Biagio's Grille

These Friends keep their family fun thriving

by Margaret LeRoux

Biagio's Grille
257 Park Avenue, Worcester
756-7995
Mon.-Thurs. 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m.
Fri.-Sat. 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m.
Sun 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m.
Major credit cards
Full bar
Handicap accessible

Worcester's appetite for Italian food seems to be insatiable. Barely a month after a low key opening, Biagio's Grille, which calls itself Worcester's "west side" Italian restaurant, is drawing crowds. Located at the site of the former Angela's on Park Avenue, Biagio's is a new venture for owners Tim and Gina Friend.

The menu tells a charming story of how Biagio DiLeo, Gina's grandfather, emigrated from Bari, Italy, and settled in Shrewsbury, where he and his wife cooked Italian feasts for their large family.

At Biagio's restaurant there were lots of families and couples enjoying Italian feasts the night we dined, and shortly after we ordered, our table, too, was laden with platters of bread, bowls of salad, and plates of fragrantly seasoned pasta.

Biagio's decor is similar to the former Angela's, though the place has been given a thorough sprucing up. The restaurant is in a huge old house, and the downstairs is a series of small dining rooms. The walls are whitewashed stucco hung with reproductions of familiar works of art. Lighting is low, giving the place a golden glow.

We started with bruschetta ($4.95), a platter of Italian bread served with two toppings, sliced fresh tomatoes, marinated in vinegar and olive oil, garlic and basil, and sautéed mushrooms topped with melted fontina cheese. The tomatoes were plum and, considering the time of year, quite flavorful. We enjoyed the two variations of this appetizer, although some of the mushrooms were cold; a few more moments in a hot oven could have improved them.

We also shared a platter of deliciously meaty, grilled portobello mushrooms served on a bed of fresh spinach sautéed with garlic and chopped tomatoes.

From a small wine list, I chose a glass of Deakin Estate Shiraz ($6.50); one of my companions had a pint of Sam Adams on tap ($3); our two other friends opted for soft drinks (95 cents).

For light eaters, Biagio's offers an assortment of sandwiches from a meatball grinder ($5.95) to burgers ($5.95) and pizza ($9.95). There's also a kids' section of the menu with cheese pizza, spaghetti and meatball, and fettucine Alfredo (all $2.99) as well as chicken fingers and fries ($3.99).

The entrées come with your choice of soup of salad; grilled items have a choice of roasted potatoes or pasta. Two of us opted for salad, the house version of mixed greens, tomatoes, olive, and onion slices dressed with a tangy vinaigrette, and a Caesar salad with plenty of cheese and croutons. Both were very good. The soup of the night was seafood chowder, with a tomato base and chunks of fish. Served in thick mugs, the soup was hot and tasty.

Biagio's has several selections "from the grille" including grilled Tuscany chicken -- twin breasts marinated in olive oil, garlic, rosemary, and balsamic vinegar ($8.95); grilled salmon topped with lemon butter and capers ($12.95); and New York sirloin steak topped with sautéed mushrooms, proscuitto, and glazed with Marsala ($14.95). One of my companions chose grilled filet mignon topped with grilled portobello mushrooms and served on sautéed spinach with chopped tomatoes ($14.95). My selection was the fish of the night, sole, dipped in an egg batter with Parmesan cheese and pan fried ($13.95).

Our two companions honed in on the Italian specialties, and one spying homemade Italian sausage ($8.95) said, "That's for me." He received a generous serving of sausage, which had just the right amount of spice -- enough to make him appreciate the Sam Adams but not so much that his mouth was on fire. Alongside was served spaghetti with a delicious red sauce.

My other friend loves veal and chose the veal Parmesan. He's very picky and when he didn't immediately gobble it up, I asked for a sample. Although not up to his standards, I thought the veal was very tender and flavorful. He was put off by the generous amount of melted cheese, but I figure if you order anything "Parmesan," you're entitled to have strings of gooey cheese stretching off your fork.

By comparison, my plate of battered sole was almost pristine. The fish was melt-in-the-mouth tender and very fresh. The lemon and capers were good accents. I liked the roasted red potato wedges, crispy on the outside and soft inside. There was also a veggie mixture: broccoli, peppers, slices of zucchini, and summer squash to make a balanced meal.

Our steak fan loved the filet mignon. It, too, was fork tender and was accompanied by the same roasted potatoes and veggie mix. The nice treatment of the steak and fish show a kitchen that's eager to please diners who may not be craving Italian food.

Our bill was $76.31 not including tip.