May 23rd 2013: First Farewell Lunch for My Colleague at Via Italian Table, Worcester

Today, we had a farewell lunch for my colleague, a close friend of mine, at Via Italian Table in Worcester.

I have been here several times before, so I decided to get different stuff this time around, getting the Fried Marinated Artichoke Hearts (lemon basil aioli)

and the Braised Short Rib Ragu on Cheese Ravioli.



Both dishes were really delicious, especially the artichokes, although the ravioli was a little cold in my opinion.

For dessert, I decided to get the Taste of Italy, consisting of a hazelnut-chocolate truffle, vanilla almond panna cotta with Amarena Cherry, and an orange scented Honeycake with ricotta mousse. 

My friends made me eat each one with a single bite, and I was able to do so except for the cake, which I was forced to cut in half to eat it. The only thing I did not like was the panna cotta due to the almond taste.

After work, I had to go do some food truck stuff in Malden, so I decided to grab some dinner at The Banshee, an Irish sports bar in the Dorchester area of Boston. Like The Pub in Somerville, I had to order a lot of food here just to satisfy my Groupon. 

I got the Guiness Braised Beef Stew (slow braised choice beef and select vegetables, simmered in hearty broth, served with mashed potato and bread),

the Irish Quesadilla (corned beef, mashed potato and aged cheddar cheese, served with Jameson sauce),

the Irish Cocktail Sausages (maloney’s irish pork mini sausages with hand cut fries & curry sauce),

the Dublin Bangers and Mash (Maloney’s Irish bangers, mashed potato, onion gravy & baked beans),

and the Curried Chicken Wrap (grilled chicken breast, tangy curry aioli, sun dried tomatoes, red onion and lettuce on garlic and herb wrap).



I actually liked the Irish dishes I tried here, especially with the curry sauce for the cocktail sausages. The only thing I wasn't a fan of was the wraps, for which the chicken was too dry, and niot much curry sauce to say the least.

With that, I went to do food truck stuff for the rest of the night. Got to do the same thing tomorrow again.