The black bean, corn and rice salad came with sour cream and refreshing citrus flavors that countered the blackened fish nicely,” he added.

Anna had Salmon dish as well saying, “the food was tasty – my 110 Salmon was substantial in size, cooked perfectly and served over a bed of chilled noodles making it the perfect dish for a hot summer night.”

110 Sesame Ginger Salmon at 110 Grill in downtown Worcester, MA (PAN-SEARED SALMON OVER MARINATED CHILLED SOBA NOODLES, TOSSED WITH ASIAN SLAW AND SESAME GINGER DRESSING, TOPPED WITH SESAME SEEDS AND FINISHED WITH SRIRACHA AIOLI.)

Personally, I had one of 110 Grill’s “signature dishes” – the 110 Meatloaf. The beef, pork and veal combination was tender, moist and flavorful. Crispy onion strings were added on top to add texture and the Sriracha sauce gave the dish a spicy kick that completed the dish.

Stephanie had the meatloaf also, we exchanged notes and both felt the dish was outstanding. She added, “the meatloaf was tender and the Sriracha sauce added a nice sweet & spicy heat. The accompanying potatoes were creamy and well-seasoned as well.”

The 110 Grill staff was outstanding. As noted previously, the restaurant’s GM was highly attentive and personable, and not just at our table. I watched him great guests, deliver food and in general, lend a hand wherever needed. The support staff and servers were always close by, food service was outstanding and food quality was very high.

Drew re-capped what most everyone was saying when we finished our meals by adding, “I liked everything about the 110 Grill. The ambience, service and food were all very good. A step up from the usual chain restaurant and a solid anchor for the revitalized downtown area.”

Overall our experience at the 110 Grill was excellent with many of us making plans to revisit, especially during the warmer months to enjoy the patio!

Whole Foods In-Store Dining Options at their Shrewsbury, MA store

In 2013, the food and hospitality sector was crawling with a buzz about the newest trend that was revolutionizing how consumers eat. There was a movement that was quietly sneaking into the voids left open by the traditional grocery stores and the high-priced restaurants. It quickly became labeled as “shelf-to-table” mimicking the recent “farm-to-table” phenomena that qualified every new menu in hipster eateries. With the intention to bridge the gap between consumer spending at the grocery stores and at restaurants, the ‘shelf-to-table’ movement has since generated 2.4 billion visits with $10 billion in sales in 2016. But what exactly is “shelf-to-table?”

Also known by the term “grocerant,” a word combining “grocery” and “restaurant,” the shelf-to-table movement offers a one-stop-shopping solution for consumers driven by either curiosity or lack of time. Whether it’s pizza from a wood-fired oven or a glass of Chardonnay, shoppers are impulsively consuming ready-to-eat foods and drinks while shopping for weekly groceries. Grocery stores across the nation are now giving in to the new consumer buying habits with onsite restaurants, ready-to-eat options and a broader spectrum of food and drink available – resulting in a new level of competition for fast-food chains and traditional restaurants.

Wegmans' Sushi Counter At Their Food Court Westborough, MA — Wegmans’ Sushi Counter At Their Food Court Westborough, MA

Imagine going to the grocery store for dinner but instead of picking up fresh bread and tomatoes to make dinner at home, you can actually decide to eat at the store. With at-home food services driving millennials away from the local grocery stores, many supermarkets are adding sit-down restaurants in a defensive strategy to remain appealing; so far, the results are positive.

For years, supermarkets like Whole Foods have been offering sit-down dining and drink deals with the essential grab-and-go salad bars and prepared food counters but now these spaces are evolving into fast-casual restaurant spaces. While some grocerants offer massive food court seating areas or full-service enclosed spaces, most offer bars, and even menus catered to made-to-order meals. Just like the concept behind Starbucks with their free wifi, the strategy is to encourage customers to linger in hopes of enticing visitors to shop the endless aisles. Millennials are more likely to dine out than older generations and that is no surprise given the current demands and social pressures on the millennial generation. More than half of millennials surveyed by financial services firm Morgan Stanley said they had eaten out in the past week, compared to 43 percent of previous generations. With those statistics, it is easy to understand the birth of grocerants and their rapid expansion.

Initially, this concept was entertained nationally with full-scale Subways found in Walmarts across the nation while Target opened Starbucks and Pizza Huts inside every store, but now the options have become sophisticated: Whole Foods has included ramen counters and dosa spots while Michelin-starred chefs have also begun to set up shop in various grocerants. Places like Eataly continue to expand their “shelf-to-table” concept to Chicago and prix-fixe spots like Le Restaurant in New York City markets. On a local level, The Living Earth Natural and Organic Foods Market is dipping their hands in the cookie jar that is the grocerant movement with the addition of the New Island. From burrito bowls to hot soups to waffle bowls and breakfast sandwiches, Living Earth is offering a local taste of what Whole Foods has magnified.

As millennials continue to turn away from restaurant chains like Chili’s or Applebee’s, which have closed nearly 60 locations in the last year, the grocerant concept increases its appeal on a mass level. Whole Foods may have embarked on this idea over 30 years ago, but it is now just a part of a growing list of grocerants including Wegman’s, Eataly, and Living Earth and is transforming the way consumers buy groceries and experience the restaurant industry. Whether millennials are causing the market to shift because of recognition of the change in consumer buying habits or because there is an underlying need for increasing awareness of food sources, grocerants are showing that they are growing rapidly with zero signs of stopping.

Tag: worcester

Worcester Foodies Adds 110 Grill To Their List For Their 86 Consecutive Month Dining Out

Grocerants: Your New Favorite Restaurant