As a long time resident of the Worcester area, it still amazes me that there are established restaurants in the Worcester area that I have never dined at. La Scala, nestled into the bustling Shrewsbury Street’s Italian scene is one of them. Upon reviewing the menu, I was drawn to an appetizer of Hot Italian Stuffed Fried Cherry Peppers. The peppers were stuffed with a spicy cream cheese and served with a side of marinara sauce. The peppers were lightly breaded and fried and had a nice kick to them—an order would be perfect for sharing for two people.
For my main course, I decided to order a classic dish that I rarely prepare at home: Veal Parmigiana. The Veal Parmigiana was served over penne pasta and served in a red sauce. The veal was tender and well prepared and served over a large plate of pasta. With Shrewsbury Street known for both its Italian heritage and food, I had greater expectations for the dish. As the Veal Parmigiana was the main attraction and was well prepared I would give the dish a positive review, yet I was slightly disappointed that the pasta and sauce did not seem to show the same attention to detail as the veal. When I venture to Shrewsbury Street for Italian I have high expectations for all of the details; pasta and gravy included.
Overall, La Scala has a nice neighborhood restaurant feel that the “big restaurants” lack; it also has a family-friend feel to the attentive employees. My dining companions’ dished looked great, including the grilled pizzas. The Veal Parmigiana was well prepared and with a little effort could have been kicked up a notch to really compete with the other Italian eateries. -DO
