Shorah's Ristorante

Generous portions from a survivor

by Margaret LeRoux

Shorah's Ristorante 27 Foster St. Worcester (508) 797-0007 Hours Mon.-Thurs. 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Fri.-Sat. 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sun. 4-8 p.m. Full bar Major credit cards Handicap accessible

You have to hand it to Shorah's Ristorante owner Keivon Mizrahi. During the city's seemingly endless struggle to breathe life into its downtown business district, he's persevered while many formidable competitors have fallen. When Shorah's opened, serving upscale Italian cuisine, eight years ago, it joined a thriving restaurant community all within walking distance of the Centrum. Back then, if you wanted dinner before an event you could choose from Legal Seafood, Thai Orchid, or the ultra sophisticated Stendahl's. Now those names are part of a long list of restaurants that have come and gone -- remember Blackstone's, Rovezzi's, Milano, Valentino's, even Margaritaville, and Nantucket Seafood? They are all just memories, but Shorah's hung on.

Mizrahi has also kept the same kitchen staff for the past six years, and many of the wait staff have been with him for four to six years -- a phenomenal record in such a challenging business environment.

There are times when it's pretty lonely in the heart of Worcester, Mizrahi admitted in an interview after I visited Shorah's recently. He added, "We're hopeful that things are getting better."

The new Massachusetts College of Pharmacy, across the street is a good sign, and on nights when there's a performance at Foothills Theatre, Mechanics Hall, or the Centrum, Shorah's is full. A friend and I were part of a pre-concert crowd, and we're happy to report that the strain of the past few years hasn't taken its toll on Shorah's hospitality. Even though I didn't call for a reservation until late in the afternoon, we waited only a few minutes for a table at the height of the crush. The staff summarily re-arranged some furniture, and we were quickly installed in a corner table.

We scanned the wine list and settled on pre-dinner glasses -- Kendall Jackson chardonnay ($7) and the house white zinfandel ($4) -- while we decided on appetizers. Shorah's divides appetizers into freddo (cold) and caldo (hot) and includes a couple of out-of-the-ordinary items such as carpaccio, paper-thin slices of raw beef tenderloin, Bermuda onion, and provolone cheese as well as lobster-stuffed mushrooms, both $6.95. There's also marinated artichoke hearts with roasted walnuts in a Caesar dressing ($5.95) and focaccia ($4.95)

We shared an order described as roasted portobello mushrooms ($6.95) and were pleased with our choice. Three large mushroom caps were smoky from the grill rather than the oven. They even had grill marks on them. We loved the meaty flavor -- how is it that grilled portobellos taste like steak? Even better, the mushrooms had not been marinated. Too often, restaurants serve portobello mushrooms bathed in balsamic vinaigrette, and you taste vinegar instead of mushroom. Not so here. I'd have happily eaten the portobellos with no adornment, but they came with a silky, rich Dijon vinaigrette dribbled over a few slender stalks of asparagus. A truly first-rate first course.

Shorah's menu is extensive, offering pasta, individual pizzas and calzones in addition to entrées of chicken, veal, beef, and fish. In consideration of Worcester's reputation for bargain hunting, nothing on the menu tops $16.

Here are some highlights: linguine a la gorgonzola ($8.95) with shiitake mushrooms, fresh spinach and plum tomatoes; fettuccine Genovese ($9.95), sun-dried tomatoes, porcini mushrooms, and prosciutto in a cognac-cream reduction; seafood fra diavolo ($15.95) includes scallops, shrimp, calamari, mussels, and lobster in a spicy marinara sauce; chicken verdicchio ($13.95) features artichoke hearts, pea pods, roasted peppers, and porcini mushrooms; disaronno ($13.95) is chicken with sweet red peppers and roasted almonds in a sauce flavored with Amaretto and nutmeg; lamb shank d'Albruzzo ($13.95) is a red-wine stew of potatoes, carrots, and barley.

There's also a specials list that includes veal saltimbocca ($14.95); gray sole Florentine ($13.95), filets stuffed with shrimp in a mascarpone spinach mousse; and swordfish Venice ($14.95), charbroiled steaks with cherry-pepper relish.

I have to comment on the size of the portions. You don't usually see such hefty servings in an upscale restaurant. They obviously aim to please big eaters, so be forewarned, or else plan for lots of leftovers. My friend's platter of salmon could have easily served three diners. Fortunately we were both very hungry.

The aforementioned salmon Grand Marnier ($14.95) included artichoke hearts, asparagus, and roasted peppers in a sweet, orange-flavored sauce over angel-hair pasta. Though a generous bowl of fresh grated parmesan was provided, this is not a dish that needs a sprinkling of cheese. The salmon stood up well to the sweetness of the sauce, although my friend likened it to "eating dessert for dinner."

I chose filet mignon au poivre ($15.95) and received tournedos of beef in a cognac-and-Dijon-mustard sauce. I wish a lighter hand had prevailed with the sauce; it dominated the beef's natural flavor. Alongside was a generous helping of oven-roasted potatoes and crunchy asparagus (a tad more time in the steamer for these large spears was needed). It was almost curtain call, so we skipped dessert. Our bill, including tax but not tip, was $53.60.

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