Square meal

Want a sign that the city's restaurant scene is thriving? Check out Thyme's Square

by Margaret LeRoux

Thyme's Square on Hudson
455 Pleasant Street, Worcester
791-6102
Lunch Tues.-Fri. 11:30-2 p.m.
Dinner Tues.-Thurs. 5-8:30 p.m. Fri.-Sat. 5-9:30 p.m.
Major credit cards
Full bar
Handicap accessible

Our dinner plan on a recent Friday was to revisit one of our favorite special-occasion spots, Thyme's Square on Hudson. Now that reservations are accepted, my dining companion and I avoided waiting for a table as we have so frequently done in the past. Chef Gary Killeen's fresh and flashy interpretations of seafood, meat, and chicken have generated a loyal following in the five years since he opened the restaurant on Pleasant Street near Park Avenue.

This time we didn't need to wait at the bar -- but in the past that hasn't been an unpleasant experience, since it affords a view of the chef at work in the open kitchen. On the night we dined, the decibel level at the crowded restaurant was unusually high; sound bounces off the tile floors and high ceilings, but it was happy noise from people obviously having a good time.

All except for a couple seated near us. Suddenly, over the din we heard a sharp command, "Look at me when I talk to you; stop turning your head to watch the other tables." As a shrill and irate female berated her hapless companion, we experienced the downside of the rather intimate seating arrangements at Thyme's Square. We were tucked into a small table at the front corner of the restaurant, where a long banquette provides seating for four tables of two. There are two more small tables to the side. If the people at the table next to you are having a bad night, you might too.

Thankfully, the quarrelsome woman and her companion departed as our waitress appeared with a basket of steaming hot, crunchy dinner rolls and our wine, a delicious spicy-herby Gewurztraminer from Alderbrook ($4.75/glass; $18/bottle). Ah, the evening suddenly got better. And it continued to improve, as we ate our way through four satisfying courses.

We started with an appetizer from the specials menu: roasted garlic and herb foccaccia served appealingly with two dips, a colorful mound of chopped, roasted eggplant, onion, tomato, and garlic, flanked by two pools of white beans puréed with garlic and flecked with parsley ($7.95). The two dips provided a nice contrast in color and texture, but be forewarned, in both the garlic was assertive.

We shared a Caesar salad ($2.95) before our main courses arrived. Ordinarily, I might have found fault with the rather bland, though nicely eggy dressing on the parmesan-topped romaine, but after all the garlic in our appetizer, the salad was almost a palate cleanser before the main course.

The entrées at Thyme's Square are sophisticated and imaginative. From grilled swordfish with three-pepper salsa, and sautéed shrimp with asparagus and shiitake mushrooms in balsamic and herb vinaigrette over linguine, to grilled loin of pork with caramelized onions, and blackened ribeye steak with roasted-tomato sauce, they highlight the considerable culinary talents of Chef Killeen.

Again, we returned to the specials menu, this time for our entrees: roasted Chilean sea bass fillet with a basil butter sauce, and springtime risotto ($16.95), and pan seared sea scallops with plum tomatoes and herb cream sauce served with roasted-vegetable stuffed pasta ($18.95). From the description, I expected that the accompanying pasta would be a large ravioli or manicotti. Instead, in the center of my companion's plate of scallops was a little tower made from a rolled up lasagna noodle stuffed with a variety of roasted vegetables -- eggplant, tomatoes, onions, zucchini, summer squash, plus ricotta cheese and fresh basil. It was a delicious and clever accompaniment to the sweet, and very fresh tasting scallops.

The sea bass was exquisite -- tender, moist, and served with a subtle sauce. A creamy mound of risotto was chock full of spring vegetables -- asparagus, slivered pea pods, bits of red pepper, and green onions; I savored every bite.

A more restrained couple would have declined dessert, but taking my responsibilities as a reviewer seriously, I asked our waitress to wrap up the remains of our entrées. Desserts at Thyme's Square ($4.50) are homemade by Chef Killeen's sister, and they are definitely worth the indulgence. I had lemon macaroon pie: creamy and tart, with coconut adding crunch to the crust. My companion ordered double-chocolate mousse, which was rich and delectable. We lingered over mugs of decaf coffee ($1). Our bill, not including tip, came to $79.59.