Chiodas Trattoria

“Not bad, but not the best meal we’ve had here.”

Since the weather was lovely on an early Friday evening in late August, we chose to dine al fresco on Chioda’s patio. Either not many folks know about it (it’s just out the door of the bar area) or choose not to dine on it because we were the only ones seated there at the time of our arrival (a few people were dining at tables in one of the interior rooms and in the bar area). About halfway through our meal, however, a party of two was seated at a table next to us, but there were no others during the duration of our visit. This smallish patio (a total of five tables for 4, for a total of 20 seats) is surrounded by a low stone wall and looks out on a field of untamed/overgrown brush and weeds, and in the far distance you can see some of the downtown area. While the umbrella-topped table we sat at was of ample size and the chairs were comfortable enough, we thought the area was a bit stark---a few strategically-placed potted flowering plants would make a world of difference. Just a thought… Maybe if they can convince more people to sit out on the patio in the nice weather, it would be worth their while to spruce the area up a bit.

I usually have a hard time finding fault with Chioda’s, but I must say that we were a little disappointed that we did not have the near-perfect meals we’ve had here in the past. As far as the food goes, well, my companion and I were a little underwhelmed and a bit disappointed. Instead of ordering an entrée, I chose to go with two appetizers: Caesar salad and fried calamari. I’ve had the calamari before and enjoyed it very much, but this time I thought there were way too many hot cherry peppers covering the fried ringlets, totally overpowering them and the baby spinach, not to mention temporarily numbing my tongue. While my Caesar salad had an appealing dressing, not too thin, not too thick, and the croutons seemed to be homemade, I was a little put off to find that it contained an abundance of limp, dark green outer Romaine leaves. I’m used to my Caesar salads being made with only hearts of Romaine. Still, the salad was tasty and I finished it. The pan seared scallops over penne my companion chose were not what she thought they would be. The scallops were not “pan-seared” at all, having no grilling or searing/heat marks whatsoever, but rather seemed to be poached in the white wine sauce in which they were afloat. She found the scallops to be overcooked and a tad rubbery. The sauce was very thin and watery, and struggled to cling to the pasta. She would not order this dish again. While her glasses of Pinot Grigio were crisp and refreshing, I found it disappointing that they continue to have little in the way of iced tea available (no fresh brewed or bottled---only on the bar’s soda gun, which I find to be totally inconsumable). I, reluctantly, settled for a diet Pepsi. Oh, well…

Service at Chioda’s continues to be very good. Our waitress, Nicole, was very personable and efficient, as is always the case. No problem in that category.

Although we did not enjoy this visit as much as previous ones, we did enjoy dining outdoors, and we will continue to patronize Chioda’s.

Had dinner there again for my birthday, we had a party of six. The food was excellent, there was a peach and mango sangria that was very good also. We we there on a friday night and it was easy to get a table. We have been there several times. I tried Via and Nuovo and wasn't impressed. I will stick with my 'little italian restaurant.

I just left there and I couldn't get home fast enough to let everyone know what just happened to myself and my dining companion tonight. We ordered wine, appetizers, salad more wine and dinner. Apparently we "took someone's table". Can you believe the "hostess" came over to us and asked if she could move us to the bar because she had reservations for this table and the people "have been waiting for a half an hour". Can you even imagine- she sat us there!! I had no idea they had time limits on their tables- had I known this I never would have gone there. I have never in my life experienced a hostess as rude as her. The blonde hag behind the counter needs to find another profession because she sucks at this one. Someone needs to let her know that is not acceptable behavior in the restaurant business!! For the record- I will tell ALL my friends and family to NEVER dine there.

do not go there for that you may get assaulted by the staff for looking at the building have filed a compliant with the Worcester police dept so if you feel like getting punch in the face by their staff be my guest or try not to look at it and think to bring a group you may be a suspect of evildoings note reason they were so defensive of the place was to stop car break ins so you know your car is safe because the staff will punch anyone in the face for you if anyone looks at your car the wrong way by the way the owner did not have his son apolgize for his manners

The food was well prepared and plentiful and my 2 companions and I enjoyed the meal, however we were the only ones in the restaurant on a quiet Wednesday afternoon but our simple meals took over 1/2 an hour to come to the table. Our waitperson never asked if we wanted bread at the table and she was slow to return to take our drink refills. All in all I enjoyed my visit and would return

On Saturday night, October 17, our party of four had a great night out at Chioda's. The hostess who greeted us was very friendly and made us feel extremely welcomed. We were immediately seated and our waitress was pleasant and informative. The atmosphere was casual and friendly and we felt very comfortable. Our drinks and food were delivered in a timely fashion and was awesome. With great food and a friendly staff, we can't wait to go back!