The Best - Editors' Choices

Food & Drink

Best-kept takeout secret

Though it's a sad fact of life that fried foods are really, really bad for you, Fridays wouldn't be the same without fish and chips. And boy do we have the place for you to try: the Sole Proprietor. Cheer up! While most people visit the Sole as a major dining event, you can actually pick up the phone and order the same excellent whitefish for a reasonable $6.99 for a half-pound and $10.99 (which includes fries) for a full pound of melt-in-your-mouth fish. You won't be alone; many downtown workers give the Sole a call before heading home. But don't worry about lines of local fish lovers, it's still the area's best-kept secret. And don't be totally boring -- order up a side of cole slaw.
Sole Proprietor, 118 Highland Street, Worcester, (508) 798-3474

Best choice when you can't make a choice

Life brisngs us so many choices. Whether it's the best escape route to take when stuck in traffic, or the ever-growing Friday-night, beer-cooler puzzle the microbrew movement has created, or the biggest one of all: pizza versus Chinese. The fine folks at T N' T Pizzeria and Café provide a shining, low-cost, and damn tasty solution (they deliver too, but only within a two-mile radius). They have your usual mom-and-pop array of roast-beef subs, steak bombs, mozzarella sticks, pizzas, and calzones. But just a little to the left of the primary menu board is another, seemingly contradictory one. On it are written things like "crab rangoons," "Peking ravioli," and "2 Chinese appetizer plus fried rice combination." Yes, that's right: T N' T is a two-in-one operation, and it scores big on both cards. The pizza is a solid take on the classic New England (thick, white crust, hearty sauce, cheddar and mozzarella mix) style, and the sandwiches are huge, both in size and flavor. In particular, T N' T's meatball sub with hot peppers is explosive. Chinese-wise, T N' T keeps it pretty simple. No "seven stars over the moon" stuff to be found here, just some smoking renditions of time-honored American-friendly favorites. Think "fryolators," but in a good way. End late-night arguments with friends, end that craving in the pit of your belly, and give the decision-making side of your brain some room to breathe; light T N' T's fuse.
T N' T Pizzeria and Café, 108 Belmont Street, Worcester, (508) 753-3354

Best world travel without leaving the city

Wine has made tremendous inroads in the past 10 years, and, as a result, there are more options from which to choose for those who have discovered the complexities of the fermented grape. Austin Liquors is a fine place to start for the beginner, and an even better place for an old sippin' pro. You'll find two-thirds the available floor space covered with a variety of choices. France, Germany, Italy, Greece, Spain, Australia, and South Africa are well represented. There are a host of regional domestics, as well as a kosher section. The sheer volume can be overwhelming, which is why Austin Liquors' Ellyn Brigham is the person you want to know. As the store's wine buyer for about 15 years, Brigham has parlayed an interest into a vocation, and she'll gladly share her insight into what makes a good bottle of vino. So whether you prefer a dry, smoky red with complex aroma (gamy and rich, but not too precocious) or a fruity, sweet white to drink in a tumbler full of ice cubes, El is your gal.
Austin Liquors, 117 Gold Star Boulevard, Worcester, (508) 853-8953

Best way to stretch your paycheck and still eat in style

How in the world can you beat a good football game, a cold draft, and food that is as reasonable as it is delicious? Plenty of establishments can, but at Peppercorns they go one better by offering "buy one, get one free" appetizers Sunday through Wednesday. You have to sit on the bar side of the joint, but that's where the game and frosties are, so the point is moot. Offering standard fare -- potato skins, nachos, buffalo wings, garlic bread, and a better-than-average mozzarella stick -- Peppercorns also features some of the most delectable beginners in the entire city. The lobster ravioli is stuffed full of America's favorite crustacean and tossed in a basil cream sauce, the crab cakes are pan fried in a great garlic butter, and the chicken satay is tender, spicy, and always on our wish list. Non-flesh eaters can enjoy a tremendous tri-mushroom casserole, an individual four-cheese pizza, or a nifty fried vegetable combo. Most appetizers run for $5.99, with a high-end of $7.99 for the lobster rav. Divide that by two and you've got yourself a no-brainer on how to fly first class on a coach budget till that next paycheck arrives.
Peppercorns, 455 Park Avenue, Worcester, (508) 752-7711

Best way to get warm when you're chili

While we generally try to steer clear of chain-variety restaurants, we've come to heartily endorse, and are perhaps even a little bit fond of, Chili's. Never mind that mind-rotting baby-back, baby-back, baby-back (oops!) rib jingle, or the fact that the wait staff are given daily pep-talks that contain key phrases like "teamwork," "smiles, everyone, smiles" and "would you like to try our (fill in appetizer special)?" No, put that stuff behind you, grab a seat on the usually kid-/crayon-free bar side, and enjoy a more laid-back experience. We recommend starting with chips and salsa (always salt-a-rific) and something off the better-than-average appetizer menu. Actually all the food at Chili's is better than one would expect from a chain, so be brave and order with your heart. But don't forget to try at least one tall margarita. Served in a 16 oz. pilsner-style glass with a salted rim (no salt also available for rookies), the drink is a refreshing, peppy alternative to beer that, unlike a lot of places, doesn't overpower the taste buds (or your food) with either sour mix or tequila.
Chili's Grill & Bar, 291 Boston Turnpike, Shrewsbury, (508) 756-1800

Best reason to get up early on a Saturday

Listening to bacon sizzle on Charlie's Diner grill on a cold winter day serenades our ears, and it's one of our favorite Worcester experiences. While Charlie (Turner) himself has passed the full-time spatula to son Steven, he still operates the adjoining family catering business with daughter Kristine. But on the weekends, Charlie keeps his reputation current as the Picasso of the omelet. Watching the master slice potatoes is a lot like watching a card shark shuffle the deck -- you're not quite sure how he does it, but you know you want a plate when he's done. That's not to say Steven isn't a magician in his own right. The next time you make breakfast, keep track of what you do and how long it takes, multiply it by eight hours and add in constant customers, and you'll understand his super-chef-man-like qualities. Plus, in an age when the family restaurant is rare, it's great to see grandchildren Cynthia and Courtney Milioto helping out. Note: on weekends, Charlie's is open from 7:30 to 11:30 a.m. on Saturday only.
Charlie's Diner, 344 Plantation Street, Worcester, (508) 752-9318

Best celestial cow trip

From April to October, regular visits to Dresser Hill Farms are a way of life for South Worcester County residents. While ice cream is the main attraction (although some visitors swear by fried dinners), the view is equally spectacular. On a clear day, it's not hard to find yourself lost staring at the Berkshires until a) you're startled by a loud moo or b) you notice your ice cream has melted on your pants. Sky watchers also value the vista, as the nearby peak is one of the region's best locations to view constellations, visiting comets, or falling space stations. The biggest phenomena, however, remains the ice cream, which, when the winter snow melts, will be tantalizing taste buds for the 46th straight season.
Dresser Hill Farm Dairy, Dresser Hill Road, Charlton, (508) 248-7870

Best bang for the buck

Though the food has been around for generation upon generation, it is only recently that our sorry Anglo fannies came across the Wonder from Down Under: the pupusa. And where better to sample the stuff than La Pupuseria La Salvadoreña, a little downtown joint dedicated to dishing up awesome Central-American cuisine for very little money. While there is a fairly large menu to pick from, you can't beat the pupusa and its ridiculous dollar price tag. Essentially stuffed, grilled flat bread, the pupusa is to cheap eats what Strother Martin is to movies: sturdy, dependable, a little spicy but pleasant, and always a crowd pleaser. Stuffed with either pork, Salvadorian cheese, or a mix of the two, the grilled bread is then given some spiced cabbage and sweet tomato salsa across the top. From there it's the fast track to snackin' like a king. Simply roll, stuff in mouth, make satisfied noises. Wash down with soda, fruit juice, or, preferably, cold, cheap beer (microbrews, besides being for wussies, only cloud the mighty pupusa's complex taste). Feel free to repeat at least once.
La Pupuseria La Salvadoreña, 82 Pleasant Street, Worcester, (508) 756-5586

Best use of lemon grass this side of Saigon

At the Bamboo Hut Restaurant, the lemon grass is fresh; owner Nam Tran shops for it at local Vietnamese markets several times a week. Tran's careful shopping is matched by his wife Quyen's careful cooking; together they create food that's authentically Southeast Asian and they serve it with considerable charm. Try one of the hot, clay-pot dishes or Bamboo Hut chicken, fragrantly spicy with lemon grass. Even the simple chicken broth served between courses is deliciously seasoned with Vietnamese spices. At lunch there's an abundance of pho, Vietnamese noodle soups, and a stew of chicken, curry, lemon grass, and coconut milk. Don't pass on shrimp chips, the Vietnamese version of potato chips, made from a paste of dried shrimp and pressed into sheets. They're deep fried in hot oil. Crispy at first bite, they melt in your mouth -- cotton candy for adults.
The Bamboo Hut, 1394 Main Street, Worcester, (508) 754-1755

Best place to be a sous chef

J's at Nashoba Valley continues to offer outstanding cuisine despite a revolving door in the kitchen. Since the restaurant opened as Jerome's a year ago, the founding chef, Jerome Pica, and his successor, sous chef Jason Kennedy, have both departed. Nevertheless, the quality of the food, the service, and imaginative presentation have remained excellent. An appetizer of scallops was seared and blackened ever so lightly, served with a salad of match-stick-size slices of jicama, seasoned with apple wine vinegar and spices, accented by a bright orange mango purée. A salad of baby spinach leaves, raddicchio, and fresh goat cheese was dressed in a not-at-all-too-sweet peach vinaigrette. Pan-seared duck breast with tangerine-cumin jus served on a bed of root-vegetable hash, and accompanied by a blue cheese-filled baked apple, was beautiful and delicious. J's menu also showcases Nashoba's award-winning, upscale, dry fruit wines. Kennedy's successor is none other than sous chef Jeff Sprague, a graduate of the Florida Culinary Academy. His new menu will feature seafood with Caribbean touches; we can hardly wait to give it a try.
J's, 100 Wattaquadoc Hill Road, Bolton, (978) 779-9816

Best beef in disguise

It's not really beef teriyaki on the skewers at Lily Pad, Worcester's newest vegetarian restaurant. Nor is it pork in the Vietnamese spring rolls, poultry in moo-shi chicken, or shellfish in the kung pao shrimp. With imaginative presentations using meat, chicken, and fish substitutes, Lily Pad's extensive menu shows that vegetarian cooking can be hearty and satisfying. It can even fool meat eaters. We liked the version of hot-and-sour soup; though made with vegetable broth, the spices packed real power. Mixing some of the tasty "beef" teriyaki with vegetable lo mein, a generous serving of noodles, straw mushrooms, bok choy, carrots, broccoli, and water chestnuts made a satisfying meal. We loved the vegetable offering, too, especially Japanese tempura, a generous serving of broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, and mushrooms coated in light batter and deep-fried until crispy. Try one of Lily Pad's whimsically named beverages, such as Dance of the Butterfly Dream, which is a mixture of fruit juices, pineapple, and coconut milk. A virgin piña colada couldn't be better.
Lily Pad, 755 Grafton Street, Worcester, (508) 890-8899

Best samba by a waiter or waitress

At the Naked Fish it seems like the staff is having such a good time, the customers feel like they're at a party. Maybe it's the Latin music playing in the background, or all those exotic rum drinks offered at the bar; the carefree atmosphere at this wildly busy restaurant makes diners feel like they could be dancing the samba along with the staff. Waits of almost an hour for a table haven't deterred the crowds that line up to watch the cooks at work in the open kitchen and to sample nine varieties of "naked," wood-fired grilled fish. The not-so-naked list includes a highly recommended grilled swordfish over tomato and pepper coulis, topped with roasted leeks in a cream sauce, and pan-seared mahi mahi in a ginger-orange sauce. Desserts are fun too: chocolate-coconut cheesecake looks like a mini bundt cake. Mango key lime pie isn't a pie at all, rather layers of tangy lime and sweet mango mousse atop a citrusy cake-like crust.
Naked Fish, 95A Turnpike Road (Route 9), Westborough, (508) 366-5959

Best alternative to karaoke

You might think you've entered a time warp and come out in New York City in the 1960s if you visit Donacesca on a Saturday night. Garlands of tiny white lights decorate the outside. Stucco white walls adorned with fresco-style paintings inside make the place feel like a cafe in Greenwich Village. After a glass or two of pinot grigio, you'll find yourself singing Volaré along with Donacesca's performing waiter, who's nailed the Dean Martin imitation. The maitre d' is right out of New York City too; he keeps a watchful eye on the dining room, filling water glasses before they're empty, and bringing complimentary appetizers of crusty bread, hot from the oven, and a bowl of marinated mushrooms and olives. The menu offers lots of pasta standards with red sauce, seafood in white wine, a fancy flaming steak prepared table side, and a few lighter items for those watching their cholesterol level.
Donacesca Ristorante Italiano, 26 South Bolton Street, Marlborough, (508) 460-6778

Best use of a blender

Passion cocktail, orange sunrise, and jugo de Jasmine are three good reasons to try Sabana's, an adorable little restaurant offering Latin-American cuisine and exotic fruit drinks. Despite its small size -- several tables and half that number of stools at the counter -- Sabana's has big ambitions. Starting with the imaginative combinations that make up the fruit-drink selection to the wonderful aromas of chili, cilantro, and onions that permeate the entrees, you know right from the start this is no ordinary cafe. Passion cocktail lives up to its name with a lively mixture of passion fruit, berries, and pineapple juice; orange sunrise combines orange juice and bananas; jugo de Jasmine (named for the owner's daughter) is a mixture of strawberries, blackberries, and raspberries. Sip your drink while munching tamalitos -- dip these corn cakes into aji, a spicy sauce of fresh tomatoes, onions, peppers, cilantro, and vinegar. Dig into a hearty plate of carne asada or pernill y arroz con gandules, the popular Puerto Rican dish of pigeon peas and rice, with the addition of roast pork. You'll be better for it.
Sabana's, 439 Park Avenue, Worcester, (508) 767-1820

Best mint to relish

You could make a meal from the appetizers, chutneys, and breads at Sweetheart's. But then you'd miss the wonderful main-dish curries, so it's best to go hungry and try everything. Sweetheart's will give your palate an exotic vacation. The mint chutney alone, a gorgeous green from fresh chopped mint, mixed with sugar, vinegar, and hot pepper, is worth the trip. It tastes sweet, sour, hot, and refreshing at the same time, a perfect foil for peppery papadams, thin, cracker-like bread. Spoon it on the clay-oven baked tandoori, little stuffed pizza-like creations, and samosa, fritters of vegetables in a batter of chick pea flour and spices. If you like your condiments sweeter, go for mango chutney, a rich jam of mangoes, onions, and spices. Raita is a soothing blend of yogurt, cucumber, tomato, and onion; this will cool you down before the main course. Still not full? Try chicken korma, boneless chicken breast in a dreamy sauce of cream, cashews, sliced almonds, raisins, and more Indian spices, tasting both exotic and homey.
Sweetheart Restaurant, 270 Shrewsbury Street, Worcester, (508) 752-3700

