Block 5 - Worcester, MA - Ian

"Where,? On Green Street?" That's what I said when Jordan suggested Block 5. I couldn't remember where Green Street was, and then when I realized it was one of those streets leading to Kelley Square I became skeptical. But I was very pleasantly surprised.




The Location and Atmosphere
The valet parking did make up for the super-small lot next to the building and to look at the face of the building changes your opinion of Kelley Square. As a man, I certainly enjoyed the modern, black-trim decor and especially the "streets at night" photos hung all over the place since I'm a fan of photography. Very modern, very cool. We kept saying that we felt like we weren't anywhere near Worcester.

The Food
As for the menu, one word would suffice: eclectic. But I'll say more. They had some dishes that are super-original and others that are classic but have a cool modern twist, like their burger that's dressed with goat cheese and shallots. The menu wasn't very extensive, but they make up for that in the meticulous preparation of their dishes.

I decided on the slow-roasted duck ($19) , since I haven't had duck for some time, and I was really pleased. I'd say 3 and a half out of 4 stars. I think I'm holding back the half star because I couldn't substitute brown rice for the jasmine they offer with the dish. So I got asparagus instead and wasn't cooked nearly as long as it should have been. But nonetheless, the duck was superb. The presentation was outstanding--everything arranged in orderly fashion on a square plate with sauces drizzled appropriately. They cooked the duck exactly as I had ordered (medium-well) and the taste was amazing. The raspberry-hoisin glaze was perfect.

I almost forgot to mention the appetizers we shared. We got the Parmesan-encrusted shrimp and the calamari. I have no complaints about the calamari. It was awesome. Especially the spicy kick from the pepperoncini and the chorizo sausage that was tossed in. The lemon aioli added a nice twist too. The shrimp was OK, but the Parmesan was undetectable. Not a big win.

They had a great selection of teas. I had the African Amber--decaf and delicious. I passed on dessert but I tasted Sheri's Molten Chocolate Egg-Rolls and they were quite tasty. I know I'm picking but, I think they should change the name to spring rolls since they're wrapped in rice paper and not egg roll wrappers.

We checked out the bar on our way out. It featured leather seating areas and large, flat-panel monitors showing the Celtics game. Again, very cool, very modern.

The Prices
You get a great experience for prices that are right around Vinny T's prices, which range from $13-$22 for an entree. In my opinion, the plates here are well-priced.

The Conclusion
All in all, this restaurant is a big win for night-outers in Worcester. With a price point not much higher than Vinny T's and a super-modern experience, we all agreed that Block 5 is one of our favorite places.

Here's a quick little scorecard on a scale of 1 through 10:

// Menu Selection: 5
// Taste: 8.9
// Presentation: 9.9
// Ambiance/Atmosphere: 9.9
// Service: 7.8

You can check out their site: (the intro is kind of annoying)
www.block5bistro.com