For as many different tastes and tastebuds as are living in the Worcester area, there are practically that many talented chefs creating their magic in local kitchens.

Worcester County is exceptional in many arenas ~ education, research, to name but two ~ but the creativity and culinary prowess of its chefs may just make dining its number one attraction. The region is bursting with every sort of cuisine imaginable and behind the delicious flavors and artistic presentation are individuals who elevate dinner out from merely “eating” to “enjoying a true dining experience.”

We got better acquainted with five local chefs who consistently please our palates ~ in the following pages, meet Kenzo Phan, Alina Eisenhauer, , Jonathan Power, Ian Hickey, and Tomasso Gargiulo. Also make sure to check out what Worcester Restaurant Week ~ running from August 3 – 14, has in store for you ~ it’s the perfect chance to visit local restaurants, try some of their specialties, and only spend $20.09 ~ it doesn’t get much better than that!

Michael Covino Finds His Niche

By Matt Shaw

If you care anything at all for your taste buds, you owe it to yourself to visit one of the four restaurants owned and operated by Michael Covino of Niche Hospitality. I don’t say that lightly; if you have ever found yourself scratching your head when an out-of-town buddy asks you what the Worcester dining scene is like, you have Covino to thank. He and the Niche team created four truly iconic Worcester restaurants which, though wildly different from each other, all bear that old-soul-in-a-new-world swagger that makes this city so unique.

You could say it’s in his blood. Covino, a long-time Somerville resident, grew up around food. His father was head of food services at Logan International Airport and impressed upon his son the value of a good meal at an early age. Covino has fond memories of tapas bars and bistros in the Allston-Brighton area, and ~ like many undergraduates ~ he bartended his way through college in posh Boston establishments.

But though his Beantown roots run deep, fate steered Covino in a different direction. “I had an internship in Auburn,” he said, “so I moved this way. At the same time, I went to the Sole Proprietor and applied for a job. I worked the bar there, then I was their bar manager, and then I was their dining room manager.” Covino, who was just finishing graduate school, was already a rising star in the Worcester dining scene.

While his family has always had its hands in the hospitality industry, Covino wasn’t always in the family business. In fact, his career began after college as a personal trainer. “By the time it was time to graduate,” Covino said, “I knew I wanted to get into the restaurant business. So I kind of dual-careered it for about five years, and then I took the plunge and said, ‘You know what? I really want to be in the restaurant business.’ So I went down that path instead.”

That path has led to four of the finest restaurants this city has to offer. The accomplishments of Niche Hospitality are many, and they are stellar, which comes as no surprise give that the Niche empire was built by an exemplary worth ethic ~ and the again not too surprising blood, sweat and tears. When asked what the hardest part is of being the High Chancellor of the Worcester dining scene, Covino quickly responds, “Time, or lack thereof.”

Covino spends most of his day “…trying to balance time, presence, and all of the concepts, and trying to take a genuine interest in everybody that works for [him].” That’s Quite the task, considering Niche employs more than 120 Worcester County residents. “The hospitality side of things is the reason why we’ve been successful. So as you get bigger, it’s cool that you’re growing, but at the same time you don’t want to lose that sense of family.”

Yes, the hospitality in the Niche restaurants is fantastic ~ nowhere else on earth will you find a staff so well-educated on the intricacies of tequila than at Mezcal, for example ~ but the food is the real story here. With four quality restaurants under his belt, Covino is hard-pressed to choose a favorite dish. But if you push the issue ~ and what kind of journalist would I be if I didn’t? – Covino says his stuck-on-a-deserted-island dish is Mezcal’s chili cumin rubbed pork tenderloin.

Since he’s around kitchens all day, it would be understandable if Covino refused to so much as look at another frying pan upon returning home from work. Such is hardly the case. “I don’t cook as much as I’d like to because we’re so busy at the restaurants,” he said. “My children are young, and they’re kind of picky. But if we’re entertaining, I love to cook.”

What does the future hold for Niche? “A lot,” said Covino. Niche is currently working on four concepts which promise to be as innovative and alluring as the first four. Niche is also helping the Beachwood Hotel build a new restaurant, which broke ground in July. “[The Beechwood] hired Niche as a consultant to do a whole host of things,” Covino said, “including concept development, menu development, and the culture of hospitality. I also have a role in the design of the restaurant. It’s a full-service consulting position for us, so I’ll be balancing even more time with that.” The restaurant is slated to open in the spring of 2010.