Best place to have a sassy lunch

Mac's is already famous for its overflowing plates of Italian food at incredibly affordable dinner prices. What you probably don't know, unless you work or live in the Shrewsbury Street neighborhood, is that Mac's also puts out the city's most filling plates for lunch. The main offerings change each day, ranging from a half-broiled chicken over a bed of pasta, Mulligan stew, grilled-chicken-tenders sandwich plate, to bangers and mashed, and pork chops. If it's sandwiches you want, they've got 'em from burgers to kielbasa, which you can down with a bowl of awesome hot soup. Rarely do two people leave with their stomachs unfilled and a bill for more than $10. That leaves you plenty of extra cash to tip the hardest-working ladies in the business.
Mac's Diner, 185 Shrewsbury Street, Worcester, no phone

Best place to eat like a lawyer

Anytime you can make a lawyer grimace it's a minor victory. Show up at the place they think is their own and you'll really piss them off. Emelia's is a charming, little restaurant for those looking for a good warm meal with a different flavor, and for anyone who wants a nice lunch in a cozy, plain atmosphere. Emelia's offers sandwiches: baba gannoujh, falafel, and hummus for vegetarians, and gyros, kibee, steak, and kufta for meat eaters. Its homemade soups, salads, and Syrian pies are among the best in the city. Daily specials range from moussaka and rice pilaf on Mondays, kibbe balls with cucumbers and yogurt on Tuesday, fish on Wednesday and Friday, and Emilia's chicken on Thursday. Don't leave without taking home some pastries to make the afternoon a little more special. There's new selections of French and Middle Eastern pastries daily. And should you need more entertainment than the Middle Eastern music filling the room, there's always a rundown of the morning's events at the courthouse.
Emilia's Bakery, 75 Pleasant Street, Worcester, (508) 755-4581

Best chocolate dessert on the planet

This is as close to the ultimate in chocolate indulgence you'll find in Central Massachusetts. The Oyster Cabin's chocolate truffle is worth every one of the million calories it probably contains. The combination of bittersweet Belgium chocolate, egg yolks, butter, and cream defines culinary excess. Which is not what you'd expect to find when you arrive at the cabin -- yes, that's what it really is, a log cabin in the woods. The food is surprisingly gourmet. Sautéed halibut served on a pedestal of sweet potato and baby zucchini with a sauce of red wine and blueberries; quail is stuffed with andouille sausage and pistachios, served on a bed of puréed sweet potatoes, and garnished with fresh Mission figs in a glacé flavored with juniper berries. You'll find vegetables that accompany the main courses are cultivated in the cabin's garden and tenderly presented.
The Oyster Cabin, 785 Quaker Highway, Uxbridge, (508) 278-4440

Best where there's life there's hope

In this case we're hopeful about the lively, late-hours atmosphere at Seoul Leecci, a Korean and Japanese restaurant, which is almost the only place where there's any activity in downtown Worcester after 10 o'clock at night. Seoul Leecci's neon-bright lighting and bold, purple and violet color scheme stand out among the other darkened Main Street storefronts. The not-so-background music is hard-edged rock translated into Korean lyrics; the aim seems to be at a hip, urban crowd. Start with sushi; you can watch the chef prepare these rolls of sticky rice stuffed with assorted raw fish and vegetables, then move on to tempura, one of the many noodle dishes, or BulKoki, a traditional Korean dish of thinly sliced beef that's been marinated in a teriyaki-base sauce. If you're bold, try AhGoo MaeWoon Tang; phonetically spelled for us Westerners, it translates as "monkfish casserole with spicy sauce." Looking for a different take on a late-night snack? Try HaeMool Pajeon, a sort of Korean thin-crust pizza of seafood mixed with scallions. No cheese on this "pizza," but the tangy fish sauce is delicious.
Seoul Leecci, 385 Main Street, Worcester, (508) 363-0891

Best takeout that's not pizza or Chinese

In a city as ethnically diverse as Worcester, there's no excuse for getting into the old takeout rut. Be honest, aren't you getting a little tired of sausage pizza or moo goo gai pan? Get yourself over to Hamilton Street where Lee's Bakery offers a delicious assortment of Lebanese meat, spinach, and cheese pies. They're baked fresh daily, and smell so good, you'd better buy an extra to nibble on while you drive home. At Lee's you can also indulge your sweet tooth with beautiful little cookies and pastry. Try kaak (butter cookies), sambousik (nut-and-sugar filled butter cookies), ghribee (pretzel-shape butter cookies), and baklava (layers of phyllo dough filled with ground nuts and honey and drizzled with rosewater).
Lee's Bakery, 98 Hamilton Street, Worcester, (508) 755-7014

Best find in a strip mall

If you didn't know what a treasure Ziti's is, you'd certainly pass it by. Tucked into the Speedway Plaza, one of the numerous strip malls that line Route 9, Ziti's looks like just another little takeout pizza place. Yes, you can get pizza at Ziti's but why settle for pizza when you could have saffron linguine, tomato-basil fettuccine, or porcini ravioli? Sauces here are way beyond basic tomato. Ziti's offers carbonara (pancetta and egg), puttanesca (capers and black olives), arrabbiata (spicy red sauce), and pesto. There are fresh clams and calamari, mussels, and shrimp (fra diavalo), as well as baked halibut. Chicken is served with marsala or lemon-butter sauces and parmigiana. There are also gnocchi, the delicious Italian version of potato dumplings, served with mozzarella and basil sauce. Everything is made on-premises, including the fabulous, crusty bread. If you want to pretend you're in an authentic Italian trattoria, Ziti's is the place to be.
Ziti's Italian Trattoria, Speedway Shopping Center, 290 Turnpike Road, Westborough, (508) 898-2282

Best New York experience

It's big, sophisticated, and expensive, but the waiters aren't rude, so we guess you'd have to say 111 Chop House offers ideal, if not totally authentic, New York City dining. It's easy to forget you're still in Worcester, much less Shrewsbury Street, once you're inside. Bathed in golden light from the huge fixtures on the ceiling, and surrounded by rich, dark woodwork, you're bound to look a little sophisticated too. So play along and dress the part; leave the jeans and T-shirts home this time. Act like a grown up, order a Manhattan, and tuck into a sizzling platter of Oysters Rockefeller, followed by a juicy prime rib of beef. A snifter of brandy, or coffee, and the Millennium dessert? Either choice is a fitting finale to an evening at Worcester's version of the Big Apple.
111 Chop House, 111 Shrewsbury Street, Worcester, (508) 799-4111

Best taste of Brazilian hospitality

Who says Worcester doesn't have an international reputation? At noontime, John's Brazilian Food Restaurant sets out a huge buffet of yummy cuisine, including rice and beans, pork, beef, salads, and vegetables. While the food definitely has a Brazilian touch, he's careful not to label it in a way that chases away the uninitiated. There's one instance everyone should be brave: feijoado, a fish dish that Americans are famous for overturning buildings to find once they return home from that Sao Paulo vacation. And though John's only been open since December 1998, he's already a warm host to repeat customers, bringing a neighborly feeling back to downtown. Special note: John's is one of the only places north of City Hall where you can get breakfast on Main Street on Sunday morning.
John's Brazilian Food Restaurant, 144 Main Street, Worcester, (508) 752-0052

Best time-warp experience

Excuse us while we hunt down our lace handkerchieves and kid gloves. We're off to tea at Chaipuccino, and we want to dress for the occasion. Everything about this elegant little tea room brings out the Victorian matron in us, from the skirted tables and antique chairs to the English bone-china tea cups and saucers. Nibble on a plate of finger sandwiches (watercress, of course, is one of the most popular choices) or scones -- choose from several varieties including blueberry, chocolate chunk, or cheddar cheese. Those with heartier appetites will find homemade soups and sandwiches satisfying. Save room for dessert; mocha torte with fresh whipped cream will have you humming the theme song from Upstairs Downstairs.
Chaippuccino, 1066 Pleasant Street, Worcester, (508) 792-2100

Best place to kill an hour

Billed as "not your everyday coffee experience," Cool Beans is exactly that. Since opening several months ago, the Green Street shop has become a favorite local haunt. Featuring two plush leather sofas, a handful of tables and a lunch counter, the locale is a comfy and funky spot to settle in for a latte or flavored espresso. Serving breakfast (omelets, Texas-style French toast, bacon and eggs) and outstanding sandwich wraps and daily specials for lunch and dinner, Cool Beans offers fresh, relatively healthy food. Salads are some of the best we've had, and the spot features many items, including sweets, that are vegan-friendly. On weekends, when the sun goes down, local singer/songwriters get a chance to work out their stuff in front of the crowd, and while the place packs up nicely, it's still a comfortable hang. Hip, but not pretentious, Cool Beans has a friendly atmosphere and nice employees. If it's conversation you want, you can do no better than the lovely Michele. If you just want to sit and be amused, Steph is a human sideshow.
Cool Beans, 99 Green Street, Worcester, (508) 752-2326.

Best dough for your dough

We like to eat out, but sometimes there's a certain satisfaction that comes with cooking at home. And we realize that not everyone is an ace chef, so we offer our 10-point Phoenix Guide to Looking Great in the Kitchen While Doing Next-to-Nothing. You will need the following: one jar favorite spaghetti sauce, hunk of mozzarella cheese, onion, garlic, corn meal, and a six pack of beer.

Steps:

1. Drive to Blue Jeans Pizza, buy dough ball for a buck.

2. Drive to packy, purchase beer.

3. Go to supermarket, get rest of junk on list, and go home.

4. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees, open beer.

5. Take slug of beer, pour corn meal on a flat pan, cover with flattened dough ball (Important! It should be Frisbee-like before proceeding further), sip beer liberally when done.

6. In order: spoon on sauce, sip beer, cut up onion and garlic into little chunks (if you're really squished for time, or if whom you're cooking for isn't that important, garlic and onion powder are almost as good), toss on sauce. Sprinkle cheese on top.

7. Put in oven, open fresh beer.

8. Drink beer for 20/25 minutes, then take pan out of oven.

9. Let cool for five minutes, then cut up into square pieces.

10. Eat! Best when served with beer.

Blue Jeans Pizza, 270 Park Avenue, Worcester, (508) 753-3777

Best old-time bartender in a trendy setting

We aren't sure when it happened, but somewhere along the way the art of bartending has drastically changed. These days the style seems to be a) a snot-faced kid with a baseball cap and a bad attitude who acts like you're impeding on his television time b) someone who is polite but standoffish (usually chain restaurants) or c) an in-your-face funny guy who spends more time trying to BS his way into your heart for bigger tips (again, this is a chain phenomenon). The old-school bartender is a rare thing: the guy who's friendly, knows his place, believes in light-hearted, two-way exchanges, and gets to know his customers. That's why we'll take the 111 Chop House's Pete Smith, a guy who definitely fills the bill. A transplant from the Sole Proprietor, Smith is knowledgeable about his job (especially if you're into wine or Scotch), works the bar well (we've never seen anyone not served promptly and efficiently no matter how crowded), and is congenial. He can talk sports, music, books, politics, and almost anything else under the sun with insight and good humor. Worcester could use a few more Pete Smiths.

Best Miami vice

Bagels have become quite the ubiquitous little baked good, haven't they? Yet somehow, in the wake of such bounty, boredom can still set in. One sure-fire way to keep your love of the round-and-chewy thing alive can be found at Bagel Time, which offers what just might be the best bagel spread anywhere. They call it "Miami Lox." But its flavor is a far cry from the salty, fishy nature of its namesake. Instead, Bagel Time starts with plain cream cheese, then adds a hint of salmon (imparting a pale pink color), chopped scallions, and a bit of horseradish. It's unlikely, but trust us, it's divine. Get it slathered on a bagel for $2.49, or buy it in a half-pound tin for $3.25.
Bagel Time, 194 Park Avenue, Worcester, (508) 798-0440

Best bomb to attack

The Corner Grille has been one of our favorite spots when we're unsure if we want rich and gooey or low-cal fare. Greek cuisine dominates the crammed writing on the huge blackboard, which hangs above the deli-style counter/display case, but you'll find a healthy variety of seasonal local dishes -- as well as the ubiquitous (and here, very huge) hamburger. Stuffed butternut squash, homemade apple pie, pumpkin cheesecake, turkey dinner, and clam chowder comprise part of the fall menu, and then there are hummus (Middle Eastern) and couscous (North African) and the ominous-sounding "Tuna Bomb," which remains our favorite gourmet sandwich in all of Worcester. But best of all, a visit here is an opportunity to chat with owner and co-chef Raena Heppenstall, who is one of the sweetest hosts around.

