One Eleven Chop House
Whiskey and steak are back in a big way. Seems like the steakhouse is getting more and more popular all the time, but a place that's been doing it right for over 25 years is 111 Chop House in Worcester.
When you walk in, this has a real theatrical feel. There's a beautiful bar, an open kitchen, high ceilings, interesting big colorful art, tables, banquettes, raised tables. Look at this whiskey wall behind me. I mean, there's 100 different choices. “We like to think we are the greatest array of brown liquors in Central Mass, if not New England”. Running the show here is GM Aaron Francisco. “High end, unique, unusual, hard to find. We will stand rival to anyone, any restaurant with our selection.”
You definitely want to start with the firecracker sushi roll for two reasons. Their sister restaurant is the legendary Sole Proprietor. So they know what they're doing with seafood. Second, I find sushi is a great way to warm up your palate for a big meaty steak. “You're tasting lobster, sweet potato, avocado and chili mayonnaise. Very delightful.”
Another appetizer you might want to try is the short rib crostini. “It's braised short rib, which is slow roasted, very buttery, very soft, very delicious. It's on top of a carrot slaw on top of a crostini. Again, just another small bite item for an appetizer. It is just a wonderful savory bite.”
After you've had a cocktail and some appetizers, you're ready for the main event, and this place has a menu that transcends the usual steakhouse menu. The real show stopper on this menu is the Australian wagyu. This is 30 ounces of gigantic cut of meat served with the bone in. A lot of people will tell you that wagyu is the best cut of steak on this planet. And just when you think it can't get any richer, they serve it with butter on top. “It's one of those special, unique items that you really don't see anywhere, and it is wagyu. So it is highly marbled. It is absolutely delicious, buttery, melt in your mouth wagyu steak.”
My grandfather owned a kosher poultry shop here in Worcester. Ironically, I love a pork chop. This one is big and meaty. It's..served over grits with Gouda cheese and some green beans to give it crunch all with barbecue sauce on top. “This particular pork has a high marbling content. So it is juicier when it's cooked. It's very thick, unlike most pork chops that you get, maybe are like that. This one's about like that. Another one of those as it walks by a table. Oh, my god, is that a pork chop? It sure is.”
Sometimes, when I'm at a steak house, I'll ask the chef, what do you think I should get? His recommendation was a filet, but get it with the Stilton blue cheese. And I have to tell you, it was a great call. “We select and purchase the highest quality tenderloin that we can buy. Our filet will rival any high end filet. As a matter of fact, we feel it's better than any filet.”
This is an amazing burger. It's made with dry aged beef, this braised short rib. On top it has onion strings, Gouda cheese, dill pickle chips, all on that delicious toasted brioche bun. “It's topped with a short rib, it also has a Gouda sauce on it. It's just a very comfort food, unique high end burger.”
This may be a little sacrilegious here in New England, sometimes I think crab is actually better than lobster. Here they do king crab legs. Those are not easy to get, and they are one pound. When you dig into these things, they are big, they are meaty, they are sweet and absolutely delicious. And I love the way they serve the tin of butter right in the middle, because that is what really brings out the flavor of King Crab. “You order one, and you break into it. It is as fresh of a crab meat as you're going to find. If you like crab, this is the top, the best experience. Quite frankly, I think it out experiences any lobster you're going to find on any menu, it is the king of the crustacean.”
I really only order dessert if they're made in house and there's something spectacular, and 111 Chop House delivers on both levels. This chocolate Porterhouse has a white chocolate fudge bone in the middle. Over on the filet side, there's a red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting. And over on the strip side, you've got chocolate cake with a white chocolate mousse frosting. “We always suggest this one, and it's always a home run. Very, very unique. Handmade here, even the white chocolate bone is handmade here, a wonderful item. It is everything your palate desires in a dessert”
If you want to try an independently owned steak house with a beautiful room, great service and a menu with some interesting twists and turns that go beyond the traditional Steakhouse, you are going to love 111 Chop House in Worcester. I'll STEAK my reputation on it.
