Maddi's Cookery & TapHouse Brings Delicious Comfort Food
Classics With a Twist to The Canal District of Worcester, Massachusetts
Article and photos, unless otherwise noted, by Eric Hurwitz.
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created on 1/20/2019.
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An after-meal fortune cookie best summarized the significant
appeal of Maddi's Cookery and TapHouse in Worcester, Mass.:
"The smart thing is to prepare for the unexpected."
In addition to finding fortune cookie wisdom at a restaurant with
American comfort foods, the unexpected happens the
minute upon approaching Maddi's with good signs of a fun, satisfying
dining experience -- signs, literally and figuratively that is. A huge
Maddi's sign adorns the side of the historic Mendel Building,
originally built by businessman Mendel Bloch in 1907. For the record,
Bloch used his name as a pun to create what would become known as the
Mendel Block! The enormity of the new restaurant sign visually stands
out in the up-and-coming Canal District, suggesting Maddi's as being
one of the new cornerstone businesses.
Inside, the Five Man Electrical Band's dated but somehow timeless 1971
hit single, "Signs,"
ironically plays in the background while a quick look around the
restaurant reveals old-time signs saturating the wall. Retro signs for
milk delivery, local streets, a Boston fire station, Barnum and
Bailey Circus, Yawkey Way, Western Union telegraph and cable, Savings
Bond and stamps, Shriners Hospital, Imperial Ice Cream, Firestone
Tires, cigarette ads and Fairmont Imperial Ice Cream represent what is
just a fraction of the wall memorabilia. Much like Maddi's, none of the
signs are recreations. Rather, they are the authentic real deal.
Next to an old-fashioned telephone booth, a "Top Secret Nuclear Warehouse" sign
humorously
points to the wine cellar. A peace sign
suggests unity for all to enjoy Maddi's. TheMaddi's Cookery & TapHouse logo sign stands
as the most visually prominent wall advertisement. The best sign, however, is that Maddi's puts a significant twist on
traditional pub food for lunch, dinner and weekend brunch. That,
coupled with a rotating selection of 20 craft beers (as well as wine
and the ability to expertly infuse its liquors), suggests why lines
have been forming out the door on weekends.
Owner Adam Hicks: He Did It His Way
By now most of us are sick and tired of all the buzzwords and phrases
to describe 21st century restaurant cuisine. After all, those who
choose to dine out find food more tasty than empty nouns and
adjectives. Farm to table, clean food, artisan, small plates, curated,
sustainable and deconstructed mean nothing if the meal isn't tasty and
the bill looks like a portion of the national debt.
Enter Maddi's Cookery and TapHouse owner Adam Hicks who often "tells it
like it is" and has probably never taken a ride on the pretentious
bandwagon in his life. Naming the restaurant after his two children,
Matthew and Addison, Hicks opened Maddi's in June 2018, to bring his
love of made-from-scratch comfort foods, as well as good drinks to the second most populated city
in New England.
"Others might try to be trendy -- we are the exact opposite," said
Hicks. "We have a
relaxed atmosphere and want to be a place where you come with our
buddies, as couples or with your neighbors. This is also not a place
you come out to just once a year as a special destination for celebrations.
We are more of an every day place where we see people coming back more
than once a week."
Hicks, a graduate of Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical School in Upton, Mass., and Johnson & Wales
University in Providence, R.I., with a degree
in culinary arts, has been working 21 of his 36 years in the food
industry business. He credits an inspirational high school "life lessons" shop teacher and working several years at the legendary Oliva's Market in Milford, Mass. as major, positive influencers in his career direction.
From bus boy to chef to management type in the food
service industry -- and everything else in between -- Hicks simply
wanted a business of his own. His career wish became even stronger
after seeing many of his co-workers in the corporate world being laid
off after years of
dedicated service. Hicks didn't want to become that person succumbing
to career casualty. He quit his job.
"I didn't want that," said Hicks, an Uxbridge, Mass., native. "I didn't want to waste the rest of
my life to a disloyal employer!"
One day out with friends in 2013, Hicks found it a challenge to find a
food stop with good sandwiches in Milford.