Corner Grille, 806 Pleasant Street, Worcester, (508) 754-8884

Best cafe when you're dying to be in Europe

When you walk into Café Dolce the first thing you notice is how cozy it is. During the warmer months, tables are set up outside so you can enjoy the sun or the moon, depending on when you love to drink coffee, which is among the best in the city. Inspect the steaming rich depths of the Ethiopian Yrgasheffe, take in the heady aroma of the Caffe Cross, swirl in your mouth the thick, chocolate flavor of the Sumatra Mandhelig, and swallow down the silky smoothness of the Cappuccino Dolce. No matter what your choice, if you're a coffee lover you will not be disappointed.
Café Dolce, 154 Shrewsbury Street, (508) 754-3761

Best place to get in touch with your rebel yell

It's a narrow, well-heeled, politically correct world we live in these days, especially in the workplace. So, when that whistle blows and it's time to get off the treadmill of corporate carrot chasing, we recommend a stop by Cicero's for a couple belts. The almost-next-door neighbor to Vincent's on Suffolk Street, the little semi-biker bar is just rough enough around the edges, and laden with just the right amount of testosterone for workday decompression. Dirty Harry, John Wayne, and Bruin great Johnny "Chief" Bucyk hang on the wall, 'cuz you know this ain't a spot for wussies. The jukebox (a Harley Davidson model, natch) spins just what you'd imagine -- Steppenwolf, Sabbath, Seger, Mountain, AC/DC, the Allman Brothers, Foghat, and Nugent still rule, and the most-modern they get are Soundgarden and Pearl Jam. The tap selection is just as straight ahead -- Bud or Lite, take your pick. There's a pool table of course, and even the video game CarnEvil is a great shoot-'em-up number that encourages very un-gentlemanly-like behavior. A typical night at Cicero's is all loud voices, heavy music, and, unlike the movies, a pretty-friendly atmosphere. If you do manage to get your ass kicked, you probably had it comin'.
Cicero's, Suffolk Street, Worcester, no phone

Best spot to go totally hedonistic

We've always been a champion of the neighborhood barroom, the type that has no real "theme," or doesn't aspire to be anything more than it is: a simple place for an affordable drink and, if you're lucky, some decent food. Which is why we flipped for the Harding Rock Cafe. A completely no-frills establishment located in the heart of Millbury Street's Bar Row (Harding Street runs behind it), the joint dishes out a very decent lunch for an obscenely cheap price. Appetizers (standards like hand-cut fries, chicken tenders, fried broccoli, etc.) go for less than three dollars, while shrimp cocktail will set you back $3.25. On our last visit, there were sandwiches (liverwurst, $1.65) as well as daily specials. A stuffed pepper with potato and vegetable costs $2.50, seafood au gratin over linguine is $4.50, and the bank-breaker was a one-pound T-bone steak for $5.95. And, like all decent gin mills, the drinks are cheap too. So an appetizer, steak, and a flock of beers later, you'd still have enough left for a generous tip. While not necessarily a place to take mom, the Harding is highly recommended for a change from the same-old.
Harding Rock Cafe, Harding Street (front entrance is on Millbury Street), Worcester, no phone

Best old-school sandwich

There's no doubting that the area's dining choices have improved dramatically; Worcester's palate has expanded considerably. And, while we love the offerings we have within a 30-minute drive, sometimes a plain ol' sandwich is just what the doctor ordered to cure culinary overload. No focaccia, no bean sprouts, or dried tomato, and leave the goat cheese off while you're at it. Our vote for the best all-around, two-hander goes to the Regatta Deli and its self-titled grinder. The Regatta is a half-loaf of Italian-bread monster that doesn't go nuts on the extras, just ham, salami, provolone, lettuce, tomato, oil, and oregano. (You can add onion, pickle, and hots, but why screw with perfection?) It's simple and quite reminiscent of European sandwiches. Never overpowered by any one flavor, you can taste everything in all its simple glory. At only $3 a pop, the little deli on Lake Avenue turns out an estimated 600 of these puppies a day!
Regatta Deli & Sandwich Shoppe, 28 Lake Avenue, Worcester, (508) 756-6916

Best way to wet your whistle on a hot day

What better way to quench your thirst in the heat of the summer than by indulging in a freshly squeezed, frozen lemonade -- found, of course, at the Shrewsbury Street institution, Steve's Spa. Ever since the industrious, perpetually congenial Steven Troio opened his store in 1949, he's dished out the smoothest, most refreshing Italian ice anywhere. After all, the 86-year-old Troio has had years of practice. He first made the icy, lemon treat at the tender age of 13, back when the neighborhood's elders would labor over it for as many as five hours, using rock salt and hand-churned, ice-cream machines. Today's technology allows Troio to whip up a batch in a mere 20 minutes. But while he's cut time, he hasn't cut corners; indeed, he refuses to reveal his secret recipe to anyone but his son Lenny, who's taken over much of the Spa's responsibilities to aid his aging father. Though Italian ice is a seasonal tradition, Troio keeps a bit of sunshine each winter by freezing his lemon slushy in pints that sell for $2.25.
Steve's Spa, 120 Shrewsbury Street, Worcester, no phone

Best slice of heaven

Operating since 1935 (originally as a soda fountain), the Webster House Restaurant is a local legend. Well-known for its traditional, family-style fare, the Webster House would rank -- we believe -- as one of the first places folks recall their parents taking them to. And they also will remember the pie. Baked on-premises, the Webster House's homemade pie is the best thing available next to mom's, and if your mom bakes like this we want an invite! While all of the deep-dish delights are highly recommended, we always go back for the apricot. Its sweet, tart, and juicy filling is lovingly wrapped in a gorgeous, flakey, glazed crust. Just add a glass of milk and -- wham-o! -- instant cut of heaven. At $2.50 a slice, we say order a couple, or you can take home an entire pie for $8.50 and go nuts in private.
Webster House Restaurant, 1 Webster Street, Worcester, (508) 757-7208

Best way to fall into Sunday

Sunday brunch is an institution and one thing we can always look forward to after a Saturday night of frolic. While we find some places too crowded (and who really wants to get stuck at the breakfast bar behind the family of five) or too noisy (and who really wants to get stuck at the breakfast bar behind the family of five), we always love the atmosphere and the grub at the Gentle Lentil. The tiny Main Street eatery has consistently spooned out some of the healthiest and tastiest food we've come across, and Chef Greg is a master when it comes to whipping up a killer breakfast. Everything at the Lentil is fresh, from the spinach in your omelet, to the orange juice in your glass. We recommend the French toast (with pineapple on the side) and an order of Greg's homefries, which are among the best we've ever tasted. Add to that the cozy and mellow vibe of the red-bricked interior, a newspaper to skim through, and you have a top-shelf way to ease into the day.
Gentle Lentil, 800 Main Street, Worcester, (508) 753-8663

Best use for a tortilla chip

Nachos are an old staple of any bar/restaurant because, like pizza or a burger, they're well liked, easy to make, and hard to screw up. Which is why we want to thank the folks at Cactus Pete's for going the extra distance and delivering a plate of nachos that are worth singing the praises of. Known in the area for its steak and BBQ items (as well as a swell place to hang out after work), Cactus Pete's scores big with this appetizer. While it insists on the all-too-common mistake of stacking shredded lettuce and tomato on top (People, if you want tacos, order tacos and leave the nachos to us!), it's the filler that's killer at Pete's. Instead of a bean/hamburger mix, their chips are covered with bite-size pieces of steak. Oh, man, what a difference! Pete's manages to take the equivalent of a Ford Escort of tortilla-based food and turn it into a Cadillac. And you can actually make a meal out of this little humdinger of an appetizer; it warms up the next day in the oven quite fine.
Cactus Pete's Steakhouse, 400 Park Avenue, Worcester, (508) 752-3038

Arts & Entertainment

Best way to (slowly) swing into Saturday

Though there's nothing wrong with letting it all hang out on Friday night, it often makes for a very tentative start on Saturday; and we all know the weekend is too precious to waste. So our advice is to roll out of bed at a fairly reasonable 10:30, pull a cap over your noggin, gargle a little soda to break up the morning mouth cake, and head on over to the Java Hut for its open jazz jam. Hosted by guitarist/bandleader/swell guy Jay Tyer, the Java jam continues to bring the area's best and brightest players, as well as serving as a non-competitive arena for younger guys to work out their chops. Using the standard Real Book, Tyer leads the troops through a workout of classic jazz. The vibe is relaxing, unpretentious, and, when the young bucks are on stage, supportive. Not to mention there's no cover charge -- the boys play purely for the love of music. You can curl up on the sofa with a double latte, soak up the smooth sounds, grab a fresh toasted bagel with a shmeer (or one of the Hut's better-than-average sandwich wraps), and slowly rejoin the civilized world that you abandoned the night before sometime around last call.
Java Hut, 1073A Main Street, Worcester, (508) 752-1678

Best mid-week reprieve

Last year we hoisted our glass to Vincent's as "best reason to stay in Worcester"; and while our sentiment hasn't changed much, the little watering hole's status has. Coming up on its second anniversary this December, Vincent's has come on strong as the place to meet on weekends -- originally loaded with transplants from the glory days of Ralph's, a younger bar crowd has also discovered the joys of the city's primo place for swanky cocktails and Chris Manzello's lethal meatball sandwich. Not to mention there are a killer jukebox, friendly atmosphere, and the chance to gawk at scenesters (past and present), local politicos, and business heavies. Vincent's was too good to remain a secret for long. While Saturday is just fine, we've taken to the lower-key Wednesday-night drop by for a mid-week pick-me-up. The joint still jumps, only it's not through the hoop of hip. More relaxed, full of fun faces, and there's a little more elbow room with which to tilt a draft. Plus, the music lover in us gets a sweet deal as Dennis Brennan, Huck, and Night Train have all been regular features on (mostly) acoustic bills. All you gotta do is toss a couple bucks in the hat on the way out the door.
Vincent's, 49 Suffolk Street, Worcester, (508) 752-9439

Best show dog

The knock on the Worm is that, when it comes to quality national entertainment at a reasonable price, we roll the big goose egg. Then, remarkably, three guys with a lot of will, a reasonable amount of brains, and a little bit of cash took over the Dump Formerly Known as Sir Morgan's Cove and transformed it into the area's top live showcase. Now called the Lucky Dog Music Hall, main honcho Erick Godin and his lads have been working overtime to bring A-1 music into our little world. This past year alone, Frank Black, Link Wray, John Entwistle, the Fleshtones, NRBQ, Roomful of Blues, Enemy Squad, Overkill, Staind, and the Voluptuous Horror of Karen Black have all stood on the same stage made famous by Ol' Perch-Lips and his band of fossilized gas bags. Not only that, Worcester is responding. Sure, there are still some tight-asses out there who vapor lock at the idea of a six-dollar cover charge, but, in general, it appears the LD has won the masses over. Great sound, good lighting, funky decor, woman-friendly, and a retooled draft system that has yet to give us a case of that intestinal favorite -- Sir Morgan's Revenge -- all make the Lucky Dog our pick for a night of sweaty rock and roll. Also, huge bonus points for a men's room dedicated almost entirely to our All-Time Favorite Gal, Betty Page!
Lucky Dog Music Hall, 89 Green Street, Worcester, (508) 363-1888

Best career move without health insurance

There is a handful of folk who get the job done for the sake of doing it, while the rest of us sit around and take it for granted. When Ed McNamara started up the artist collaborative that became the Space, he helped put Worcester on the map as a place for quality underground music. Bands from all over the globe stopped in to play a set at the Harding Street HQ, and McNamara carried the brunt of the load for keeping the Space running properly. Feeling the need to return to perform himself, and having developed a decent case of volunteer burnout, McNamara devoted himself to his new outfit Garrison. Also featuring local homeboy Joe Grillo (ex-Stricken for Catherine), the band moved to Allston, played a few shows, and were picked up almost immediately and signed to a three-record deal with Cali-indie label Revelation. Having released their first EP, The Bend Before the Break, and with a full-length due out soon, the "heavy melodic" (read: emo-core) outfit are starting to pick up a little international exposure. While Ed can still be found around Wormtown on a regular basis, we're tickled pink a guy who gave so freely to the local scene is getting what he deserves in return.

Best comeback special

It had been eight long years since they were last heard from in these parts, but Upsidedown Cross, much to our satisfaction, finally decided to crawl out from the filth of their rehearsal space to reclaim their title as World's Greatest Horror-Metal band. Their back-from-the-crypt show at the Lucky Dog made Elvis's television comeback look like a night on the coma ward. Big lights, big smoke, and big noise marked their stage arrival, while a mostly dumbfounded audience stood in a blanket of machine-belched smoke. Standing behind the pulpit (really!), a disheveled Larry Lifeless squealed like a bleating farm animal, while the duel guitar attack of Dirty Ed and McNamara and the bass thump of Cheez lurched and plodded like a guy caught in a claw-foot trap. Reeling off tales dedicated to blood, schizophrenia, match playing, witches, death, and Ol' Scratch, the inverted ones also brought along two Virgin Mary statues, 2000 spider rings, and 200 painted bagels, all of which ended up spilled across the Dog's dance floor. Alas, the Cross were immediately ejected after the set. We say it was one of the year's highlights, and hope the Lucky Dog has a short memory.

Best all-around flashback

The beauty of enjoying music, of being a fan, is that you can take it as far as you want to go. That's why kids dress up in bellbottoms for disco night, hair gets teased when Manson comes to town, living rooms get turned into Elvis shrines, and vintage Stratocasters get sold to Hendrix disciples. You can make music a goof, a fun night out, or a passion. For Jason James it's definitely the latter. From an early age, James grooved on blues, early rock and roll, and energy that is both capable and evoking. A guitar whiz as a teenager, James and his band, the Bay State Houserockers, have just this past year begun to hit their stride. Mixing up rockabilly, surf, '60s pop, and soul music, the James gang whack out a serious tribute to the past while keeping it current. It's loud, hot, and danceable stuff. James also goes solo for acoustic blues nights, and he is currently working out a jump-blues trio on the side. Wild and energetic on stage, James (who is actually soft-spoken and shy) has always let his ax do the talking. And Worcester has no choice but to listen. It's real music from a simpler time.

