O'Flaherty's

Food that strikes a happy note

by Jim Johnson

O'Flaherty's

O'Flaherty's Piano Pub
1541 Main Street, Worcester
799-4600
11 a.m-9 p.m.
Major credit cards
Full bar
Handicap accessible

Before I tell you about my pleasant evening at O'Flaherty's Piano Pub, I'd like to share an experience from last weekend. I was riding with the Narragansett Bay Wheelmen from Purgatory Chasm to the top of Mt. Wachusett and back (yes, I'm bragging), when I felt glycogen depletion coming on. So I pulled over to a roadside restaurant for some ice cream. Although it's unlikely that Route 140's Captain Bob's would have ever made it to my review list, a quick read of a hand-written sign clinched it: "Please do not come inside for directions or use my bathroom. Heat costs money, and the people spending it don't need you bothering them, and neither does my help."

At least they said "please."

Thankfully, service is at quite the opposite end of the spectrum at O'Flaherty's. But I'd heard that the food there had suffered since the departure of chef Brad Jarvis. If that indeed had been the case since my visit two years ago, the suffering is over. The dining continues to be topnotch, the setting one of muted elegance, and the servers knowledgeable and friendly.

Filling the ground floor of a towering mansion near the Leicester line, O'Flaherty's welcomes guests with lively music coming from a baby-grand player piano. It's a cheerful walk through the lounge, past the mahogany bar, and into the dining area. The eight four-person tables were barely visible in the dim lighting, but we could see that the walls and ceilings were painted hunter green, complementing the plush floral carpeting. With bay windows overlooking woodland, it seemed strange that such a sense of rural comfort and mill-town heritage could be so close to the cacophony of Webster Square.

The appetizer list had changed somewhat since my first visit. Crab Rangoons ($5), crispy wonton shells wrapped around a cream-cheese filling with hints of crab, were now served with apricot sauce in place of the former sweet and sour. The barbecue shrimp had yielded to shrimp scampi ($6.50), garlicky shrimp served over garlic bread.

We chose three appetizers, all quite fine.

Stuffed mushrooms ($6) were large, fresh, and moist with a dense breadcrumb stuffing. Onions and red and green peppers added nice texture and flavor, a splash of sherry blending in rich sweetness. Slivered carrots and a veneer of jalapeño jelly were both attractive and tasty.

Brie with roasted garlic ($6.50) was excellent, a soothing contrast of sensuous, gooey cheese and husky, smoky garlic. The garlic was a full bulb baked to perfect pungency.

Our twosome's favorite, however, were the spinach divots ($5), an original mix of chopped spinach, onions, garlic, parmesan cheese, and breadcrumbs that were rolled and baked and served with a rich mustard dill sauce.

We found a number of entrees familiar from previous visits.

For example, I happily recalled the handmade O'Flaherty's ravioli with the red, green, and white stripes of the Irish flag. Instead of gorgonzola, however, these were filled with smoked gouda and served in a fresh and fragrant sweet basil pesto. In place of Caribbean barbecue shrimp, the menu had substituted a similar treatment of chicken served with a lively mix of Jamaican spices and orange zest. On a return trip, I'd consider Guinness baked ham basted with stout, mustard, brown sugar, and cinnamon.

The pan-seared rainbow trout ($11) came out head and all, its mid-section wrapped in bacon, stuffed with fresh rosemary and red onion compote, and served with a light rosemary cream. The fish was fresh and moist, with a slight smoky flavor from the bacon. Rosemary and onions lent fragrant sweetness. I remember that the ancillary ingredients two years ago detracted from the subtle flavor of the trout. This year they seemed the perfect complement.

O'Flaherty's marks two items as heart-healthy, and I chose the honey mustard chicken ($11). Large chunks of chicken were sautéed in a sauce of honey, Dijon mustard, shallots, and lots of garlic, and served over rice pilaf (not the brown rice advertised in the menu). The meat was tender, and sauce a fine balance of flavors. Fresh, steamed vegetables came on the side.

As the sun set, we realized how truly dark the restaurant was. We could barely see as far as the next table, where a wedding rehearsal dinner was underway. The two fathers, wearing matching "Father of the Bride" and "Father of the Groom" baseball caps, were poster children for elopement.

For dessert, we sampled (okay, we devoured) something that was called "chocolate decadence" or some such thing. My guest described it as "the most intense brownie" she'd ever eaten and swore she felt cavities forming as she swallowed. I felt my fat cells swelling. Thank goodness for bicycling.

O'Flaherty's is worth the trip, especially if you're heading through the west side of town. Two can dine comfortably in the $28 to $40 range.