"I didn't know where to go with friends to sit down for some good
sandwiches," said Hicks. "We had trouble finding a place, so I decided
to do something about that."
On that day of not being able
to find something tasty, Hicks took a fancy to the building that housed
the former Crivillo's Crossing. Crivillo's faithfully served the local public from
1938 to 2013 with a tremendous reputation for serving hearty breakfasts
and lunches.
In 2014, Hicks then decided to open the Depot Street Tavern at that
location. His flair for creating basic pub food favorites going far
beyond the norm soon resulted in two hours waits on the weekend.
Riding on the success of the Depot Street Tavern, Hicks saw a golden
opportunity to expand his restaurant vision by opening Maddi's in Worcester's
Canal District.
Creating A One-of-A-Kind Restaurant
Maddi's bears no relations to anything slick and perfect, as well as
the conventional ways things should be done at a restaurant. In
addition to all those signs, the sight of an old fan, an ancient clock
that reads 2:45 at 10 a.m. a Popeye doll on top of a sled, a Tonka toy
truck on a wall ledge and an eye exam chart comprise something that
strays far from the sterile, angular, trendy restaurants and bars of
today.
There's a method behind Hicks' madness.
"We are not just selling food," said Hicks. "Rather, we want to sell
you an experience. We don't have this and that, and I certainly don't
live the most trendy life. But here, we have sold you a memory with all
those signs, So many people, say, might grab a meal from Subway, eat in
their car and that's that, Here, people might see a sign which brings
back memories. A child might see the Popeye, the Tonka truck, the Ritz
Cracker tin and ask their parents about it. These are conversation
starters. We want people to converse with each other here! The signs
give you the opportunity to talk about something. People are looking
for nostalgia."
Maddi's features two rooms: a smaller gathering spot with a counter and a
larger space with a bar, as well as a patio for the warmer
weather. The restaurant might sport a perfectly imperfect look, but
don't let the historic look fool you. Formerly The Perfect Game
restaurant and nightclub, the business was in need of an extreme
makeover. Hicks hired local contractors including commissioning his father, as
well as friend Wayne Lesperance as site supervisor to help put a unique
stamp on the restaurant-to-be.
"We basically gutted everything except the brick walls and floors,"
said Hicks, "It all turned out great without compromising the history
and feel of the place. We worked hard to save the floors. The handmade
tables come from an old machine shop in Hamden, Connecticut. The
reclaimed chairs come from Pennsylvania. The overhead lights were
repurposed. Sure, we could have put in glass tables and fancy chairs
and updated with everything new, but no, that's not what we wanted!"
Like the basis of a country song where life goes wrong but everything
feels so right, the restaurant might seem old and creaky from some
perspectives with some water leaks and bursts having occurred more than once.
Maddi's, however, reflects the every day challenges of the working
class where the good bones of a home, the close-knit feel of family and
community, and the healing powers of a good, home cooked comfort foods
meal matter more than anything else. You can that feel that sense of community in
the people dining here and the owner and staff -- it all feels like a family gathering.
In addition, Hicks takes great pride in employing approximately 40
employees at Maddi's with the majority living in Worcester.
"We take great pride in the people who work here," said Hicks. "We have
the ability to pay people and keep our word! Sure, we make mistakes,
but we learn from those errors. Everything is fine as long as the
employees aren't on their cell phones and social media. They aren't
because they care about where they work. "
Even Hick's children, at such young ages (Matthew is 10, Addison,
three), can feel something special going on at their dad's restaurant.
Matthew enthusiastically helps out at Maddi's although, admittedly,
there might be an underlying motive.
"If he (Matthew) wants a new video game, I'll have him work at the
restaurant," said Hicks. "My daughter, well, she likes to see herself
on TV!" (Maddi's has been featured on the Phantom Gourmet and Wicked
Bites).
While Hicks comes across at affable, forthright and humorous, he is ultimately dead serious about his work.
"I don't sit at the bar and drink in my restaurant," said Hicks. "I go
across the street for that. We have a business to run."