Best DJ in a supporting role

Non-commercial DJs will go to great lengths to present good music. Odds are, if that DJ's from Worcester, he'll blow a paycheck or two to bring his favorite artist to town. It's just the nature of the beast: if you want to make things happen here, you'll do what it takes. WCUW's Rich Fox built his information-filled Web site (foxy.net) into a place where folk artists worldwide can discover how they can make it in Massachusetts. In turn, thanks to the hundreds of hours he's spent e-mailing musicians, his Tuesday edition of CrossTracks features the best variety of recordings by up-and-coming acoustic folks. There are few musicians of the genre who have visited the state who have not had their music aired on his program; in many instances, they've made their only Central Massachusetts appearance in WCUW studios. After Fox recently announced plans to take a vacation from the 'CUW Web site, we were afraid the music scene might be losing one of its beacons. Fear not, Fox has said he will start bringing acts into the Green Rooster Coffeehouse on a monthly basis. And you can always tune in to his show to get the morning blood running -- acoustic style.
Rich Fox's CrossTracks can be heard Tuesday mornings from 6 to 9 a.m. on WCUW (91.3 FM)

Best music organization

When Lloyd Plumstead decided to use his downtown restaurant as a weekend all-ages club, there was a slight snickering. Naysayers wondered when it would fail. Or worse, they wondered how long it would take before Cafe Abba was destroyed. Cynics! Abba has done one better: the space is now home base for the Musicians and Friends International Organization (MAFIO), a musicians organization in which rappers to heavy rockers to folksers gather on a twice-monthly basis to network. They soon plan to launch a Web site where visitors can hear the tunes of the 150-member collective. And let's just say MAFIO are filled with a bit of civic pride, though it may be peculiar to some: at this year's Columbus Day parade on Shrewsbury Street, the group marched with its gigantic MAFIO banner, which prompted many in this Italian neighborhood to give the proverbial double-take. Good thing they left the guitar cases at home!
MAFIO c/o Cafe Abba, 535 Main Street, Worcester, (508) 799-9999

Best survivor screen

When Ron McCrohon gathered his household for a family meeting in 1982 to ask them what they thought about moving from Jacksonville, Florida, to Central Massachusetts, daughters Laurie and Noel gave the thumbs up. So McCrohon sold everything he owned -- his house, furniture, and car -- and took out a loan to purchase the old Millbury movie house that had been closed since the early '70s. They started work on the Elm Draught House Cinema, which had been vandalized and turned into a warehouse. The following year, the doors were reopened. Today, in an age when few towns still have their own movie theater (heck, even big cities can't hold on to them!), the Elm Draught House stands out for its intimate atmosphere. It's the perfect place to grab a snack and a drink and kick back to take in the silver screen. Did we mention it sells beer? "It's almost like a Cheers," McCrohon says. "People ask if my daughter has had her baby yet. They feel they're family."
Elm Draught House Cinema, 35 Elm Street, Millbury, (508) 865-2850

Best visual education

A bright surprise during the past year or so has been the quality and diversity of art exhibits held at the ARTSWorcester Gallery @ Quinsigamond Community College. The changing shows of paintings, drawings, and photography that have graced the corridor in the Administration Building offer insight into the health of Worcester's artistic community. One of the few venues available in which area artists can show a large selection or works of size, the gallery has featured former QCC professor Peter Nelson's explorations into the mysteries of scale, Stepheny Kotzen Reimer and Roger Preston's artistic outrage toward the Holocaust, and Donna Estabrooks's mystical flights of fancy. More recently, we had the opportunity to be absorbed by Gretchen Moran's verdant, painted representations of her favorite landscapes and to witness Mari Seder's photographic visit to forbidden Cuba. Now we can look forward to the upcoming exhibitions of Marcella Stasa's off-beat, mixed-media dolls and Carrie Crane's surrealistic, egg tempera paintings. Is this diversity, or what?
ARTSWorcester Gallery @ Quinsigamond Community College, 670 West Boylston Street, Worcester, (508) 854-4309 or (508) 755-5142

Best green giant

While the voice of the Gardener's Calendar's host hasn't aged well (probably due to years of smoking his beloved pipe), Paul Rogers remains synonymous to all things green and blooming. This 60-plus-year-old (no one will know his age until he's cut open and his rings are counted) holds court each Saturday morning, dishing out priceless advice for all Central Massachusetts green thumbs. Weed or nutritious salad filler? Pest or friend? There is no more valuable resource than Rogers when you've just lost your first crop of June cucumbers. But Rogers really works his magic in the winter, when he takes his place as one of the country's greatest poets. He makes the upcoming season's seed catalogues come alive, fresher than the lushest vegetable garden. No one, Robert Frost included, has ever made plant life hiding under a cover of snow and ice more vibrant during a brutal New England winter.
Paul Rogers's Gardener's Calendar airs Saturday mornings from 9 to 10:30 a.m., WTAG (580 AM)

Best reason to go back to school

Not everyone has the opportunity to rush out to see a blockbuster on opening week, and if you don't, chances are you'll end up filing the idea in the "I've been meaning to see . . ." department. Every Friday and Saturday night, when school is in session, you can catch a film at Holy Cross Cinema on Mount St. James for $2.50 (Notting Hill, The Thomas Crown Affair, and The Wood are slated to screen before year's end), and thanks to a tie-in to Professor Charles Baker's "Cinema and Humanism" course, Wednesdays feature films that never made it to the local major theaters. My Son the Fanatic, Lovers of the Arctic Circle, The Harmonists, and This is My Father are all on the fall schedule, allowing the campus to steal some of the thunder of the heralded Cinema 320 series at Clark University. Perhaps this could help win the college a little bit of respect from a neighborhood that thinks Holy Cross has been filming Nightmare on Caro Street: Part Nine.
Holy Cross Cinema, Kimball Hall, One College Street, Worcester, (508) 793-2419

Best who wouda thunk they'd make it

Boy, do the youngsters in the Harvard-bred rap-metal group Reveille have it bad. Not only do these kids (average age, 18) have to endure the Silverchair syndrome, but also widespread critical slams from people who allege their music is little more than outright stolen from Rage Against the Machine. They've also been accused of being "products" -- N'Sync's rowdy cousins, if you will -- constructed in a clandestine lab deep in the heart of Elektra Records. The charges aren't completely without basis. There's some serious money behind this band, the kind of money piggy banks can't hold. Even Reveille's official bio hints that the kids are riding a train they aren't driving; when asked about the meaning of his lyrics, frontman Drew Simollardes answered, "Let's just say they're mostly about confusion." What isn't confusing about Reveille, though, is the clear and steady path they've taken through the national hard music scene in the past year. Early in 1998, while most members were still in high school, a five-song demo caught the ear of a New Hampshire music agent. The agent had major labels calling on the group by August, and that fall, after a series of showcase performances at New York's CBGB's, Reveille signed on with Elektra and released their first full-length album, Laced, in July. Along the way, the boys got support from Godsmack, who often let Reveille tag along on their arena tours, and even had no less a figure than Cypress Hill's B-Real guest on a track from Laced. Not too shabby, and perhaps deserved. It's not art, but Laced isn't half bad. You have to wonder how some of the rap-metal bands who have treaded Worcester's heaviest waters for five, six, even 10 years, feel about five greenhorns popping up and stealing their thunder.

Best use of a modem

It seems de rigueur these days for a band to have an official Web site. Some are quite ambitious in scope and content, and others aren't. But Gangsta Bitch Barbie fall directly into the former category with their site (listen.to/gbb), which goes beyond photos, a bio, tour dates, and MP3s, and headlong into eager and, it seems, successful self-promotion. According to the site, GBB's "Complacent" single was the most-downloaded MP3 track on the Web site www.musicdownloads.com during a week in October. They're in the running to win the "Internet Battle of the Bands" competition (vote at freevote.com/booth/newenglandbands) and are featured artists in the J&B Scotch Liquor Fairy page (www.j&bscotch.com), a contest designed to give exposure to up-and-coming bands. The eventual winner will win the chance to play a record-label showcase in New York. What's most endearing about the site and, perhaps, what has made it so successful, is the way GBB just plead with their fans to vote for this contest, or download that. It's got all the hallmarks of a group who crave success and who, through the Internet, have found a way to get some.

Best (and most underappreciated) bird bird rest

Worcester's most fascinating (and underappreciated) modern sculpture sits on the side of the road at Barbers Crossing. Although many might recognize it, few have any idea what it is. The Greendale Eagle was commissioned back in 1947 by the American Legion. It was to stand as a memorial to American veterans in all wars from the Revolutionary War through WW2. Members of the now-defunct Greendale Post #319 put up their money and raised funds from several local corporations, including Norton Company. It was Norton's John Jeppson who suggested the artist and then made the appropriate arrangements. The six-foot-tall, black Swedish granite eagle protectively sitting atop a globe was designed by Swedish-American sculptor Carl Milles (1875-1955). Several of his works are on display at the Tate in London, in National Memorial Park in Fairfax, Virginia, in St. Paul, Minnesota, and in Tokyo. You can even visit his "Neptune's Fountain" -- wrought in pewter and silver -- in the top-floor gallery at the Worcester Art Museum. Milles himself described the Greendale Eagle as being "on guard with the keen eye of the protector, but with wings lowered in a position of rest." Time passed and the work, owned by the city, needed a restoration. To save money, volunteers from Norton made repairs in 1985. The following year a consultant rated the statue as "of moderate importance to the community." Perhaps it's been this attitude that has allowed the work to fall into disrepair. The sculpture and its base need to be fixed up again, and done right this time. The Greendale Eagle deserves another look and a little more respect.
The Greendale Eagle, West Boylston Street, Worcester

Best place to throw popcorn at Tuna

Professional sports teams have long let their stadiums be used when the home team is on the road or when it's off-season. Why let thousands of people sit at home, when there are loads of hot dogs and beer to be sold? Last year, the Last Strand Cinema took a page from the NFL playbook. The theater started hosting Monday Night Football parties. This season, pigskin fans can spend their Sunday afternoons watching the Pats, as well as their only Monday-night game, to be held November 15, against the hated New York Jets. "It's like watching football on a 30-foot screen with waitresses," says Howard Himmel, who owns the palace with Peter Safiol. Football isn't the only sports event getting the big-screen treatment. At the suggestion of customers, Last Strand broadcast the Indy 500 race. "People told me it would be bigger than the Super Bowl -- and it was!" Now they're considering Monday-night wrestling parties. Talk about getting a stranglehold on a great idea!
Last Strand Cinema and Drafthouse, 58 High Street, Clinton, (978) 365-5500

Best local, emerging artist

Born, bred, and schooled in Worcester, Jon Petro still lives in town and runs his successful family-owned produce company. From his teenage years at the now-defunct School of the Worcester Art Museum to today, he has continued to put brush to canvas at every opportunity. Though he has shown the occasional painting in the occasional group show, it is only within the past year that Petro took the artistic leap of faith and began showing his work in earnest. To start off 1999, he mounted a highly acclaimed portrait exhibit at Quinsigamond Community College. More than two dozen of his large, brashly colored portraits and self-portraits created an impressive stir. He has also produced a CD, Faces and Stories, with dozens of his arresting images set to music (available through www.jonpetro.com). Combining a knowledge of art history with an innate color sense, Petro's paintings engender emotions not usually felt. Bolstered by the energetic attention being showered on his luminous work, Petro is busily gearing up for an exhibition at the University of Massachusetts Medical School gallery, which will open on March 7, 2000. Way to go, Jon.

Best one-artist show of the year

At first glance, the pictures on display at the Fletcher/Priest Gallery this past June looked like adroitly delineated pencil drawings. But upon closer examination, the images of historical Greek and Roman women turned out to be images created by meticulously composed stitchery. Many of the 15 works, which were included in "Marilyn R. Pappas: Stitched Drawings and Collages," were virtual forests of beige, gray, tan, and black threads, sewn together in a manner that not only created the illusion of depth, but also produced a true three-dimensionality. The largest work, Iris, was the most complex. Standing 13-feet-tall, Pappas's highly articulated thread drawing of the Greek goddess, minus all appendages including wings, made a strong visual statement, as well as a strong statement about the position of women in society -- yesterday and today. Smaller works incorporated vellum, antiquarian maps, and fabric swatches along with the stitched imagery of Venus and Aphrodite to generate layered, more mysterious pictures that were awash with innuendo and metaphor.

Best tape recorder

Ask most any band around what they thought of their experience in the recording studio, and, more often than not, you'll get a negative answer. The studio can be overwhelming, and participants often end up with a finished product that sounds nothing like they expected or, for that matter, what they actually sound like. Bands, especially those unfamiliar with the process, really need a guiding hand and a friendly ear. Our vote for man of the knobs is Roger LaVallee. Working out of Tremolo Lounge in West Boylston, LaVallee has had his fingers on some of the best stuff ever to come out locally. Head honcho for the ethereal Curtain Society (on the short list as one of the Worm's best-ever pop bands), LaVallee has an uncanny knack for taking an artist's strong points and capturing it. Huck, Puddle, Jeff Crane, the Crybabies, Mike Duffy, major-label hopeful Marc Barnicle, and the Curtain Society have all turned out better-than-average work with Ol' Raja. Though his band have achieved an awful lot (last heard from, their tune "Beautiful Song" was used as bumper music by NBC), LaVallee seems destined to make his mark as an engineer and producer.
Tremolo Lounge can be reached at (508) 835-2758 or www.tremolo.com

Best small art museum

Without a doubt, the Danforth Museum of Art is on an upswing. In just the past year, the DMA has held four stellar exhibitions. Because of the capable stewardship of new director Ron Crusan (who, although not in his job description, also sets the lights and does dusting), we have had the opportunity to see the very large playing-card paintings by Stoughton artist Jack Wolfe and a selection of his large, shaped canvases. Through the summer we had a chance to peek into painter Jim Moon's fantasy life. Populated with chickens, monkeys, nude women, harlequins, and who knows what else, Moon's panels thrust us into an alternate world filled with innumerable questions but few, if any, answers. For a change of pace, the DMA installed three-dozen, charcoal-and-graphite landscape drawings by Teri Malo. To further enhance the contemplative vein engendered by her moody illustrations, Malo arranged a Zen-like rock garden in the gallery's center, and interspersed descriptive poems among her graphic representations of the New England countryside. Of all the worlds that the museum exposed to us this year, the one imagined by Andrew Stevovich has got to be the most eeriest. Seemingly regular folks were shown doing regular things -- eating, drinking, dancing, going to the movies. But that's where any resemblance to the real world ended. All these ultra-detailed persons were actually two-dimensional humanoids cast in a matrix of horizontals and verticals, and lost in their own ennui. And museum visitors could not stop staring.
Danforth Museum of Art, 123 Union Avenue, Framingham, (508) 620-0050

Best place to see sharp, pointy objects

As we explained last year, the Higgins Armory Museum enjoys an international reputation for holding the largest, and most formidable collection of arms and armor in the Western world. But for all the shiny metal, once you've seen it, you've seen it all. Until recently. Since the museum opened its new, climate-controlled gallery space, the curators have been having a field-day presenting innovative and imaginative changing exhibitions that simply have to be seen. In the past year, the Higgins assembled "Road Warriors: Knight Riders," a colorful display of medieval armor and modern motorcycles, making the connection between the knights of old and today's motorcyclists. This exhibition proved so popular that it was sent to the Belknap Museum in Laconia, New Hampshire, and will travel to the Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach. Following on the heels of that show, the museum presented "Field of Dreams: One Hundred Years of Collecting Toy Soldiers," an exhibit that turned everyone into kids again, even the kids. We continue to think that this is a museum worth revisiting. After all, we all dream for our knight in shining armor. Higgins gets us a bit closer to him.
Higgins Armory Museum, 100 Barber Avenue, Worcester, (508) 853-6015

Best contribution to the city's music mix

Most Worcester clubs are known for their specialties: Tammany for its successful groove and jam scene; the Lucky Dog for being heavy and hard rocking; Plantation Club for its highly popular cover bands and occasional (and, unfortunately, not as popular) roots shows; and Gilrein's as home of the blues. When Tim Pitney, John Dufault, Paul Brunelle, and John Millette took over the Firehouse Cafe, they wanted to announce the change by mixing things up. First, they established Wednesday as jazz night, bringing Juliette Willoughby, Ten String Swing, and Solar Jazz into town on a rotating basis. They integrated local, original rockers Joe Rockhead and the Deal into their weekend schedule. And last summer, they established Thursday as Latin night, turning the courtyard into salsa central. Sometimes, you just want a little variety. At the Firehouse, it's coming right up.
Firehouse Cafe, One Exchange Street, Worcester, (508) 753-7899

