Fresh taste

Recent renovation brighten this popular Shrewsbury Street pub

by Margaret LeRoux

Piccadilly Pub 480 Shrewsbury Street Worcester 755-1808 Hours Mon.-Thurs. 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Fri.-Sat. 11 a.m.-midnight Sun. 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Major credit cards Full bar Handicap accessible

I grew up in a family of foodies. When my brothers, sister, and I get together, you can bet we talk of memorable meals and will probably share a few recipes and restaurant recommendations. Years ago, my brothers' tales of their enjoyable evenings at a Mexican restaurant near the University of Minnesota campus had me eager to try the place. When a business trip brought me to Minneapolis, I hailed a cab and gave the driver the restaurant's name. Despite my expectations, dinner was a big disappointment. The food was terrible. When I phoned my brother to complain, he calmly replied, "We never ate there, we only drank the margaritas."

So I wasn't surprised -- after deciding to try Piccadilly Pub -- that my pub-frequenting acquaintances had a few similar replies. Piccadilly, it seems, is the perfect spot to meet up with friends to celebrate the end of the week; the generous size and price of the drinks are big attractions. Food, for many pub fans, is secondary.

With a bit of trepidation, I met a friend at Piccadilly for an early dinner. We were trying to make a movie, so a leisurely paced meal was not in our plans. I'm happy to report we were fed within an hour without feeling rushed in the process. Our dinners were mostly satisfactory -- one glaring exception being the French fries, a pub standard. Ours were a soggy disappointment in an otherwise pleasant meal.

If you've not been to the Piccadilly on Shrewsbury Street for a while, you're in for a surprise. The interior has been renovated; pine-wood paneling on the walls has been extended to the ceiling, giving the place a bright, welcoming look.

Service is prompt and pleasant. I was a bit late and my friend had already ensconced herself in a booth and was surveying the evening's specials, which are posted throughout the restaurant.

We quickly decided on one of the new appetizers, chicken cashew egg rolls ($4.99), and ordered a couple of on-tap brews: Sam Adams ($3.30) and Piccadilly's own amber ale ($2.99). The beer was our favorite temperature, cold without being icy, and served in generous-size glasses.

Three large egg rolls were filled with a sweet mixture of diced chicken, vegetables, and a few cashew pieces. Had the nuts been toasted or crunchy they would have been more noticeable. Nevertheless, we managed to clean the plate.

Piccadilly is a good place to bring picky eaters. If they can't find something they like from this extensive menu, they're hopeless. There are dinner-size salads, ranging from $2.75 for the house garden salad to $7.99 for grilled Chinese chicken salad with crunchy noodles, sliced almonds, and toasted sesame seeds. Soups include French onion ($3.99), beef and bean chili ($3.99), clam chowder ($2.75 a cup; $3.75 a bowl), and a daily special -- minestrone the night we dined. If you like your soup in a bread bowl, Piccadilly's offers clam chowder with a side Caesar salad for $5.99.

There's a long list of sandwiches, including a hefty hot pastrami with cheese ($5.99) and a low-fat turkey-and-spinach roll-up ($5.99). There are lots of burgers, each one-half pound char broiled, as well as a grilled veggie burger platter ($5.50).

Heartier appetites can choose a 12 ounce sirloin (a bargain at $9.99) or twin, boneless pork chops with cinnamon apples ($7.99), while fans of home cooking can feast on roast turkey with stuffing and gravy ($7.99). I was tempted by grilled Italian chicken breast topped with grilled artichoke hearts, roasted red pepper, and garlic parmesan cheese ($8.99).

Seafood is offered broiled, baked, or fried, including salmon fillet ($9.99), sea scallops casserole ($9.99), fried clam strips ($6.99), and Boston schrod ($7.99).

Still undecided? Pasta possibilities include veal and eggplant parmesan ($8.99), cheese ravioli ($6.99), chicken and broccoli scampi ($8.99), and lobster Alfredo (market price).

Our choices were easy. I was in the mood for a salad and sandwich and found the perfect combo: spinach-stuffed bread with Caesar salad ($5.99). My friend opted for the night's special, fish and chips ($7.50).

I liked the hot mixture of chopped spinach and cheese that stuffed a wedge of peasant bread -- rather like a thin calzone, but much easier to eat. The dressing on the Caesar salad was very creamy, and there were lots of croutons.

My friend's generous serving of haddock was a perfect rendition of fried fish: nice and crispy on the outside, and moist and tender inside. We both gave this entree an A plus, but we flunked those limp French fries.

We split a wedge of Kentucky Derby pie ($3.50) -- the filling tasted like chocolate- chip cookie dough -- and made our movie in time for the credits. Our bill was $31.77 before tip.