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Mydia & Antipasto Art

Restaurant: Ritual, Main Street

The Facts: Mydia: Steamed mussels in light wine herb infused broth,  Art:  Artisan cheeses, cured meats, olives, roasted vegetables, assorted nuts and bread

Foodie’s Review: The steamed mussels arrived and they were overflowing from the bowl, the Mydia was an appetizer, and this was a generous portion! They were served with triangles of toasted pita bread. The mussels were small and tender and the broth was perfect, not too buttery with just the right amount of herbs and garlic. It was fantastic! The broth was great for dipping the pita bread in. This would have been an meal in itself for me. Along with the Mydia I ordered another appetizer, the Antipasto Art, art it was! The antipasto arrived on a huge cutting board/plate. The first thing I noticed was the variety of all the named ingredients. There were pistachios, almonds, two kinds of cheeses, roasted red peppers and artichokes, grapes, sliced apple and many types of meat, some I did not recognize, and two types of bread. I sampled everything and it was all very delicious. This was an appetizer for two to three people. I would order both these appetizers again, but with more people to share them with!

This review was done by an independent member of the Worcester Foodies group during their monthly meeting in May 2011.

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Lobster Gnocchi

With the warmer weather in full gear, we are able to familiarize ourselves with the sounds, sights, and flavors of the summer season. This includes mixing traditional Italian flavors with something all of us from New England love: lobster. At Via on Shrewsbury Street their Lobster Gnocchi fits the bill. With it’s overly plump gnocchi dumplings and large lobster claw meat the dish will satisfy both your hunger along with your hunger for summer. The texture of the lobster is stark contrast with the fluffy texture of the gnocchi dumplings. Although the nature of gnocchi is an overall bland flavor the sauce, Parmesan cheese and lobster mask to the sometimes-absorptive characteristics of the pasta.