Best everything free including the sink

This may be considered a "best"-kept secret by six-pocket enthusiasts. But we just couldn't keep it close to the vest, er, felt. At London Billiards, folks can rack up for free from 5 to 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, foregoing the hourly fee to sink the eight ball at one of the city's better pool halls. But we suggest you get there as early to five as possible because this secret is well-known among local pool sharks who are quick to break for the tables. Don't worry, though, if you're strictly amateur, three hours is a long time to brush up on the bank shot.
London Billiards, 70 James Street, Worcester, (508) 799-7665

Best imitation of Lansdowne Street

Worcester had a banner year for live music, due in large part to John Peters, Mass Concerts, and the folks at the Palladium. Peters and his crew have aggressively booked national, international, and regional acts in our fair city. There was the three-day New England Metal and Hardcore Festival, and bands 311, Ratdog, Supertones, and Medeski, Martin & Wood all stopped in to play the building's main stage, while Southern Culture on the Skids, Amazing Crowns, Agnostic Front, Wesley Willis, Aquabats, Shootyz Groove, and Hatebreed played upstairs at the L'il Pal. Though not perfect (the upstairs sound is particularly unfriendly, and air circulation could be better), the Palladium is just as good as anything you'll find in Boston, and better than most of it. It's the shot in the arm that Wormtown desperately needed. When it comes to providing quality entertainment on a regular basis, the Palladium gets a thumbs up.
Palladium, 261 Main Street, Worcester, (508) 797-9696

Best architect, twelve stories or fewer

Songwriting, in terms of good melody, harmony, and lyrics, has got to be one of the toughest, least-respected arts going. With a climate that is warm to dreck like Godsmack and like-minded simpletons, whose idea of clever is rhyming "cookie" with "nookie," good songwriting is a precious commodity. Locally, you won't find any finer craftsman than Scott Riciutti. A fixture on the club circuit for more than a decade, Riciutti, through his band Huck, has over the past six years penned some of the smartest, prettiest, and most indelible tunes that we can recall. It's gotten to the point where we've actually compared them -- and thought them better -- to what flies nationally as good pop music. Kinda like a cross between the Goo Goo Dolls with brains, the Pixies without the contrived annoyance, and the Raspberries with balls, Huck are the type of band that make us hit our knees and give praise to the God of rock and roll. While they've done well with college radio and the single "More Pop," and their second disc, Honeywagon, was received warmly by critics, the impending third release on Boston's Orcaphat Records is even better. Hopefully by then, the world will be ready to bury Limp Bizkit.

Best celluloid hero

No strip mall nor busy intersection is safe from its rule. We are, of course, talking about Blockbuster Video. But resistance, however small, soldiers on. Dundar Ozcan, owner of Dollar Videos and More, is on the front lines; and in true guerrilla spirit, he's adapted. The back of his recently remodeled store holds a computer sales and repair shop, and within the past year, he has built an impressive stock of books-on-tape and DVDs. But there are two overwhelming reasons to sign on with Dundar: low prices ($2.75 for two-day new-release rentals, $1.25 for older titles), and as extensive a selection (7500 items) as you'll find anywhere. That's not to mention the night clerk and video pundit Susan, whose learned recommendations will never steer you wrong. Head down, bring three bucks, and fight the power!
Dollar Videos, 808 Pleasant Street, Worcester, (508) 799-6545

Best blockbuster show of the year

Worcester Art Museum's "All that is Glorious Around Us: Paintings from the Hudson River School," which featured 80 lush, 19th-century landscapes painted by 50 of the era's most colorful artists, tops our list of local, big shows. Many of these paintings were borrowed from a private collection and hadn't been seen in public for years. These works, together with works taken from WAM's own holdings, presented more than just another flashy attention grabber, but instead provided insight into the Hudson River School movement. Throughout the mid-1800s, America was caught up in youthful exuberance, Industrialism, and land expansion. Many of the canvases in this exhibit were masterfully constructed by luminaries such as Thomas Cole and Albert Bierstadt. Their broad panoramas along with Asher Durand's intimate, woodland interiors served to chronicle the concept of Manifest Destiny: the idea of conquering the grand vistas of the American West, as well as the individual artist's personal search for spirituality through nature.

Shopping

Best stretch for those who need to stretch

We like to call it Miser's Mile. It's that sacred road where you can buy anything from foot lotion and Flutie Flakes to fishing rods and fine tobacco, all at wallet-friendly prices. Indeed, we believe you may never shop at "normal" stores again once you drive the lower, meandering half of Route 9 heading into Leicester. First there's Cheapo Depot. This place has at least one of everything. Fishing rods for 10 bucks, a "previously enjoyed" Kenwood surround-sound system for $250, and slightly crunched boxes of Flutie Flakes for a buck a pop. We have yet to find another place that still sells the Captain Stretch action figure. As for the mattresses, oh my . . . from crib to king sizes, you can sleep comfortably and have a good place to hide all the cash you're saving at this emporium of the eclectic. You want health and beauty products? Need a windbreaker, children's playpen, canned goods, kitchen utensils, or greeting cards? Duffy's has 'em all, and at a "good value for your money," says general manager Gail Spencer. The best part of Duffy's is just how much you're saving. You wonder if the cashier forgot to add in the spice rack, three rolls of 800-speed film, and the toy truck for li'l Jimmy's 6th. But it's all on the receipt. Shopping should always be so painless. A bit further down the road is a relatively new tobacconist, Smoke Signals. Open since December, this smoke shop boasts the best prices for everything. Also in stock: natural cigarettes, pipes, rolling papers, lighters, and an assortment of smoking accessories.
Cheapo Depot, 147 Main Street (Route 9), Leicester, (508) 892-7111; Duffy's, 1511 Main Street, Worcester, (508) 757-6940; Smoke Signals, 192 Main Street (Route 9), Leicester, (508) 892-9566

Best thrasher and joey paradise

For all your skateboarding, BMXing, and snowboarding desires Eastern Boarder is hands-down the definitive local shop. From pads and helmets to accessories to the racks and racks of apparel to the boards of all kinds and colors, Eastern Boarder will get you suited up. They have Black Label, Wounded Knee, Scum, Rhino, Burton, Ride, and MIA, to name a few product lines. You can walk in and out within an hour and be fully decked to hit the slopes, rails, or track. The only thing they can't sell is experience, so don't expect to be pulling a Willy Santos-style 180deg. noseblunt slide unless you've blunted your nose a few times before. And don't think the staff is just out to make a buck off you. First of all, this shop beats any price in Worcester, and second, the guys behind the counter care about their customers' needs, which is why they have a petition going for a sorely needed skate park in Worcester. So come on down to Eastern Boarder, and take a stand. The petition's on your right as you enter.
Eastern Boarder, 64 West Boylston Street, Worcester, (508) 852-3668

Best place to watch Sally squirm

Shopping at Salvation Army has always been to a patient and, perhaps, not-so-picky soul's benefit. But a new gal just swaggered into town, and she's been making some big, brassy footprints. Goodwill operates in much the same manner as the Salvation Army. It's an international non-profit organization that depends on donations for stock, and employs and trains disadvantaged individuals to work in its stores. But though Goodwill and Sally both wear the proverbial white hats, that doesn't mean competition isn't possible. In fact, a few visits to Goodwill suggests that the Army may just be left coughing in the dust if it isn't careful. A perfect eight-piece, navy-blue cup-and-saucer set was four bucks. Over in the shoe section, a pair of slightly battered, silver, Doc Marten eight-hole boots were twenty beans, a far cry from the $120 they garner when new. In the furniture area, the asking price for a swank, red-velvet-covered lamp was six dollars, as was a still-starchy Brooks Brothers dress shirt over in the men's clothing department. There are plenty of deals like these every day at Goodwill and, apparently, word is spreading. At 11:30 on a recent workday morning, the store's sizable parking lot was nearly full, the aisles buzzing with shoppers. Sally, watch out.
Goodwill Industries, 25 Park Avenue, Worcester, (508) 752-4042

Best place to do a zig-zag to the 'do

All these straight-laced white people cranking up their Ricky Martin, Jennifer Lopez, and maybe, just maybe, if they're really hip, a little Chayanne or Elvis Crespo. They think they're livin' la vida loca. You're not until you visit the Another Level -- Latino Style on Franklin Street. When it's haircut time or that shadow fade isn't such a shadow anymore find the 10 bucks and head to the place where the sideburns are always thin and tight, the back of the neck chiseled, and the top half worked out with some of the most exacting, detailed scissor work we have ever seen.
Another Level, 84 Franklin Street, Worcester, (508) 767-1988

Best country drive to shop gourmet

Five generations of Davises have made this big, open-air market a worthwhile roadtrip. Though the main attraction is the large produce selection, it also features a variety of deli items, along with locally made meat pies. And the basics aren't so basic at Bolton Orchards, with a unique selection of gourmet foods from jambalaya to pastas to coffee, tea, and junk food. It's sheer marketing genius to place five-cent cups of fresh cider next to the freezer that holds gallon jugs of the same, and visitors devour an average of 20 gallons a day. There's always something festive going on in the back area, from the annual fall harvest celebration -- where visitors can purchase apples and pumpkins in bulk -- to the holiday season when Christmas trees and wreaths are loaded in and out. And as soon as the last snow melts, people travel for miles to purchase annuals, perennials, and potted plants. But, remember, you're never really ready to check out unless you grab fresh bread, pastries, or fudge. Now this is country living!
Bolton Orchards, Routes 110 and 117, Bolton, (978) 779-2733

Best place to fish for the truth

When considering who had the area's best fish and chips, we followed the trail of West Boylston Seafood trucks that always seem to be pulling away from the most heralded restaurants and markets (we're not naming names!). Tucked in a strip of businesses sits a place of seafood heaven equal to any ocean-side fish shack. And sure enough, right there in its display cases, at prices much lower than we've seen elsewhere, are fresh scallops and shrimp, stuffed clams and littleneck clams, bay scallops, and pickled herring. For those who prefer to let someone else do the cooking, the eat-in or takeout menu includes haddock and chips and fried everything from smelts, swordfish, squid, lobster, sole, oysters, and -- God bless 'em -- old-school fish and chips. P.S. the Swedish fish make a nice finishing touch!
West Boylston Seafood Company, 1078 West Boylston Street, Worcester, (508) 853-3655

Best place to stock up while waiting for next year

All it took was Pedro Martinez. If he wasn't so good, then we wouldn't be drooling now for spring training. Alas, Red Sox Nation will have to wait for months. So we need something to fill our time. Don Reid's Ben Franklin Bookstore has been selling books downtown ever since the Impossible Dream season of 1967, when the shop offered autographed copies of Carl Yastrzemski's autobiography, Yaz. He's still selling copies, along with Yaz's post-career bio, Baseball, The Wall, and Me, along with books by Ted Williams and Dick Williams, and Lost Summer: The '67 Red Sox and the Impossible Dream by Bill Reynolds. Hard to think before the season started, Fenway was due to be replaced. Of course, there have been other sad endings. David Halberstam's Summer of '49 chronicles an earlier Yankees defeat of the Red Sox, and then there is One Pitch Away, Mike Sowell's book on the 1986 championship and World Series, which, of course, created a need for Baseball's All-Time Goats. And while you know Bill Buckner's included, you can take solace in knowing José Canseco, Roger Clemens, and Don Zimmer get kicked as well. If you need to re-live it all, there's Peter Golenbock's Fenway: An Unexpurgated History of the Boston Red Sox, reminding us, just like Ben Franklin, it's good to have a familiar place to go year after year.
Ben Franklin Bookstore, 21 Salem Street, Worcester, (508) 753-8685

Best use of chick peas as a snack food

If your familiarity with Middle Eastern foods is limited to shish kebab, pita bread, and feta cheese, get on over to Mike's Middle East Market on Hamilton Street. Here, you'll also find dried Basrah lemon from Iraq, jars of bright purple, pickled turnips, and bottles of scented orange-flower water. Chick peas, known to many of us as the basis for hummus, are offered dried and salted -- a no-cholesterol version of dried-roasted peanuts -- as well as candy coated in a rainbow of colors, for a sweet, low-fat snack. Owner "Mike" Yousef rattles off the seven spices in Syrian pepper and can tell you several different uses for fine grain and coarse bulgur.
Mike's Middle East Market, 61 Hamilton Street, (508) 755-3890

Best place to spend $10

Any place that's proud to hang fuzzy dice, a Virgin Mary night light, and disco lights in its window deserves your attention. Along with Save Way $ Plus's selection of items you actually need (read: discount cleaning supplies), there are wonderfully tacky mirrors, ceramic tigers, lions, and panthers (part of the Deluxe Jungle Safari series), statues of Bible-waving evangelists, vaudevillian musicians, zoo animals, and fish. And then there is that discount-store mainstay: the color TV indoor antennae. There are incense, flashing Yo-Yos, and magic condoms, and while Super Model Kelly will never replace Barbie, the golden girl will never walk among glow-in-the-dark animals, dinosaurs, and T-Super Modelbike Daredevils. Barbie's loss is our gain.
Save Way $ Plus, 422 Main Street, Worcester, (508) 363-1203

Best place to buy your herb

During the warm weather months, you can either grow herbs from seed (and who knows what's really useful and what's not?) or you can go to any place that sells plants and pick a few of the more regular food enhancers: oregano, marjoram, or peppermint. But if you really want to immerse yourself in the do-it-yourself world of cooking, you need the proper spiritual guide, and we're not talking Julia Child or Martha Stewart. Lynn Hartman and family share their love and knowledge of herbs and their huge garden, barns, and, in the case of country lovers looking to escape, a night at their colonial-style house. Folks at Hartman's Herb Farm brew up answers to questions about tea remedies, the right addition to your minestrone soup, and how to dry flowers. They'll also climb into the attic to fetch some freshly dried (and incredibly potent) catnip for your feline friends. Don't worry, you'll discover something there: the Hartmans never fail to send you home feeling much healthier.

