Worcester’s Inside Guide: Sole Food

Friday, March 23, 2012

Susan Wagner GoLocalWorcester Contributor

The Sole Proprietor has been a landmark in the Worcester dining and social scene since 1979. The restaurant has received rave four-star reviews and numerous regional and national awards, including being named one of America's top 10 seafood restaurants.

When I first experienced the Sole over two decades ago, it was with great reluctance and only at the insistence of friends. A native Cape Codder, I am admittedly a seafood snob and have made it a lifelong practice to avoid inland seafood restaurants. Much to my surprise, the restaurant was everything it was cracked up to be.

Casual elegance with comfortable but artfully arranged seating allows for a relaxing respite from the real world. An extensive wine list offers wine by the glass, half bottle, and full bottle, which you can leave with if you don’t finish it.

The menu at The Sole is a foodie’s delight and features the best in fresh seafood, sushi, oysters, appetizers, salads, soups, and amazing desserts. Seasonal items such as the current wild striped bass or perennial favorites such as tuna steak Barcelona round out a menu so extensive that servers will give new patrons a menu tour. My personal favorites include maple glazed sea scallops and the salmon fillet and jumbo shrimp with hoisin wasabi drizzle. As it says on their website, “We love fish. Just not quite the way Jacques Cousteau did.”

The vibrant bar scene has made the restaurant a popular spot for dates, hanging out with friends, or for meeting up with well-dressed, professional singles who enjoy a casually upscale ambiance. And like its sister restaurants—Via Italian Table and 111 Chop House—The Sole Proprietor celebrates happy hour and a refined version of early bird dining. Vodka drinks and the bar menu are both $6 from 4:00-6:30 PM. The booths around the bar are the perfect place to sit with friends and relax and enjoy a variety of items from the extensive $6 menu.

Since founding their first restaurant in 1979, Worcester Restaurant Group owners Robb and Madeleine Ahlquist have strived “to create restaurants in Worcester that are of the caliber you might expect in Boston or other major cities.” The Sole has been a notable success. Whether you dine at an intimate table for two, settle in at the corner of the bar or a booth, or celebrate privately with close family and friends, time spent at The Sole Proprietor always leaves you looking forward to coming back.

Insider Tips

• Bar tables and booths are on a first-come, first-served basis and often require a wait.
• Always make reservations for the dining room, even on quieter nights.
• The back room can be quite lively. Ask for one of the front rooms if you’re more in the mood for quiet conversation.

Susan D. Wagner is a Worcester resident and president of Susan Wagner PR, a boutique public relations firm invested in meeting client's goals with integrity and creativity. She is also Managing Partner for The Boston Ad Agency and Director of Corporate Communications for Boston Web Designers.