Here’s one for the rumor mill: Covino said that Niche is currently consulting on a “full-service urban barbecue concept that is slated to come to Worcester.” While Covino never named his client, he described the concept as a “beer, bourbon and barbecue, sort of shabby-chic.” The project is in the nascent stages, and Covino is reluctant to reveal too many details before anything is decided; but could it be that Worcester will play host to a Niche-designed Redbones in the future? The mere thought of it is intoxicating. And you heard it here first.

With all this expansion, Niche is outgrowing its current offices. “With our own concepts and with these consulting concepts, we’re taking a whole building and we’re putting in a test kitchen ~ basically like a gastro-lab ~ and our offices all in one building,” Covino said. “Our plans are to do everything from after-school culinary programs for children, cooking classes, beer dinners, wine dinners, spirit dinners, tasting parties where people can vote on dishes for our menus, and test kitchens for the concept restaurants we’re working on.” And as a bonus, now Covino won’t have to travel far for his lunch break.

Covino has had such success in Worcester you might think he grew up here. “I think Worcester’s an awesome city to do business in,” Covino said. “It’s a repeat-business city. People support you. I think that’s great. It’s been great for myself, my family, and my partners.”

On behalf of my fellow Worcester gastronaughts, I’d like to thank Mr. Covino for choosing the right career path and blessing us with Niche’s monuments to good eats. If you haven’t checked them out yet, here’s the run-down on where to go and what to eat:

Block Five Bistro Bar
139 Green St.
www.block5bistro.com

Covino started off his career as a Worcester food magnate working at the Sole Proprietor where he moved up the ranks from bartender to management rather quickly. It was during this time that he honed his business savvy and made valuable contacts with the people with whom he would later form the inimitable comfort food oasis, Block Five.

“I wanted a modern expression of restaurants in the city,” said Covino. “I think our city has a lot of classic Italian, we’ve got our classic seafood and a classic steak house. I wanted modern. A bit of an edge. Freshness. But at the same time, I really wanted to blend that with comfort.” That attitude extends to the menu, which Covino describes as “comfort food with an innovative approach to how the plate is put together.” The result? Things like bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin with gorgonzola, couscous, and a cabernet currant demi-glaze. Like mom used to make.

Bocado Tapas Wine Bar
82 Winter St.
www.bocadotapasbar.com

Call me a wine snob, but any restaurant that makes sangria with tempranillo or cava automatically gets my approval. Bocado does both. “You don’t see Tapas restaurants in a town,” Covino said. “They’re meant for urban places. We felt really strongly about Tapas, and thought it would be a great addition. The building on Winter St. fit the bill, so we went for it.

“There’s a tremendous amount of simplicity in the food at Bocado,” Covino says. “And yet I get more compliments from people walking through the door… It’s really about the experience of how [guests] eat than it is about one individual dish.” Covino can say what he wants about the dining experience ~ and it is fabulous – but I would be committing journalistic heresy if I declined to mention that Bocado’s seafood paella is among the finest dishes that our great city has to offer.

Mezcal Tequila Cantina
166 Shrewsbury St.
www.mezcalcantina.com

Let’s be clear: Mezcal is not a type of tequila. Rather, the term “mezcal” refers to all distilled spirits made from the Agave plant. Tequila is made exclusively from blue agave, and therefore falls under the category of mezcal. So while all tequila is mezcal, not all mezcal is tequila.

Similarly, Mezcal (the restaurant) is not a Mexican eatery. While the nouveau-iconic eatery certainly does serve dishes of Mexican descent, to call its menu “Mexican food” does a tragic disservice to the other Latin and southwestern dishes which challenge the boundaries of traditional cantina fare. (Four words: Ancho coated grilled mahi. Thank me later.)

Covino wanted the restaurant to have “the funness of Mexican, but also the dining experience of southwestern cuisine, sort of like how Bobby Flay did Mesa Grill. It’s one of those concepts that’s an absolute joy to play with.” And with more than 100 different tequilas behind the bar, there’s plenty of joy to go around. [Editor’s note: Please drink responsibly.]

The Citizen Wine + Cheese + Chocolate
1 Exchange Place
www.thecitizenwinebar.com

Niche Hospitality’s newest venture is nestled behind the DCU center in an area which, with the arrival of several classy late-night hangouts like Michael’s Cigar Bar, might soon be called Worcester’s fine leather district. The Citizen bills itself as a wine, cheese, and chocolate bar, but Covino is quick to point out its appeal to a lunchtime crowd. “We have amazing grilled cheese paninis and open-faced melts,” he said.