Hartman's Herb Farm, Old Dana Road, Barre, (978) 355-2015

Best glass works

Big eyewear chains may blanket the newspapers with flashy ads for one-hour, $99 specials, but there's something that reeks about their promises. Fact is, quite often, the only frames available for such deals look like something even Elvis Costello would have scoffed at. Michael Plante, owner for 19 years of Plante Opticians, says that in addition to great service from well-trained employees, you can choose from some of the hottest lines around, like Yoshi Yamamoto, Shin (this, a newer line, in particular, boasts some really hip designs), Hugo Boss, and Cynthia Rowley. And, says Plante, while he can't match the speed of his larger competitors, he promises that your glasses will be ready the day after you order. And price? While eyeglasses tend to be expensive items, Plante believes the customer "shouldn't be clobbered" and reflects as much in his prices, from the toniest makes to budget brands.
Plante Opticians, 644 Chandler Street, Worcester, (508) 756-9513

Best place to get a hose but not get hosed

Paul Tibbetts, owner and operator of Alan Barry/Servistar Hardware, was a little worried this past June. He had just purchased the business in September 1998, and suddenly one summer day, he notices the impending arrival of a Rocky's ACE Hardware location, barely a block away on Chandler Street. As it turns out, Tibbetts had nothing to worry about. For in what seems to be an airtight case of a merchant's efforts paying off in customer loyalty, Tibbetts says his business "hasn't slowed down at all" since Rocky's set up shop. Tibbetts says he knows why things worked out. "It's our customer service. I'm here all the time, and I've got good, well-trained, longtime employees." Among whom is Tibbetts himself, who served as former owner Jim Raina's manager for more than 10 years. Beyond welcoming smiles and ready expertise, Alan Barry offers an array of useful customer services, such as small-appliance repair, screen and window overhauls, and even golf-club re-wrapping. And as far as more everyday things go, such as the price of paint, Tibbetts says that despite his store's relatively (compared to behemoths like Home Depot, and even Rocky's) small size, he's more than price competitive, thanks to his membership in the national Tru-Serve co-op, a 10,000-member buying group that supplies his store. But it's service with a smile that keeps customers coming back. "If you treat people right, they'll keep coming back to you."
Alan Barry/Servistar Hardware, 1124 Pleasant Street, Worcester, (508) 754-0070

Best surf and turf

How can you not get excited about shopping in a fish market with signs that read "Even our fish wouldn't get in trouble if they kept their mouths shut" and "Our fish went to the best schools"? Along with the mainstays of the fish world, Tatnuck Seafood offers fare for the eccentric taste buds. We know you'd love smoked-salmon pâté, mesquite-marinated catfish, fresh-dressed smelts, and homemade pickled herring, all rung up on a Burroughs cash that -- we think -- cashed out the first sale in 1948. This fish market is neighbors with the Tatnuck Meat Mart, whose steak, pork, chicken, and lamb kabobs have topped thousands of plates since 1974.
Tatnuck Seafood, 1102A Pleasant Street, Worcester, (508) 755-3025; and Tatnuck Meat Mart, 1000A Pleasant Street, Worcester, (508) 754-8064

Best Latin beats

All summer long (and, weather permitting, even this time of year), all you had to do for a quick pick-me-up was to take a walk over to the vicinity of 934A Main Street, in the shadow of Clark University. Even if your soul was as hardened as the chipped asphalt beneath your feet, more than likely the festive, joyous blare coming from the loudspeaker sitting on a chair outside Music Plus -- the best of Worcester's four Latino-centered record stores -- made you crack a smile. There's just something about Latin music: something, apparently, that most of the world has discovered in just the past year. For those looking for less-than-mainstream offerings, like the reggae/rap-flavored Dream Team's La Union de Los Mejores, and the torchy balladry of Noelia, you'll have to head down to a place like Music Plus. When you do, be sure to check out the glass case in the center of the store, which is stocked with the latest NYC mix tapes and Latin-house jams from the Tex-Mex border.
Music Plus, 934A Main Street, Worcester, (508) 792-5744

Best blade runners

It may be old, but they're certainly not dull. As far back as the early 1800s, Russell Harrington knives were synonymous with quality. Just ask the trappers from the wilds of the Rocky Mountains who cherished their Harrington blades (first manufactured in Greenfield on the Green River) enough to ocassionally barter them for gold. Skinning prey -- and, in some instances, scalping thy enemy -- was a way of life after all. So sharp had to be sharp. And these were; a particularly good knife fight would be lauded if your victim was cut "up to Green River," the name of which adorned the blade handle. Today, the cutlery is manufactured in Southbridge in the country's oldest knife-making factory. And if you need a high-quality blade -- to cut those carrots! up to Green River -- you can do no better than a visit to its factory outlet. Though opened for just a few hours a week (on Thursdays and Saturdays) this store features the best selection of kitchen utensils -- and they're sold at rock-bottom prices.
Russell Harrington Cutlery factory store, 44 River Street, Southbridge, (508) 765-0201

Best reason to throw away those tank tops

Chanel would twist in her grave were she to witness the abysmal state of ready-wear fashions. Ladies, please, leave those tank tops at the gym. News flash: even Donna Karan has deemed those hideous platforms passé, and baggy never -- never! -- means better. Yes, we long for those days when clothes fit and women knew how to wear them: when Katharine Hepburn wooed Spencer Tracy; when Doris Day flirted with Rock; and when Marilyn jammed herself into that dress! How did she do that? Elly Buss knows. This mistress of the seams has a keen eye for clothing. And her shop, Ragtime, is filled with the city's best collection of women's vintage wear. From frocks to fur to caps to coats to gowns of gaberdine, silk, and wool, Ragtime is ready for cocktail hour. In the cutthroat business of vintage threads -- where junk is equated to antique -- Buss has distingushed her business by focusing on '40s- and '50s-era couture, lovely clothing often found at estate sales on the East Coast. So trash those cargo pants and think Audrey. Elegant is never out. And ostrich feathers look darling with jeans.
Ragtime Ann-tiqes, 70 James Street, Worcester, (508) 752-6638

Best leather man

Rich Mason is the sole master -- as in rubber and leather soles. Afraid your favorite shoes have become eye-sores or, worse, hazards? Take them to Mason's June Street Boot and Shoe Service, where service is just as important as the handiwork -- and boy is the handiwork good. Shoes are just part of the wares that are repaired here. Baseball gloves, Civil War-era restorations, and even the odd-ball stuff (we happened to see a seagull getting a facelift) all receive thorough pampering. And Mason cares what happens after you pedal out; his shop features one of the best selections of water-proofing and polishing aides available in the city. So next time those loafers look a bit scuffed and worn take them to June Street for a little TLC.
June Street Boot and Shoe Service, 116 June Street, Worcester, (508) 755-2232

Best place for vintage coats

For years, Pastiche has been a must-visit for those searching for their outer-hip. From collectables and furniture to groovy threads, owner Jeff Burdett has delivered the vintage goods. But as the second-hand market has changed, so too has Pastiche. Though the selections have been scaled back and Burdett has moved to a smaller shop, on Highland Street, the store continues to offer the best line of quality, used leathers and denims. From old Levi's to Sears and Wranglers and even those from overseas, Pastiche has it all. And you're in better luck if you happen to be small as many of the funkier cuts can't be gobbled up by the bigger bad boys.
Pastiche, 113 Highland Street, Worcester, (508) 756-1229

Best interior decorations

Antiques are a tired trade. Pock-marked furniture and dusty collectables have long replaced real gems. And it's too rare that we discover anything worth buying. With glee, then, we stumbled upon June Street Antiques, where for the past year Susan McRell has been selling her stylish and affordable furniture and accessories. What sets McRell's store apart from the many is its collection; McRell (who had a store in that antiques mecca of Putnam, Connecticut, until she decided to move it closer to home) has a knack for buying hip decorative pieces that those on a budget will lust for. Unfinished columns, neato living room chairs, lamps, and unusual room dividers fill this tiny shop. One note of wisdom: if you see something you like, buy it. This store's inventory turns over quickly.
June Street Antique Shop, 118 June Street, Worcester, (508) 752-7766

Best comic relief

Looking for Flaming Carrot Comics issue #10? Wondering how to acquire the lastest video in the Sorcerer/Huntress Japanese anime series? Need that hard-to-find (and questionably horrible) Paul Stanley solo CD? Go no further than That's Entertainment, the store with a name that says it all. The shop features one of the largest selections of used and new comics in New England. But that's not all: the store sells new and used books, videos, clothing, anime, magazines, video games, board games, records, CDs, and cassette tapes. And it has an amazing selection of collectables from baseball cards to Pokémon paraphenalia to Star Wars toys? Yes, yes, and yes . . . this store has all that and much more. Best of all is the friendly and knowledgable staff and the "open every day of the year" policy (we all know how boring Thanksgiving can be). You owe it to yourself to give this store a shot.
That's Entertainment, 244 Park Avenue, Worcester, (508) 755-4207

Best Asian market experience

You've savored lemon-grass chicken and slurped bowls of pho. If you want to recreate your favorite Southeast Asian-restaurant dishes in your own kitchen, you'll have to track down authentic ingredients. Make your way to Main Street to Ha Tien or go to Green Street for Ha Tien III and experience markets unlike anything else in Worcester. Not only can you find fresh herbs like lemon grass and basil, as well as banana leaves, but also there are chicken feet, beef stomach, and pork heart at Ha Tien. And there are lots of noodles, as well as several varieties of fish sauce and chili paste. Be nice to the youngsters who you'll find doing their homework behind the counter or playing near 50-pound sacks of rice, and they'll translate your requests to the folks behind the meat and fish counters.
Ha Tien Market, 892 Main Street, Worcester, (508) 831-7413; Ha Tien III, 64 Green Street, Worcester, (508) 798-6930

Best place to go when you have the will but no way

One of our favorite places to stock up on all things outdoors is New England Backpacker. It's long been the region's best supplier of rugged wear. From boots to crampons to bags to coats, this outfit has it all. What's floating our kayak lately is the extensive selection of rental equipment there. Have dome but need a stove? Have a trail map but no backpack? Have a cooler but no tent? Have a lift ticket but no skis? New England Backpacker has the cheapest rental rates around. So next time you dream about being a weekend warrior, call them up and reserve those snow shoes.
New England Backpacker, 6 East Mountain Street, Worcester, (508) 853-9407

Best reason to tap into the 401k fund

When James Hogan waved good-bye to New York City's fashion world in 1985, folks told the designer he was crazy. Though he was the master of haute couture, naysayers believed there wasn't a market in Worcester for his quality line of women's wear. Well, as we know now, that was a bunch of crepe. James Hogan Inc. has been doing yards and yards of business since he opened his Pleasant Street shop, which attracts clients from as far away as Boston and Connecticut every day. It really shouldn't be a surprise, though. Who wouldn't want sophisticated, tailored suits and elegant, sexy dresses made by Hogan and by select designers featured in his store. For Hogan's own line, which runs from $600 to $3600, he uses fabrics from around the world, like handmade lace, novelty silks, and handsome wool, which he buys himself on European junkets. James, can we have your life? Better yet, give us your clothes!
James Hogan Inc., 664 Pleasant Street, Worcester, (508) 753-5757

Best place to max out your credit cards

No doubt about it. The Art Works Gallery boasts the most extensive array of classy yet affordable gifts in town -- even for those hard-to-satisfy loved ones. The 21-year-old store offers display after display of funky, artist-designed items like the Y2K bottle opener (for the paranoid stockpiler), the double, intertwined candles (for the hopeless romantic), and the license-plate picture album (for the particular pack-rat). The diverse, ever-evolving selection can be attributed to Art Works director Jane Morgan, who often travels to art shows in New York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore in search of unusual things Worcester residents cannot find at local shops. Hence, the hand-painted basket from Israel; the hand-dipped candle from South Africa; the hand-crafted table from Canada, and the list goes on. Prices range from $5 to $500 for everything from toothbrush holders to velvet scarves to traditional prints and sculptures. (This just in: Christmas ornaments, candles, and assorted holiday decorations.) Those who flock here will surely discover enough quality stuff to jack up their credit cards -- but then, smiles on friends' and relatives' faces will be worth it.
Art Works Gallery, 261 Park Avenue, Worcester, (508) 755-7808

You say plantain, we say banana . . .

Even if you don't know the difference between a black bean and a pigeon pea, after a visit to the Tropical Plaza, you'll be ready to tackle Puerto Rican cooking. That's because the owner, Luis Junior Navarro, is eager to share the cuisine of his background. Ask him how to use sofrito, a mixture of onions, oil, garlic, coriander, oregano, and vinegar, sold frozen at the market, and he'll give you a quick lesson in cooking and then provide you with a recipe. If you're a novice, he'll explain the difference between green bananas and plantains, and which kind of pigeon peas, dried or canned, works best in arroz con candules, the national dish of Puerto Rico.
Tropical Plaza, 1000 Main Street, Worcester, (508) 752-4222

Romance

Best morning-after breakfast spot

Well, the deed is done, the sun is up, and you're both a little bleary-eyed and standoffish. What to do? Saying thanks doesn't seem right, and offering to pay cab fare home is most-'80s. Besides, you can't decide where the "relationship" should go from here. You need more time to sort things out. No, sport, the least you can do is spring for a bite to eat. Which brings us to the Corner Lunch. Under new ownership, the lovely little diner is the perfect spot to kick back and figure out your potential love connection/headache. Breakfast is fresh, hot, and, best of all, relatively cheap. So it's not like you're paying too dearly for the previous evening's hijinks. Featuring the usual eggs/omelet/pancake fare, the CL adds little touches to personalize the food. The banana pancakes, Italian breakfast, and Greek omelet are all aces in our book, and the coffee is bottomless if you feel things are going well enough to prolong the meal. If not, remember to bring along a screwdriver; both the men's and women's room have easy-escape windows out the back. A few twists of the screw and freedom is a three-foot drop away!
Corner Lunch, 133 Lamartine Street, Worcester, (508) 755-5576

Best place for a third date

Though it's been a full seven days since that great first dinner, and then the rented movie mid-week, that giddy feeling just hasn't subsided. That's because your brain is working overtime pumping out those special lusty thoughts that make this new someone's every twitch the most adorable thing you've seen. And while that's all well and good, it's now time to cut bait or go fishing. The third date is pivotal as the unofficial border to impending boot-knockin', so it's time to get to the bottom of whom this virtual stranger is. It's time for Linder's Auto Parts. Located on Granite Street, after a nice ride through a stretch of thick foliage, Linder's is the perfect spot for a personality check -- and a source of quality entertainment. For a $2 fee, you can go on the anti-nature walk through a landscape of junked automobiles. Size up your mate by what cars he gravitates toward, people-watch all the do-it-yourself-folk pulling parts for a home project, marvel at the fork-lift operator who actually picks up running autos rather than goes around them. For the money you can't beat it -- but if you're sneaky, you can bash it. Discover a peace of mind that comes from your date's reaction. One way or another, you'll know what the future has in store. And, if all goes well, you can grab a hot dog on the way out from the parking-lot vendor.
Linder's Inc., 211 Granite Street, Worcester, (508) 756-5125

