New Year's Eve 2015 - I am sitting in a new recliner, watching football with my husband, eating Pringles (leftover airport splurge) and writing. Perfect evening!
My 2015 project was to try a new (for me) cafe/restaurant/bar every week. I did the blog to keep myself on track, and to share with friends. It turns out I didn't make it to 52 new places, only 44 of 46 attempted (Eric says this is totally not a big deal). I never blogged about the restaurants we regularly went already, besides mentioning them in my first explanation-post (in case you are wondering- Volturno pizza, Wild Willy's burgers, Birch Tree Bread Co, The Smokestack, Bollywood Grill and Two Ovens in Shrewsbury, Meola's ice cream in West Boylston). So... here is the wrap up. I have every place and every mini-review below. My favorites are El Patron, Fatima's Cafe, Basil n' Spice and Cafe Reyes I don't think I will keep up the blog, as I want to metaphorically take some things off my plate. But maybe I will just do it less often from now on, we'll see.
Happy New Year everyone, and happy eating in 2016!
** indicates we've gone back
Red Pepper Chinese, 1083 Main St. (Jan)
Overall impression: The best Chinese I've had in Worcester. Huge menu, great place to try new things. I will be going back, hopefully many times.
Straight Up Cafe, 795 Main St. (Jan 16)
Overall impression: Down to earth, non-pretentious, community-center feel, simple food cheap and good, not incredibly strong coffee. I would definitely go back again.
Helen's Bakery and Cafe, 246 Greenwood St. (January 19)
Overall impression: a local (place for locals and regulars), simple and good diner breakfast, fast, nice staff. Not sure I would go back to eat-in, but maybe to try breads or pastries.
The Compass Tavern 90 Harding St. (Jan 22) **
Overall impression: Very large bar is the main focus, probably better for drinks than dinner. Ok food, fine service
Fatima's Cafe, 37 West Boylston St. (January 25) **
Overall impression: Awesome food, particularly the samosas. Bright, no-frills dining room, a family place. I will definitely go back.
El Patron, 192 Harding St (February 6)**
Overall impression: Great fresh food, good location, friendly family place. I hope we become regular visitors. Along with lots of other people - go check it out!
Pho Sure, 84 Boston Turnpike in Shrewsbury (February 14)
Overall impression: Hearty food, good service. Nice location for those on the east side or working at UMAss Med - just over lake Quinsigamond in Shrewsbury.
Livia's Dish, 1394 Main St. Worcester (February 22)
Overall impression: Nice place for a lazy Sunday meal. Awesome breakfast panini, very reasonably priced.
The Urban, 225 Shrewsbury St (February, 24) (Now Closed)
Overall impression: Sophisticated yet not pretentious. Excellent food, but pricey. Put it on the list for date night, a place to take guests and interview candidates, or to indulge.
Mare e Monti Trattoria, 19 Wall St (February 26)
Overall impression: A little gem of an Italian place. Great atmosphere, delicious food. Mid-range prices, generous portions.
Joey's Bar and Grill 344 Chandler St (March 11)
Overall impression: A slightly older crowd, good quality food, the service could have been faster. We probably won't put it on our list of regular places, but it may fit tastes different than mine.
The Breakfast Bar, 119 June St. (March 14) (Now Closed)
Overall impression: Neighborhood diner, more interesting-looking on the inside than a lot of your average diners. Food was good but nothing top-notch. An option if you live on the west side, but likely not worth the drive from other areas, unless you are meeting west-side-friends.
The Eggroll Lady and Fish Shack, 608 W. Boylston St (March 21)
Overall impression: Eggrolls + fried fish and seafood take-out from a teeny teeny tiny spot. Very popular, run by a friendly family. Not for vegetarians, though.
Cafe Reyes, 421 Shrewsbury St (April 7) **
Overall impression: Bright and happy atmosphere, awesome food. Unfortunately open only 7-3 on weekdays, but definitely worth leaving work for a lunch break.
Bay State Shawarma, 86 Water St (April 11) **
Overall impression: Yum.
A direct quote from my husband: "Ok, that was some amazing, amazing shawarma."
