By ROD LEE

With her well-established reputation for nutritious and wholesome food, Danielle Desrosiers of The Green Plate in Whitinsville was a natural to line up alongside competitors from Galliford’s Restaurant & Tavern, Samuel Slater’s Restaurant and the Grafton Job Corps in the chowder contest at the Blackstone Valley Chamber of Commerce’s 23rd annual Home & Community Expo on March 25th. Ms. Desrosiers declared her experience a satisfying one. “The chowder contest was great!” she said. “I offered a dairy-free clam chowder. It was so nice to see some familiar faces, but getting positive feedback from people who had never been to the café or some who had never heard of us was great too! The event was so well attended!” Liz O’Neil, director of programs, events and membership/marketing coordinator for the Chamber, said “the People’s Choice winner was Grafton Job Corps and the Judge’s Choice winner was Galliford’s.” By the way, Expo concessions were provided by The Neighborhood Kitchen, also in downtown Whitinsville.

Wood-fired pizza and more

The Lodge is something of an institution on Gore Road in Webster. Celebrating seventy years in business, the restaurant’s appearance has not changed dramatically over that time. Antique rifles are still mounted on the wall. Easter bunnies adorn the fireplace. But one thing that’s different is a brick oven, which commands a prominent spot in the vicinity of the bar, lounge and dining room. “That was added two years ago,” Heidi, a waitress, said on the evening of March 30th. “Coming out of the pandemic, we asked ourselves how can we change things up?” The result is wood-fired pizza that is proving to be popular. On this particular occasion the choices were wood-fired chicken parm with linguine and baked haddock cooked in sherry and lightly covered in Ritz crumbs, served with hand-cut fries and smashed turnips and carrots.

Happy Hour at Samuel Slater’s

There has been a lot of talk about a possible return of the Happy Hour in Massachusetts, and Samuel Slater’s Restaurant at Indian Ranch is doing something about it. In addition to “Prime Rib Wednesdays” (a 12-ounce cut plus two sides), Samuel Slater’s has brought Happy Hour back from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. on both Wednesday and Thursday. Don’t forget the events…Comedy Night with Tony V and Guests on April 21st, Music with Aquanett on April 29th and Music with Boombox on May 5th.

Contact Rod Lee at [email protected] or 774-232-2999.