Best place to pop the question

There's no more romantic setting for that all-important proposal than the Victorian House. Here, you'll find all the glorious excesses of Victorian decor -- everything from banisters to mantle pieces dripping with ribbons, lace, and pearls. At dinner the lights are dim, and candles glow on each table, where a perfect rose blooms in a cloud of baby's breath. The heady atmosphere will make you forget to ask the prices as your costumed waitress recites a long list of specials. They all sound so good, you'll yield to temptation and order something outrageous like lobster martini, which the two of you can share while sipping a glass of imported champagne. By the time you've oohed and aahhed over the rouladen of salmon and sole fillet florentine, beautiful pink, green, and white spirals on a pool of red-pepper purée, exclaimed over the platter of gorgeous, garden-fresh vegetables, you'll be prepped to succumb to dessert -- the Victorian sampler includes an adorable puff pastry basket of whipped cream and fresh fruit -- and your loved one will undoubtedly say yes, if only to come back here for anniversary celebrations.
The Victorian House, 16 Maple Avenue, Ashburnham, (978) 827-5646

Best way to even the score

So he's been cheating. Or that cutie three cubicles away just won't notice you. Or maybe your tolerance for late-night heavy-breathing prank calls has reached the breaking point. Whatever the situation, you might be tempted to, oh, we don't know, put a hex on your object of ire, frustration, or desire. Tannen Schwartzstein, practicing "eclectic pagan" (her term) and proprietor of Bones and Flowers, a two-year-old spiritual and occult-based store, says that while other practitioners are often more than happy to sell a bogus "quick fix" for their love/hate jones, she'll get you something that takes a little more effort, but actually works. Schwartzstein says the items she sells in her shops can't create magic on their own. Instead, they're intended to "get you in a mindset, much like the act of putting on a suit for a corporate job does." And Schwartzstein will help you get in that mood, whether you're only mildly interested in folk magic, or want to jump right into the cauldron. Along with a fascinating array of herbs, clothing, totems, oils, and incenses, she offers classes in alternative spirituality. Get in touch with your inner energy -- or anger.
Bones and Flowers, 874 Millbury Street, Worcester, (508) 798-3330

Best real way to a woman's heart

Neal Rosenblum has been hand-crafting fine jewelry for more than 29 years. And it's been time well spent; Rosenblum, who's self-taught, creates unique one-of-a-kind work, from traditional styles to ultra-chic contemporary designs. And, frankly, his is the best you'll find anywhere. What drives this local aritist is designing his own work, which often includes diamonds, pearls, drusys, or boulder opals. His pins, rings, and earrings are often asymmetrical and certain to catch the eye. For those folks looking to give that sweetie something special, Rosenblum will help you each step of the way. Neal Rosenblum Goldsmith carries a variety of pieces from other artists as well. But whatever your preference, he says, "quality can be had at any budget." Just don't expect cubic zirconias.
Neal Rosenblum Goldsmith, 261 Park Avenue, Worcester, (508) 755-4244

Best place to get a read on her

You've spent months working up the courage to ask that person out, but you don't want to gamble everything on a first date. You want a place where you can have a meal that says class, but doesn't put the other person in an obligating mood. And you want to be able to get to know that special someone without a major inquisition. Tatnuck Bookseller Marketplace may be the best bet for that first date: you can set the object of your affection loose in the books and magazine section and get an idea of what his or her interests are; you can find out what his or her dining leanings are (Root beer or wine? Pizza or gourmet?) without the fear that you've made the wrong call (a vegetarian will not be happy in a steakhouse, after all), and should he or she mosey over to the children's section, you can find out if he's the perpetual child-at-heart or she's a wishing mother-to-be. After that, you're on your own, dream lover.
Tatnuck Bookseller Marketplace, 335 Chandler Street, Worcester, (508) 756-7644

Best reason to pick a fight

Miss a phone call. Forget a birthday. Men are rat finks when it comes to that little stuff. Thank God there are Robin Courtney and Marc Cooper to remember for you. Their Perfect Package flower and gift boutique has become so popular with the gentlemen -- and ladies -- since it opened two years ago they can barely keep up. But this duo makes sure you don't have to; their extensive database, filled with anniversary and birthdays, helps you men get off the hook. Can't remember if she likes red or pink roses? Cooper and Courtney have gone so far as to track your girlfriend's favorite flowers -- and those she doesn't like. And they've mastered the garden-style arrangement; their bouquets (which range from $10 to $150) feature beautiful, ornate flowers but not a stem of cheap filler. Flowers are one thing, but their presentations give new meaning to "I'm sorry." "Yes, we get a lot of desperation calls," says Courtney. "We specialize in clueless." One look at their arrangements, though, and you'll know they're not.
Perfect Package, 263 Park Avenue, Worcester, (508) 754-8055

Best place to go when you gotta go . . . at it

Not that we advocate having a torrid affair -- but life is long and boring after all. So there are those occasions when you need to slip away with "he's only a friend." And since hotel prices aren't going to plummet anytime soon, we celebrate your right to park and pet the old-fashioned way: in da car. What better place to pull over than at the Rural Cemetery. Here you and your "few-hour friend" can frolic among the granite and stone shrines to the dearly departed souls that will never give up this illict rendezvous. Pull out a blanket and share the grass with more squirrels than you can shake a stick at (they do leave the living alone, though). You don't have to worry about any outsiders bothering you either, because moaning sounds from a burial ground will make a passerby think Blair Witch moved north. And while you're at it (or maybe we should say, after you've been at it) stroll by the crypt of local wire magnate George Crompton for one of Worcester's most interesting archetectural delights.
Rural Cemetery, 180 Grove Street, Worcester, (508) 754-1313

Best way to begin re-entry

You retreat to a shade-drawn room, lay around in your favorite pajamas (which haven't left the body in a week) while watching Ricki Lake discuss "Teens Whose Moms Dress Too Sexy." It's time to put away the Ben and Jerry's and emerge from this fortress of grief. Everyone knows the heartache of a break-up, but what better way to start the healing than by making you feel better about you. Get thyself to a spa and we recommend St. Cyr. Start with the Stress Recovery Massage (sauna, 60-minute aroma-therapy massage, paraffin hand treatment, and manicure) for a reasonable $70. Don't worry men, even though you may not like to show your emotions, we know break-ups are hard on you, too. Try St. Cyr's Forget Me Not - Just For Men (an herbal shower, sauna, 60-minute aroma-therapy massage, back paraffin, and men's facial treatment) for $110. Now ladies, if you thought this was "the one" and then found him in a compromising position with your best friend, treat yourself to the St. Cyr Day of Luxury. Better yet, load on the guilt, and let him treat you. After this day of pampering you'll feel like a new woman and wonder what you were doing with that cad in the first place!
St. Cyr Hair and Face Place, 235 Park Avenue, Worcester, (508) 752-2222

City Life

Best reason to dream

When we were kids, we would often head over to the CVS housed at 1097 Pleasant Street. Time for an after-school candy bar. Boy, those Fifth Avenues tasted so fine! It was much to our woe one rainy day, when we saw the liquidation sign in the window. Ten years (or so it seems) went by, and throughout them, the once-proud, mini-plaza stood all alone. Can stucco walls cry? If they can, we have no doubt that 1097 squeaked out a few tears. Such a prime location! Such ample parking! Such a strong, roomy facility! But, it seemed, no takers. Until about a year ago, that is, when a Parts America franchise moved in. Alas, it closed about a month ago. There's no news yet about a future tenant. Hopefully there will be soon, though, for it seems one couldn't ask for a location in Worcester that sees more daily traffic, containing people with more money, than that occupied by good-old 1097. Stay tuned.

Best freedom fighter

Going strictly by image, Ronal Madnick, executive director of the Worcester chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, is an unlikely soldier in the fight to preserve our personal freedoms. He's a soft-spoken, modestly built, almost grandfatherly man, a far cry from the banner-and-sign waving, generally extreme image his organization has acquired over its 79-year existence, through its support of everyone's rights, even fringe groups like the Ku Klux Klan. In fact, perhaps the only extreme thing about Madnick has been his overwhelming, 30-years-strong dedication to a job that pays him little but plays such an important role in all our lives. He's directed his chapter's legal panel toward causes both mundane (voter registration) and potentially explosive (police brutality). And as for Madnick himself? Well, he's probably one of the most visible, local activists you're likely to find. He's at every meeting, in every neighborhood, present in all media. If you call him at the chapter office, he'll invariably lend a patient ear and give pointed advice. If he's not in, he'll return your call promptly. But one thing Madnick doesn't like to do is to take credit. "Someone's got to do it" is about all he'll allow. The question that statement raises is this: if not Madnick, then who? We (or, more accurately, our rights) are lucky to have him.
American Civil Liberties Union, 340 Main Street, Worcester, (508) 752-5363

Best reason to rally 'round the flag

The Worcester Parks Football Program has been around since 1971, and if the near-thousand players it boasts this season are any indication, it's here to stay. There are actually several leagues that make up the program, which at first was city-funded, but around 1991 lost municipal support and became self-sufficient through dues. Most teams are sponsored and/or organized out of local barrooms. The biggest group is the Men's City League, consisting of well-established teams with many return players. The Community League is geared toward newer outfits and younger players. There's a 35-and-up division, and even a co-ed league. Before you ask, it's flag football, okay? No pads required, and no broken bones are likely to occur (although it's said that the Men's League can get pretty physical). According to program coordinator Jake Powers, nearly all teams hold open tryouts, beginning in August of each year. The season begins promptly after Labor Day, and runs through December with a 10-game, plus playoffs, schedule. All you really need is a keen eye for the tryout listings in the T&G, and a measly $25. Hut hut hut, you wimps!
Call Jake Powers at (508) 852-2847 for more information

Best and quietest (for now) view of Worcester

The highest point of Wall Street, specifically the part that houses the former El Morocco parking lot, has been a favorite pick for "Worcester's best view" for decades. But while the quality view of the vista hasn't changed, the surroundings from which you witness it, unfortunately, have. The historic El, which struggled for years, is closed. In August, Hingham businessman Louis Delpedio announced plans to reopen the space under the name Il Palazzo, with a Northern Italian menu. But if the mangy, brownish-green weeds scrambling over the tiers of the sloped parking lot, and the trash scattered on and around the dumpsters are any indication, Delpedio's plans are behind schedule. Even more crushing, perhaps, is the sight of the three-decker across the street, the original home of the El and host to celebrities like Frank Sinatra and Liza Minelli. Judging by the blown-out windows, battered siding, and peeling paint, you would think the only guests 87 Wall Street entertains today are rats, cockroaches, and a few hundred code violations. But to your eyes and ears, it's what's just above all the decay that counts: a pristine view of Worcester, from downtown to the city limits.
Former El Morocco parking lot, 100 Wall Street, Worcester

Best place to park your extended feet

Parking on downtown Worcester's streets has never been easy, thanks in large part to more "no parking" (or variations thereof) signs per square inch than in any other city on planet Earth. (This is a little-known truth; in fact, it's said that the city's traffic department maintains a secret plant somewhere in Worcester's outskirts to keep up with manufacturing demands.) And enforcing the placards' decree? Only one of the most highly trained, battle-honed army of traffic-enforcement officers in existence. For the opposition, however, we citizens can count at least three sworn and able allies, one obvious, one forgotten, and the last is practically a secret. The first, of course, is the monolithic Worcester Common Outlets garage. How huge, you ask? It's only the largest continuous parking garage in North America! And not only is it centrally located, it's cheap, too. Up to two and a half hours will run you just ninety-nine cents, and a whole day costs but $8.99. But as Centrum concertgoers know, the garage is no bargain on show nights; nor are the many private lots surrounding the arena. Just a few blocks away, though, is the deal of a lifetime. The Pearl and Elm streets garage will grant you parking from 5 p.m. until midnight for one paltry buck. Finally, there's that mysterious little cranny underneath City Hall. It's government-use-only during business hours, but at night? Free pickings. And they can't close the gate, either: according to an employee, its motor hasn't run for more than 20 years.
Pearl-Elm Garage, 20 Pearl Street, Worcester, (508) 799-1463; Metropolitan Parking System, Worcester Common Outlets, Worcester, (508) 791-7689; City Hall, 455 Main Street, Worcester, (508) 799-1000

Best place to rip it up

To this day, your average skateboard rat finds himself in a bit of a predicament. Skateboarding isn't illegal, per se, but so many other violations (trespassing, obstruction of public walkways, to name but two) can be attached to it that it may as well be. That holds especially true in Worcester, where boarders from downtown to Tatnuck Square feel the "move along, son" on a daily basis. Two or so years ago, local businessman Dick Pilotte, among others, began organizing a fund to build a skate park on Blithewood Avenue. That plan didn't come to fruition, however. But as the town of Holden has proven, a skate park doesn't have to be a private venture. Each year, from mid-April until October, Holden's Dawson Recreation Area sets up a modest string of quarter pipes and ramps on one of the facility's tennis courts. And you can skate all summer long (a season pass costs $25). Whether Worcester, or private citizens for that matter, will fund a park remains to be seen. But one rainy, gloomy Sunday night around eight o' clock, just off of a nearly deserted Main Street, in an alley called Walnut Terrace, three Worcester skaters weren't waiting. Their silhouettes flashed hugely and frantically in the glare of a single floodlight. Whoops of joy, mock shrieks of fear, and the crisp smack of one thrasher's board on the pavement after landing a speed bump ollie echoed deliciously back and forth between the walls of the alley, and out onto Maple Street. Sure seemed like fun.
Holden Town Skatepark, Dawson Recreation Area, Salisbury Street, Holden, (508) 829-0263

Best view of old Worcester

As recently as 1995, before Worcester Medical City began its vulgar takeover of our landscape, you could still gaze on parts of downtown and see glimpses of the 19th century. Nowadays, the neighborhood surrounding Northworks is one of the last places where you can walk around and imagine what it was like when Worcester was part of a brave new world. Northworks' Grove Street facade is one of the rare instances where an industrial-era building has been preserved in the name of progress. "Washburn & Moen Manuf'g Co. Established 1831" is etched in stone above what was its entranceway, two sets of large wooden gates giving way to a cobblestone driveway into what was once the center of life during the Industrial Age. If you look hard enough, you can see the start of the Blackstone River, which originally helped power the area's progress. Walking down Prescott Street, you can see some of the changes that have been made as buildings were adapted for modern use, and you can view the unique architecture of the Washburn Building, built in 1874, with its tilted, tapered facade, giving it its own identity among the brick buildings. If you want to dream of the past, don't hesitate to visit soon. With some of the Parker Affiliated Companies facilities slated for demolition to make way for parking, time is running out to revisit some of the buildings that helped build the United States.
Northworks, Grove and Prescott Streets, Worcester

Best place to watch the seasons change

Every fall, thousands of people head north to view the foliage. But for our money, you can't do better than our own Institute Park. With its rolling hills, trees, ducks, and that blue heron that has thrilled visitors for the past three years, it's as picturesque a setting as any country scene. Visiting wildlife can be used as a calendar, from the arrival of the friendly red-winged blackbirds, which signal the beginning of spring, to their sudden disappearance at the first warning sign of fall. And, while it'll probably never return to the days when people could swim in it, Salisbury Pond surprised everyone this summer by becoming a regular fishing hole. Maybe all those Canada geese know something we don't!
Institute Park, Salisbury Street, Worcester

Best way to wake up to Worcester

We live in an age when most radio stations, commercial and non-commercial, are part of a satellite network. If you're sipping martinis in Florida or sitting in Wormtown praying that ice-covered branch doesn't crush the roof, you hear the same stupid programming. And that makes host Hank Stolz's The Morning Edition even more important. This four-hour show is one of the last mass-audience, community-oriented programs around. Along with the absolutely essential -- "Here's the weather, don't take the Mass Pike in Auburn, avoid I-495, there's a gas leak downtown" information (and last night's IceCats' score) -- Stolz and WTAG staff serve as a clearinghouse for almost every major community event, from benefit concerts to the opening of exhibits at the Worcester Historical Museum. We like to think of it as a newspaper with sound. Add the fact he enticed both Ray Mariano and Tom Hoover to make weekly appearances and gave Worcester Phoenix's John O'Neill a full-time scholarship to the "College of Useless Knowledge" and you have as all-inclusive a program as you'll find in Worcester County.
The Morning Edition can be heard Monday through Friday from 5 to 9 a.m. on WTAG (580 AM).

