Corner Grille

806 Pleasant Street, Worcester, MA - (508) 754-8884

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Posted By Chris Ayers & Amy Briesch on 11/9/2008 12:33:00 AM

“I noticed you got the last Oatmeal Cream cookie,” a fellow diner said to me as I sat down at an empty table next to her at the Corner Grille. “I couldn’t resist starting with dessert,” I replied as she pointed to the same but empty cookie wrapper on her table. Her friend just nodded, obviously satiated with his mouth full of fluffy molasses cream that had previously been sandwiched between two thin and crispy oatmeal cookies.

The Corner Grille’s dessert display provides a dizzying selection of cookies, brownie ends, Rice Krispy treats, whoopie pies, and jelly-filled wonders as appetizers to their renowned gourmet pizza. Ever been to a pizza parlor where you can’t narrow down your choices of gotta-try items to less than five? The Corner Grille makes specialty pies that leave other parlors in the (semolina) dust, and unable to decide, I opted for a simple Sweet Tomato & Basil Pie. Their “small” is a rather large, 14-inch oblong pie.

Arriving on a rectangular tray like the ones at Frank Pepe’s, this pizza has incredibly thin crust, about the width of a tortilla. But the burnt semolina grit and bubbly browned edges prove that it is legitimate pizza crust, and the toppings are fresh and bursting with flavor. After inquiring about how the chefs made such thin crust—did they roll it thin? is it pressed on a machine?—my server said, “I can’t tell you; I had to sign a confidentiality agreement to work here.” Fair enough, but be it known that the Corner Grille may have the thinnest pizza in the country. Ergo, a 14-incher is enough for one person, and it’s perfectly acceptable to fold over the piece to facilitate taking bites, like New York style pies.

A wide array of scrumptious wraps, salads, and homemade soups sounded tempting, and customers picking up call-in orders were also grabbing to-go deli items (hummus, Tuscan bean salad, pot pies, quiches, mac & cheese, etc.) from the cooler adjacent to the cash register. Exotic bottled sodas are also available, including the all-natural line of Tommy’s Naked Soda of Boston, which is akin to New Mexico’s Blue Sky brand of natural sodas. The Corner Grille is a true gem in Worcester, serving some of Massachusetts’ most unique pizza.

Scorecard

Overall: One of the Best - Worth a Trip

Harvest Moon Pie	Oatmeal Cream Pie
Chicken Curry Pie	Tommy's Naked Soda
Whoopie Pie	Assorted Cookies
Sweet Tomato & Basil Pie	Tatnuck Engine #9 Pie

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"In an ideal world, this oatmeal cookie sandwich with molasses cream would put Little Debbie Snacks out of business."
Chris Ayers & Amy Briesch

"This Sweet Tomato & Basil pie is tortilla-thin but durable enough to handle a hardy mantle of cheese and sauce."
Chris Ayers & Amy Briesch

"This close-up of the pizza undercarriage shows all the burnt micro-nubbins and flour dust that sends one’s taste buds into orbit."
Chris Ayers & Amy Briesch

"Clockwise from top: a handsome peanut butter cookie, toffee crunch bar, raspberry shortbread, raspberry sammie—all mouth-watering!"
Chris Ayers & Amy Briesch

"This partial display of Corner Grille’s desserts is sure to please every sweet tooth imaginable."
Chris Ayers & Amy Briesch

"Tommy’s all-natural black raspberry soda is the perfect accompaniment to the Corner Grille’s gourmet pizza."
Chris Ayers & Amy Briesch

"This neon sign in the Corner Grille’s front window says it all: Swellest Pies in Town."
Chris Ayers & Amy Briesch

"Partially hidden by the predominantly residential neighborhood surrounding it, the Corner Grille sign is a guiding light for hungry souls."
Chris Ayers & Amy Briesch