Salt and Pepper, 268 Lincoln St. (April 19)
Overall impression: Good food, great space. A nice option if you are in the neighborhood for breakfast or lunch.
Pepe's 274 Franklin St. (April 29) **
Overall impression: Yummy pizza, but maybe a better place to have drinks than dinner.
Homestyle Cuisine, 82 Harrison St. (May 14)
Overall impression: Seems a great place to grab lunch to go that can be taken to a park and enjoyed in the sunshine on a summer day. (Caveat: not for vegetarians).
Piccolo's 157 Shrewsbury St (May 21)
Overall impression: Fabulous salad, good pasta, casual atmosphere. Perfectly lovely.
Tom's International Deli, 52 Millbury St. (May 29)
Overall impression: The stuffed cabbage rolls were the big winner among my colleagues. And the chocolate selection was great!
Shangri La, 50 Front St. (June 3)
Overall impression: I would really like a restaurant to succeed in this location. If you are downtown, stop for lunch. This isn't likely to be destination dining, though.
Bahan's International Market, 344 Pleasant St. (June 12)
Overall impression: Delightful veggie kibbeh. Worth seeking out!
Food Truck Festival - Elm Park, June 21
Overall impression: Only for rich foodies.
Alternate tag line: $5 for the privilege of standing in line.
Basil n' Spice 299 Shrewsbury St, June 24 **
Overall impression: Tasty food and a lovely atmosphere in this newly-opened Thai restaurant.
Corner Lunch, 133 Lamartine St (July 3)
Overall impression: A perfectly pleasant, sort of rundown-comfy, sunny diner.
Canal Restaurant & Bar 65 Water St. (July 15)
Overall impression: Great place to go for drinks. Large and diverse food menu, attentive service.
Loving Hut Vegan Cuisine 415 Chandler St. (July 20)
Overall impression: Good vegan Chinese and Thai-style dishes. Nice for lunch.
Pinecroft Dairy (West Boylston) (July 31)
Overall impression: Like going back in time, but with modern ice cream flavors.
Chuan Shabu 301 Park Ave (August 5)
Overall impression: Go for sharing.
Sol of Mexico, 538 Pleasant St., (August 12 and 15)
Overall impression: This place is fabulous!
Blue Jeans Bistro, 266 Park Ave (August 19)
Overall impression: Lovely to sit outside on a summer night. Somewhat slow service, but fine food, including a large selection of appetizers.
The Bean Counter 113 Highland St (August 26)
Overall impression: Great coffee.
On the Rise Bakery (Sept 6)
Overall impression: Great for west-siders who have a sweet tooth.
Belmont Vegetarian Restaurant, 157 Belmont St. (September 9)
Overall impression: Stick with it through the somewhat sterile atmosphere, the food is really good.
Wicked Wings, 321 West Bolyston St. (Sept 16)
Overall impression: This very new place has a few kinks to still work out in service, but the food is promising.
Restaurant Pizza Works 456 Grove St (Sept 20)
Overall impression: Good pizza, plus a large menu of non-pizza things. Ideal for multi-generational gatherings.
Sake Bomb 258 Park Ave (Sept 27)
Overall impression: Reasonably priced sushi. I'd be happy to meet a friend there for lunch anytime.
Belsito's Deli 305 Plantation St (Oct 10)
Overall impression: Good deli sandwiches to go if you are in the neighborhood.
Cafe Espresso 395 Chandler St. (Oct 20)
Overall impression: Excellent homemade pasta. Simple fine dining.
Ciao Bella 402 Grove St (Oct 28) **
Overall impression: Yummy comfort food, quick for take-out.
Addie Lee's Soul Food 596 Main St. (November 5)
Overall impression: Yummy food in a comfy environment.
Oishi Japanese Restaurant 8 Franklin St. (Nov 12)
Overall impression: Tons of veggie sushi options.
Padavano's Place 358 Shrewsbury St. (Dec 1)
Overall impression: Great homemade ravioli.
Kenmore Diner 250 Franklin St. (Nov 28)
Overall impression: A perfectly good diner, emphasis on large portions of potatoes.
Dell'Ovo's Kitchen 257 Shrewsbury St. (Dec 9)
Overall impression: A tiny place with awesome food.
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