thePULSEBy Christine R. Walsh
It starts with a fluttering in my stomach and a weakness in the knees. Then I find that I have problems concentrating. Finally, I know I’ve fallen head over heels when I can say those three magic words without hesitation.
“Gimme extra cheese!”
Sure, my mother may argue that I’ve fallen for a number of eateries in my lifetime, depending upon the time of year, my waistline and what style of dress I need to shimmy into in the upcoming months. But my romance with Roma’s, Joe and Lainie Petrou’s latest gift to the city of Worcester, is here to stay.
Roma’s is the definition of what I was looking for in a restaurant mate. As mother dearest loves to remind me, looks aren’t everything. But, I’ve got to admit that an attractive and comfortable appearance leave a great first impression in my mind as I’m scouring around for the perfect restaurant. Roma’s has “it” ~ the restaurant welcomes you, encourages you to try a delicious dish like Cheese Tortellini Tossed in Pink Vodka Cream Sauce that you might have previously politely declined. Admittedly, in my younger and more immature restaurant dating days, I may have stuck with a traditional, yet equally delicious create-my-own-pizza opportunity. Or I might have ordered Roma’s yummy Philly Steak and Cheese if I needed comfort food or splurged on the restaurant’s delicious sautéed mussels. But the members of Roma’s staff, many of whom worked at Petrou’s Union Station the Restaurant and Primo’s, are friendly and helpful at all times and are more than happy to go over the finer points of each perfect palate-pleasing platter.
Back to my search for the perfect restaurant. Other traits I look for in a restaurant are A) a nurturing personality and B) a supportive encouragement to be myself. Again, Roma’s scores an A. It is a BYOB restaurant with no corking fee. This gives me the independence I need. I can show up with some Yellowtail Merlot or Dogfish Head Ale and not feel the need to change my mind a million times before leaving my apartment. But should I completely screw up and bring a bottle of skunked moonshine, Roma’s laughs off my mistake and directs me to the full bar. Oh sweet mystery of life! At last I’ve found you!
Roma’s is readily available and open to my dining needs. This place is bumping on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 11:30 a.m. – 10 p.m. and on Fridays and Saturdays from 11:30 a.m. – 11 p.m. With amazing pasta dishes, succulent seafood and perfect poultry entrees, I really can’t find fault in my new love. The prices are reasonable (entrees running from $11- $16).
Despite the fact I’m typically a jealous and possessive foodie gal, I recognize that I need to share this new romance and encourage others to check out my new culinary catch.
So, when I’m not looking, hop over to 192 Harding Street in Worcester and allow your taste buds to do the talking.
For more info on Roma’s, call 508-799-ROMA.
We just checked out Roma’s last night. The food and service was great.
We were the first ones to arrive in the evening at around 5PM. It was a little difficult to figure out where to park. The yellow lines in the lot were gone, and we drove around the side to park back there. We didn’t see any “Roma’s parking” anywhere, but a few “No Parking” signs. We almost left.
But, I parked, went in and they said it was ok to park there.
I probably should have read the review a little closer to see that it was BYOB. My wife was looking forward to having a glass of wine. So, I jogged up to Kelly Square Liquor to get some beer and a bottle of wine. Their wine selection kinda stunk, so we both ended up drinking the beers and leaving the wine at the restaurant.
The service was great. Very attentive.
We ordered the eggplant and fried calamari for appetizers. Eggplant was a little chewey for my wife’s liking, but I thought it was great. The fried calamari might have been the best I’ve ever had.
We ordered a pizza for dinner. It reminded me of Philly style pizza, which is a very welcome change from the crap most Worcester places serve.
My brother used to work at Romas. He worked their for about 8 months. He knows the owner Joe Petrou really well. He used to work for Joe Petrou at The Union Station. My other brother worked there for a couple of months as well but he now works at the Hilton Double Tree. My other brother is a barback now. We had my brothers graduation party there and we were thankful they let us have one. Romas is a great place to eat. I used to go there all the time and it was good. The pizza is really good.