“We’re trying to build the place up to be a great spot for after work, too,” Covino said. And what better way to wind down than with a great glass of wine? The list at The Citizen is almost intimidating. Each selection comes with a recommended cheese pairing, something unheard of outside the big cities. If you’re looking for a recommendation, try this on for size: Cline Cashmere (a Grenache-Syrah-Mouvedre blend) with a slice of French comte or a hunk of Venezuelan El Ray dark chocolate. Trust me on this one. In vino veritas.

For the latest menus, deals and specials at any of the four Niche Hospitality establishments, visit www.nichehospitality.com.

– Meet Some of the Area’s Most Creative Chefs

Alina Eisenhauer

Sweets Pastry Shop & Dessert Bar
305 Shrewsbury St., Worcester
508.373.2248, www.sweetworcester.com

What is your cooking and baking education?
I’m actually self-taught.

Why did you become a baker?
This is what I love to do. I’m obsessed with food. I like all food and I cook as well. I would like to own a restaurant in the future, but right now I like the artistry of pastry.

What is your favorite dessert?
I really don’t have just one ~ I love it all!

What is your favorite TV food show?
I liked the Food Network’s Chopped, because I was on it, and I also like Bravo’s Top Chef.

Why did you choose to open your business in Worcester?
It has more people and more restaurants that I can sell to.

Any embarrassing kitchen incidents that you’d be willing to share with us?
Really, none that I can think of, since I don’t dwell on the negative.

What was the most outlandish/ extraordinary confection you’ve created?
I can think of two recent ones. I made a peanut butter ice cream with candied bacon and peanut bacon brittle and I also just did a 10 tier blue and brown wedding cake and I did an exact replica of the Millennium Falcon from Star Wars on it.

Can you sum up your experience being on Chopped?
It was very different because it is not a measure of your worth as a chef, it is more of a game.

Kenzo Phan

Haiku Sushi
258 Park Avenue, Worcester
508-459-3033, www.haikusushi.com

Where is your hometown?
Chu Lai, Vietnam.

Where did you receive your culinary education?
Institution du Tourisme & Hotel of Quebec in Montreal, Canada.

Where did you learn to make sushi?
I worked at Benihana in Boston.

How long does it take to become a true sushi master?
It doesn’t take long to learn how to make sushi. But it takes about 5 years to learn about the kitchen and about the fish.

What is the difference between sushi and sashimi?
Sushi is fish on top of rice. Sashimi is filet of raw fish with no rice.

Do you have a favorite kitchen tool?
Yes ~ My oven.

What is your favorite meal to prepare?
I love everything I cook. I come up with a new special every day but I love to make rack of lamb.

As a sushi chef you interact with you customers. Does that add or detract from your job?
That is the reason I work the long hours. I love the customers.

Where do you eat out?
I really like Todd English’s Olives at Mohegan Sun.

Ian Hickey

55 Pearl Restaurant
55 Pearl Street, Worcester
508.755.7327

What was your culinary education?
I am self taught. I also served a 4 year apprentice at the Sunset Hill House.

And your hometown?
It’s Worcester ~ by way of California.

Do you have a food obsession?
Yes, it’s local sustainable produce, fresh from the farm.

What’s your favorite cooking tool?
That’s an interesting question. I have tool boxes full, but I would have to say my ravioli press and my micro plane are my favorites.

Is there a culinary hero who truly inspires you?
Stefan Roy, he was Paul Bocuse’s sous chef.

Where do you get your inspiration for new creations?
It is just like art ~ I push the boundaries and I try to get away from standard fare.

What was your favorite dish from childhood?
Ah ~ Biscuits and chocolate sauce!

Jonathan Power

The Harlequin at Beechwood Hotel
363 Plantation St, Worcester
508.754.2000, www.beechwoodhotel.com/restaurant

What is your culinary education background?
I graduated from Worcester Vocational H.S, Culinary Arts Department.

And your culinary tradition?
I was trained in Italian food but personally like Fusion Cuisine ~ what comes to mind.

With all the food/chef/dining TV shows out there, do you have a favorite?
I don’t watch any of them. I cook so much that I just don’t want to watch cooking when I get home ~ I’d rather spend time with my family.

How did you get your start?
I started as a dishwasher at Michael & Maria’s on Grafton St. in Worcester.

What is your fantasy restaurant?
I’d like to open a small bed & breakfast where I would cook all the meals.

Do you have a favorite meal?
Absolutely! It’s surf & turf lobster and filet.