Best place to meet a new friend (or take care of an old one)

If you're an animal lover, you've undoubtedly found yourself taking in a stray cat or two, or at least settling into a routine of putting out an acceptable portion of food for those outdoor friends. As winter nears and conditions become life-threatening, it can be heartbreaking to watch the outsiders huddled up against basement windows desperately trying to keep warm. If you can catch them (and they don't seduce you into keeping them) and want to help them find a safe home, the Cat Hospital of Auburn has a no-kill policy. It has a tremendous success rate; rarely can you visit one month after another and find the same cats pleading for adoption. And should you find yourself wanting to spread some holiday spirit, the staff (and the felines of Worcester County) would love and appreciate a financial contribution.
Cat Hospital of Auburn, 209 Southbridge Street, Auburn, (508) 832-0022

Best place to visit your dead relatives

Every Wednesday and Saturday afternoon, residents in search of their past dig into books of family and town histories at the Massachusetts Society of Genealogists Library. Located in the former home of the Worcester Public Library's Southbridge Street branch, the society's doors are open to anyone interested in researching a family history. And with over 400 members from around the state, someone will almost always have a pretty good idea where you can track your information down. The society publishes a monthly newsletter complemented by the large, semi-regular MassOg magazine. Remember, while many members are hardcore researchers, they love helping others discover their past; if you want to know your family history but don't have the time to do the work yourself, members are more than happy to do it for you. There's a reasonable $10 per hour charge (plus expenses), and you'll have the knowledge that someone's digging through some dusty town hall cabinet looking for that long-lost great-great-aunt Ruth.
Massachusetts Society of Genealogists Library, 705 Southbridge Street, Worcester, (508) 792-5066

Best soon-to-be-discovered cable show

Ben Allotey has been doing his best to put Worcester's hip-hop scene -- promoted only through word-of-mouth and handbills -- in the public eye as producer of Youth Session. While it's an unfortunate fact of life that most music scenes don't get the attention they deserve; in a city like Worcester, where the sounds of heavy drums and bass explode out of cars, it's more amazing that something seemingly so popular remains relatively unknown. Whether taking a camera out to cover a local performance, visiting with a DJ or rap artist, or shooting footage of segments of the city rarely publicized, Allotey has captured all elements of an underground scene. And it's not only the music angle that gets the spotlight -- graffiti and animation artists, hair-stylists, dancers, theatrical groups, and film producers are always included in editions of the intense, 30-minute program, which is aired several times a week on the city's local access channel. Wor-Town Rock! indeed.
Youth Session airs on WCCA-TV 13

Best show of civic pride

It happens every summer, attracting thousands of people to downtown Worcester. And it isn't the result of a marketing director or chamber of commerce powwow. The Latin American Festival, sponsored by Centro Las America, transforms the abandoned center of New England's second-largest city into a lively celebration of sounds and color. This year's festival featured La Timba Loca, Pleneros La Vecindad, and Robertico y su Merengada and attracted 30,000 people. Now if only the police (who felt compelled to arrest celebrants and break up revelers heading home down Main Street) would understand hundreds of happy people waving flags, honking horns, and marching down a city street aren't a threat to public safety. In fact, what they are is a glimpse of how great a place Worcester is.
Latino Festival, every August, Worcester Common, Franklin Street, Worcester

Best way to feel like a scampering forest creature

What to do when you feel an insatiable urge to view the world looking down from your perched, shrouded spot in the tree-tops? Well, try taking a trip to the city's EcoTarium (formerly the New England Science Center) and then signing up for the latest in forest fun: the tree-canopy walkway. For years, this sort of structure's been used by scientists to study leaf-line ecosystems in rain forests. But since July, the EcoTarium's made it possible for visitors to take in the ever-changing leaf line here, too. Built among 70- to 90-year-old red oaks and hickories, the walkway boasts five platforms, three suspended bridges, and is 40 precarious feet high. Strap into a harness and helmet (as required), then explore with museum staff the forest's finer points; so far, walkers have spotted 12 different bird species, chipmunks, squirrels, groundhogs, as well as a host of moths, caterpillars, and other bugs. While the standard, "canopy high" program ($15) is ongoing, each season offers opportunity for innovation. This fall, for example, staff have presented special bird-migration and autumn-leaf programs (prices vary). Of course, we recommend you check out the latest improvements as part of the EcoTarium's continuing, extensive $18 million revitalization project -- most notably, the new, bigger and better wildlife habitats.
EcoTarium, 222 Harrington Way, Worcester, (508) 929-2700

Best place to eat, drink, and be naked

For those who would rather spend their leisure time in the company of men -- that is, gay and bisexual naked men -- check out the Worcester Area Naked Guys, known by its catchy, tongue-in-cheek acronym WANG. The highly secretive, naturist club serves gay and bisexual adult males of "all races, creeds, sizes, shapes, types, and ages" who wish to remain in the closet but want to socialize. WANG members -- most of them professionals in their 40s, 50s, and 60s -- meet twice each month in and around Worcester to mix and chat about what they call "gay stuff," the things kept separate from the rest of their lives. No doubt, the group's "strictly nudist" policy makes for fun, liberating affairs (literally!) free of the image-obsessed environments found at the city's decidedly gay bars. Ultimately, WANG offers a safe, personal setting where homosexual men are treated with a respect the outside world has yet to give them -- which probably explains why its membership has soared from 30 to 100 in recent months. The club hosts Friday-night pizza parties and Saturday-night socials at to-be-determined locations.
WANG can be reached at (508) 842-8885 between 10 a.m. and 11 p.m. or e-mail WANGMASS@aol.com

Best place to talk about sex, drugs, and al-co-hol

Ideally, in the comfort of your own home. But for teens who have less-than-open-and-honest dialogues with their parents, try the Growing Up the Strongest (GUTS) program. GUTS centers on the performing arts as a way to lure at-risk youth off the streets, teach them about substance abuse, and, in the process, instill self-confidence. Today, 12 GUTS players from poor, disadvantaged neighborhoods like Great Brook Valley, Plumley Village, and Oak Hill meet every week to discuss drugs, alcohol, and side effects of substance abuse, such as date rape, pregnancy, and gun violence. These teens then fashion what they've learned into GUTS-generated skits and perform for peers at fairs, religion classes, and after-school programs -- all in hopes of provoking the kind of candor that could alter risky, teen behaviors. Act fast and catch the latest GUTS show airing on the city's cable-access channel, WCCA-TV 13.
GUTS can be reached at the Henry Lee Willis Community Center, 117 Forest Street, Worcester, (508) 853-2243

Best attempt to be A-1 neighbors

Hats off to those residents behind the most dogged display of citizen-driven revitalization efforts, the Downtown Neighborhood Partners.

The Piedmont, Crown Hill, and Pleasant-Russell-Elm-Park (Elm Park/PREP+) neighborhood associations first joined forces as the DNP last year, spearheading a grassroots campaign to "create a safe, attractive, and livable community." But the unique collaboration didn't just infuse the blighted, crime-ridden areas along Pleasant Street with hope; it provided three small, relatively obscure organizations with the clout to move forward -- so much so that city officials now recognize DNP as the Pleasant Street advocate. Which isn't surprising, given the group's considerable success lately. After years of lobbying, DNP activists secured $50,000 in state funds for the resident-conceived Pleasant Street Neighborhood Network Center, which opened in May. The operative word here is "network," considering residents use the center for monthly DNP meetings, as well as for personal-finance, college-application, and home-buyer workshops. More recently, DNP launched the "Stop the Run-around/Pleasant Street 2-way" crusade to push officials to reopen the road to two-way traffic -- a move considered crucial to restore vitality and reconnect Piedmont, Crown Hill, and PREP to downtown. The drive paid off last month, when the administration announced plans to do exactly that. Though activists have yet to identify future priorities (publicly, at least), they're certain to advocate neighborhood needs to the end.
Drop by the area's network center, 377 Pleasant Street, Worcester, every weekday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. or call (508) 754-7793

Best (most refreshing) dose of political honesty

At the height of what's become known as Clintonian politics -- when slick, well-rehearsed politicians will promote whatever conventional wisdom (read: polls) dictates -- Worcester voters got to hear the most incredible dose of candor to spill from a political hopeful's mouth ever. Of course, it might have been a blessing in disguise, since George Fox III was dismissed as the "accidental candidate," a term coined by T&G columnist Dianne Williamson in an illuminating, funny article on this year's low-key, mayoral candidate. It's true that Fox, 44, a self-employed locksmith, was placed on the mayoral ballot for no other reason than his inability to remember to withdraw from the race before a September deadline. But if you listened to him long enough, you might have been delighted by his memorable commentary. In Williamson's column, for instance, Fox explained how he'd overlooked the deadline, and thus subjected himself to public humiliation: "Between getting evicted from my house and trying to find a lawyer to defend me against that girl who keeps getting me arrested, guess what George forgot to do? I woke up September 22 and saw the newspaper, and said, `Uh-Oh.' Now I'm in this thing whether I like it or not." "That girl" happens to be a 23-year-old, former neighbor who filed charges against Fox for stalking her, among other things, Williamson reports. Despite his sensational background, Fox managed to plug his political platform, particularly his plan to turn Worcester Common Outlets into a gambling casino. With characteristic frankness, he referred to the touted Worcester Medical Center upon lamenting, "Who wants to come to a city to go to a hospital? It's a good thing medically, but it's depressing." No matter how appealing a downtown casino may sound, it was probably Fox's rare honesty this election season that resonated with voters -- all 900 of them, anyway.

Best civil(ized) action

Mention the words "substance abuse and crime" and it's hard not to think about Judge Milton Raphaelson -- that dedicated, unaffected gem of a state district-court judge who has attained legendary status within the city's legal community. Not only has he been a lawyer, judge, and a Worcester County Bar Association member for the past 38 years, but he's also impressed thousands with his unparalleled innovation in court-based, drug and alcohol treatment. While he presided over Dudley District Court from 1995 to 1997, the courthouse boasted alternative-to-jail programs that featured 12-step meetings and sessions on the disease of addiction, relapse, and anger management. His resignation from the first-justice post in late '97, after a long-standing feud with the clerk magistrate, left his colleagues stunned, and rightfully so. For it was a profound loss, especially since Raphaelson's had to spend the past 21 months as a traveling judge in Springfield. He's lived a quiet, rather routine existence there, diligently reducing the civil-case backlog from 1200 to 500 cases. But now that it's his last year on the bench, his fans have launched a letter-writing campaign to bring him back. Of course, to return Raphaelson to Worcester before his expected September 2000 retirement is the decent, judicious thing to do. Kudos to all who have written Judge Samuel Zoll, chief justice of the district-court system, to demand that the fairness for which Raphaelson's renowned be reciprocated.
Write Zoll at the Trial Court, Administrative Offices, 2 Center Plaza, Suite 540, Boston 02108, or contact his office at (617) 742-8575

Best place to issue the dog walking papers

This summer we had the joy of watching two of the most interesting, unusual pooches in the city. We'd walk them, pet them, love them, still they were never satisfied. The park was too small, the dish never full, the leash never long enough. Until we took them to Boynton Park, by far the city's best dog-walking turf, we thought we'd never win these bad boys over. There, though, a big stretch of grass, well-groomed trails, and shade-lined roads give Mutt and Jip all the room they need to sniff and tug. And if your Rover is desperately in search of friends, this is the park to hit as many of the city's dog owners roam the woods on weekend morns.
Boynton Park, off Davidson Road, Paxton

Best king crab

Worcester certainly has its share of characters, and one of our favorites is scenester/curmudgeon Robert Ziedelis. Funny, occasionally obnoxious, even less-occasionally sweet, and without doubt one of the brightest people we ever met (clad in only a towel and a smile, he once invited in two female Jehovah's Witnesses to discuss the Bible; they left when he consistently stumped them), Zie also has an incredible track record for never being wrong. Though it may be true that his facts are sometimes off, he has yet to concede defeat in any discussion, which is always loaded with a bunch of KO's. There have been many times when we just helplessly cringed as the Evil One decimated another opponent. A tête-à-tête with the Mayor of Surlyburg usually results with his grinning satisfaction while his helpless prey limps off in a numb haze. So, if you're out on the town and you see a man dressed in black who appears quite charming and literate, watch your step . . . you may be next. When you enter a battle of wits, you can't go in half-prepared, and when your opponent is named Robert Ziedelis, you just might be better off surrendering now.

Best net worth in town

While there's a great many places in town to keep your tennis elbow inflamed, the spot with the greatest net worth has to be the courts at Newton Square. Beyond the ample parking, well-maintained courts, and bad-serve-friendly high fencing, players get to swing away not under the harsh stare of health-club klieg lights, but in the shadow of (at least for now) a vista of gorgeous fall foliage, and, more often than not, in the company of an affable assortment of dog walkers, joggers, basketball players, and fellow tennis stars. Newton Square courts are a busy spot, especially in summer months. But while the post-dinner hour is usually jammed, mid-mornings are always a go, and, if you can't make it then, the courts' lighting stays on well into the evening hours.
Newton Square Tennis Courts, Pleasant Street, Worcester