Mezcal - Worcester, MA - Ian

Oh. My. Goodness. Gaaahh, gahh, gah...drool drool...

The Niche Hospitality Group has done it again and Mezcal is now officially a Fantom Four Fave!

I have to admit that the first time I walked in there, I was looking for a more budget-friendly place and I went somewhere else. Boy, did I make a BIG MISTAKE. In fact, you can do a budget night at Mezcal and still eat awesome food and have a great time. My wife and I only spent forty-five bucks and we each took home half of our entrees because we couldn't eat it all. OK, so here's the review.

The Ambiance
I remembered eating there when it was the Pearl Oyster. It hasn't changed too much, but I like it because it's very quiet and small. The decor is very tasteful and keeps in line with Niche's style: classy.

The Service
We were greeted by some avocados in a bowl of the same color and square starter plates (I love square plates). The plates reminded me of Block 5.

Our waitress was delightful and we were waited on by several people. In fact, someone came to refill my wife's water glass only to be beaten to the punch by someone else. I would describe the service as attentive, well-accommodating and enjoyable. The host even joined in on our experience and was happy to answer questions in passing about the menu items.

The Food
OK, here we go. The guacamole--no, I'll wait on that. We actually started with the salsa and tortilla chips (which everybody gets as complimentary). It was pretty standard except for the addition of coriander, which I am not used to--but I got used to it quickly. Very good.

OK, the guacamole--YIKES!!! I think you should go to Mezcal, if for nothing else, for the guacamole alone. Amazing. Spectacular. I'm overflowing with adjectives! I've never had guacamole like this anywhere else and I've been to a lot of Mexican and Tex-Mex places from Nashua to San Diego. Simply delicious. We decided to get the tasting flight which is a bit of the house, tropical and crunchy. Each were fantastic in their own merit. The house: perfect. The tropical: sumptuous. And, finally, the crunchy: intriguing.

For a second course, I chose the empanadas. They were made with lobster & sauteed mushrooms with smoked cheddar, Mexican oregano & minced serrano (That's right off the menu). They were other-worldly. And for twelve bucks it's just craziness. I couldn't even eat the second one and it tasted just as good the next day.

For dessert, we chose the chimichanga, which we had to wait a little while for, but the host approached us and said it was on the house. And, let me tell you, it was certainly worth the wait.

In summary, Mezcal is top-notch Worcester eating. My wife proclaimed it to be her new favorite restaurant--and she's picky. So, we'll be in from time-to-time, maybe just for the guacamole and a Corona with lime. We love it.

Watch for us to hit Bocado soon for a review. Oh yeah, we've been there a bunch of times, and it's awesome!

Here's the scorecard:

// Menu Selection: 9.5
// Taste: 9.9 (I don't really know what a ten is and I'm afraid something bad might happen if I put one!)
// Presentation: 9.8
// Ambiance/Atmosphere: 9.3
// Service: 9.8

Niche Hospitality Group
I want to just take a minute and talk a little bit about the Niche Hospitality Group. Please note: These comments are entirely my own thoughts and unsolicited.

I am so thankful that the Niche group has brought their restaurants to Worcester. They have raised the bar in experience and quality which, I am hoping, will improve the quality of all new restaurants to dare themselves onto the Worcester restaurant scene.

Many of you may be aware that Niche first brought Block 5 to Green Street and then Bocado to Winter Street. What I love about Niche restaurants is that they are all consistent in quality and service. I can't honestly say that I see this same consistency in other group's restaurants.

To the Niche Group: Thank you, thank you, thank you. To all others, you owe it to yourself to get over to one of these fantastic restaurants that, in my opinion, could compete in any restaurant scene across the country.

They claim that they are "Redefining Hospitality". They ain't lyin'.