What can’t you live without in the kitchen?
Can’t be in the kitchen without a radio.

If you weren’t a chef, what would you be?
I have no idea ~ maybe an artist or a musician.

Richard Romaine

Romaine’s
299 West Main Street, Northborough
Phone: 508.393.8889, www.romainesrestaurant.com

Where’s your home town?
I’m from Lafayette, Louisiana.

Where did you receive your education?
From University of Southwestern Louisiana and then the New England Culinary Institute in Vermont.

What’s your culinary tradition?
Cajun food ~ That is what I grew up on.

What are your thoughts on the local food/restaurant scene?
The local scene is expanding and growing. There are a lot of new restaurants ~ which is good, because I am not a fan of New England cooking; it’s just too bland for me.

Your favorite ingredient is…?
Salt ~ absolutely!

And your favorite kitchen tool?
Definitely my knives.

Can you recall your most humbling culinary moment?
Well, I’ve had a few, but the one I remember most is going to do a food demo and I’d forgotten part of the meal.

So what’s your favorite food?
Mexican. I love Cajun but it’s not a treat for me since I grew up with it.

Who’s your favorite TV chef?
Rick Bayless is chef of Frontera Grill [and Topolobampo] in Chicago. I find him to be a pretty authentic guy

What is your cooking style?
Creative American, but I’m really all over the place.

Tomasso Gargiulo

Peppercorns
455 Park Avenue, Worcester
508.752.7711, www.epeppercorns.com

Where did you receive your culinary education?
I trained in hotels and Restaurants in Rome

Your hometown is…?
Sorrento, Italy

How long have you been a chef?
For 40 years!

What’s your favorite ingredient?
I love Italian herbs like rosemary & basil and garlic.

Where was the best meal you’ve ever prepared?
It’s a long list but I love simplicity. It was when I worked at Arturo’s in Westboro.

What was it?
I made an escargot pizza with garlic.

When did you decide to become a chef?
I lost my father when I was 10 years old, so my options were to work on the farm or get another job. We had an uncle who had a hotel in Poisitano and I started there as a bus boy and then went into the kitchen.

Any new menu items up your sleeve?
Yes, I just added a lobster macaroni & cheese to the menu. I also added Chicken Tomasso, which is a chicken breast stuffed with goat cheese & spinach, sautéed with roasted cherry tomatoes and artichokes. And finished with a chicken demi glaze.

A Very Tasty Idea

The first annual Worcester Restaurant Week kicks off on August 3 and runs ‘til August 14 at almost 50 of the area’s premier dining establishments. The concept is a simple one and has been copied from several other cities around the country: for $20.09, the customer gets a choice of several pre-selected, special 3 course meals at the participating restaurants. So what do you get for those 20 bucks? Well, according to Katie Krock, owner of Worcester’s KJBaaron’s Fine Wine & Spirits and co-chair of the event, “At the 111 Chop House, that gets you a 14oz boneless rib eye plus an appetizer and dessert.”

But the Chop House isn’t the only fine dining establishment taking part. Mike Covino, the other event co-chair and the managing partner of Niche Hospitality, which has 4 participating restaurants, said, “Every one of the participating restaurants is considered in the fine dining category. It’s about the quality of the food, even if they don’t have a white tablecloth.”

The event is being managed by Pagio, Inc (parent company of this publication). They have forged a public private partnership with help from the Worcester County Convention & Visitors’ Bureau, The Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism, and several local businesses. According to Paul Giorgio, president of Pagio, Inc., “The State, with the help of Senators Chandler & Moore, has really stepped up to the plate [pun intended!] to help local small businesses. We took the seed money from the state and leveraged that. Every restaurant in Worcester Restaurant Week is locally owned and operated. Also, in quite a few places, the owner is the chef.”

Among the local business sponsors are KJ Baaron’s, Uni Bank, the WCCVB, Atlas Distributors, and Consolidated Beverages, Winn Development, Performance Food Service, Infodiligo, GoBare, Integrity Merchant Solutions & Enterprise Cleaning.

According to Covino and Krock, “The Worcester media has really stepped in to help on this.” Media Sponsors include Pulse Magazine, Vitality Magazine, TasteWorcester.com, and radio stations WXLO, WCRN, The PIKE and Oldies 98.9. In addition, the WRTA has donated space on the sides of buses.

Giorgio stressed that The Worcester Chamber of Commerce has been an invaluable partner in the whole project.

For a full listing of participating restaurants, go to
www.worcesterrestaurantweek.com.