WORCESTER, Mass. — Worcester has seen dozens of new restaurants open in the past few years and it's creating a whole new vibe in New England's second largest city.
Diners are excited to be trading bland food for bold alternatives, said Jared Forman, the owner of Simjang, a new spot offering American-Korean cuisine on Shrewsbury Street - the area now referred to as 'Restaurant Row.'
"All of a sudden they're trying all the stuff that we as chefs like to cook and eat, and they're taking the ride with us."
Paul Giorgio, the publisher of Pulse Magazine and a sponsor of Worcester Restaurant Week, said there are now more than 40 restaurants on Shrewsbury Street alone, with options ranging from ethnic food to high-end restaurants. "Maybe 15 years ago, it was like five."
Lock 50 owner Edward Russo was a little nervous when he opened his high-end restaurant in the emerging Canal District two years ago and he questioned whether Worcester was ready for the restaurant he was planning. "As time went on, we tweaked it a little bit... but I think they're ready."
Some of Boston's talent, like chef Rachel Coit, is trading the 617 area code for the 508. She opened Kummerspeck with her husband after working with some of Boston's top chefs.
Coit thinks Worcester is a great place for experimentation and the lower rents compared to Boston make it easier to start a business.
This new cosmopolitan feeling is a big cultural shift in a city where the Lunch Car diner was invented and several still thrive today, but the city is ready for its seat at the table.