thePULSEDecember 2003 – The North County is well-known for the natural glories of the Johnny Appleseed Trail and Wachusett Mountain… but can you find fine dining in that neck of the woods?
When I first moved from Worcester to North County to renovate an aging Victorian, one of my main concerns besides, “Will anyone come visit?” was “Where can you find good places to eat out?”
Well, five years later, this world traveler now feels qualified to sat that it’s well worth it to make a trip that is actually only about 20 minutes or so to the north of Worcester – you will discover some great places that will bring you true dining pleasure.
The Border Grille, Leominster
Okay, so why out of all the places to dine in North Central Massachusetts do we start with a Mexican restaurant, complete with airbrush-painted exterior – that sits in the parking lot of the Searstown Mall complex? Easy answer; the food and it’s consistency. The Border Grille never misses – and I mean never. I think you truly have to spend time up here to understand that the Border Grille’s consistency is on par with some of New England’s greatest restaurants.
Going in looking for Southwestern cooking you’re going to find a wide range of choices here – yes the Chimichangas and the Burritos are there, but so are huge grilled and seasoned shrimp, large portions of lime-marinated tuna steak and selections from the bayou like jambalaya, catfish and others. This is a comfortable, friendly place with unpretentious surroundings and excellent, upbeat service where 20 and 30-somethings crowd a bar featuring excellent margaritas, and the dining rooms have families side-by-side with couples on dates enjoying the evening. Prices are right, the food is a sure bet, and you can be at Searstown in about 20 minutes tops from downtown Worcester. Border Grille, 246 Main St., Leominster
The Cracker Barrel at the 1761 Old Mill Restaurant
The Cracker Barrel is the downstairs pub-style spot at The Old Mill Restaurant in Westminster. Why are we discussing the small, darker, downstairs option as opposed to the fancier, main dining rooms upstairs? While you and your parents and grandparents may have enjoyed family outings, senior bus tours and the reasonable Sunday Brunch in this historical icon’s brightly lit main rooms, it is in the smaller Cracker Barrel down the wooden stairs, next to the gift shop, where true treasure lies.
Here you are surrounded by the planed-pine walls, the multi-paned windows over-looking the nicely lit, waterfall brook (complete with scattered leaves) and both the big, stone fireplace mantel and the cracker barrel itself overflow with pretzel sticks, crackers and cheddar cheese spread. The food choices are more varied here with both the pub and main menu available, and a quick look shows that many of the more casual options are a greater value than their upstairs counterparts. A good pub should have great beers on tap and from Bass to the Wachusett brands they are here by the pint. From the traditional New England mainstays to the “upstairs” stuffed lobster, you still can have it all in this cozy, charming place. The Cracker Barrel, Westminster
Singapore and Bangkok Spice
If you’re feeling a bit Eastern, there are a plentitude of options in the north — but two absolutely stand out. The amount of carved mahogany that adorns the Singapore’s main dining room never fails to “give pause” to anyone entering this Chinese restaurant for the first time. But don’t hesitate to poke your head into the lounge. This staple of the North County nightlife scene hosts, in addition to the many top-level cover bands on the weekends, what has to be a 30-foot–long, sculpted dragon curving over the full length of the bar. The food is great and Singapore’s atmosphere makes for a memorable dining experience.
Thai food, the considerably lighter, yet distinctly tastier cousin to Chinese and Polynesian offerings, rules in the North with Fitchburg boasting two Thai restaurants alone. The jewel is the peaceful Asian Spice on Main Street. Here the gracious staff never fails to bring perfectly prepared dishes in a quiet atmosphere overlooking the city’s main street. The Oriental beer options are available as are a wide variety of Thai dishes. The service, in the quiet peaceful dining room, is excellent. The take-out food here, as with the Singapore, is also consistently superb. Singapore, Fitchburg ~ Asian Spice, Fitchburg
Monument Grille
We can’t ignore the Monument Grille. Now about two years old, fine cuisine came to the North with this restaurant in a restored storefront on Leominster’s Monument Square. This restaurant has the atmosphere, the white table linens, the model-quality staff, the martinis (and the cosmos) and the food of a first-rate restaurant.
Sherried Onion Soups, Sole en Papiote, Surf and Turf with jumbo shrimp, Pan Seared Haddock, Blackened Chicken with carmelized onions – just add the Gorgonzola Risotto and you get the idea. The nice surroundings and handsome staff add to the patina. You’ll find the Monument comfortable, unhurried — with prices and cuisine monumentally on the mark.
There are many other places to eat that your North County friends will tell you to go to – but after going to them for years, while they are certainly good, (Il Forno, Slattery’s, Bull Run, and others) we’ll save them for another time. The restaurants chosen above, while maybe having something in common with others of their type throughout Central Massachusetts, are something special. All are worth the extra driving time for those of you not living up here with us in the hills. Go ahead – hit 190! The road is a pleasure to navigate and I promise you’ll be rewarded for the trip.