Putting A Twist On Comfort Food Favorites
Hicks offers a simple but much-needed solution to those who love eating
out at restaurants: Just give customers the food they love at huge
portions with good value for the money. Hicks has an uncanny knack of
knowing what the public loves to eat and an even more uncanny knack to
create those dishes better than virtually all those restaurants this
writer has tried in 56 years. Depot Street Tavern started that mission
in motion and Maddi's continues that trend without the trendiness. He
makes food from scratch, often sources locally and has hired a staff
that loves food and working in the restaurant industry as much as he
does.
Often putting some kind of twist on comfort food classics, Hicks comes
across as the Lennon and McCartney of cooking -- that is, taking the
basics of his craft and transforming it into something creative,
original and memorable. You just can't teach this stuff. The menu is completely different than the Depot
Street Tavern, but the same vision remains. Hicks, in fact, proudly
displays a Depot Street Tavern sign at Maddi's that his father crafted.
Here is an irresistible sample of some of Maddi's best dishes...
The Steak Press Handheld takes the panini/grilled sandwich to the next
level with steak tips that rival the Best of Boston area places like
the
Newbridge Cafe, Floramo's and Conrad's. This masterpiece also includes
house
marinated hot peppers, sauteed onions, provolone, horseradish, crunchy
bread, hand cut chips and a pickle. It's absolutely delicious.
The Pasta Buco features jumbo shrimp, fresh bucatini pasta, eggplant
caponata, basil, ricotta salata and house garlic bread.
Photo credit: Maddi's Cookery & TapHouse Facebook Fan Page.
The lobster cakes feature lemon slaw and a chipotle aioli.
Photo credit: Maddi's Cookery &
TapHouse Facebook Fan Page.
The Stick E. Bacon has been a favorite since Maddi's opening with
its crispy Applewood smoked bacon further flavored with sriracha and
brown sugar.
Photo credit: Maddi's Cookery &
TapHouse Facebook Fan Page.
The Fried Chicken and Waffle also stands as a customer favorite with
dry rubbed boneless chicken, a cheddar bacon buttermilk waffle, jalapeno infused
maple syrup and sunny egg.
Photo credit: Maddi's Cookery &
TapHouse Facebook Fan Page.
The Bacon Jam Burger clearly goes beyond your basic burger with a half
pound hand packed burger, cheddar cheese, espresso bacon jam, arugula,
roma tomato, onion frizz, a warm buttery roll, hand cut chips and a
house pickle.
Photo credit: Maddi's Cookery &
TapHouse Facebook Fan Page.
Shrimp Tacos comprise of cajun shrimp, cabbage, mango salad, tomatillo
salsa, cotija, hand-pressed chive tortilla, hand cut chips and a house
pickle.
Photo credit: Maddi's Cookery &
TapHouse Facebook Fan Page.
If you love mac and cheese, Maddi's takes the comfort foods favorite
and adds steak tips, roasted peppers, caramelized onions, cheese sauce,
pasta, buttered panko and house garlic bread.
Photo credit: Maddi's Cookery &
TapHouse Facebook Fan Page.
If you have enough room, the in-house made desserts continue the
culinary magic at Maddi's, most notably the fresh chocolate cheesecake chimichanga placed inside a flour tortilla and fried for crispiness. Sprinkled with cinnamon sugar and served with vanilla ice cream and homemade whipped cream, this is a dessert staple at Maddi's. A
rotation of desserts include key lime and apple pies, banana bread,
grapenut pudding and cannolis.
Oreo crumbles cannolis.
Maddi's Digs The Canal District
Hicks couldn't have chosen a
better location to do business. Maddi's has not only
found lines also forming out the door on weekends because of
Hick's fantastic place for food and drink, but also as a beneficiary of
one of the hottest trending urban areas in southern New England. It is
a family-friendly restaurant that all walks of life seem to enjoy and can feel safe dining
at in an increasingly interesting section of Worcester.
A little background on The Canal District: The area first prospered
as a means to connect Worcester and the Blackstone Valley
towns to the sea at Narragansett Bay in the early 19th century. The
Canal District eventually evolved into a bustling mixed-use and
multi-ethnic neighborhood based
on the eastern European immigration of the late 19th and early 20th
century. The Canal District, unfortunately, fell into decline later in
the 20th century.
The old neighborhood has been given a second life, however, showcasing
many new
restaurants, bars, clubs and events, as well as new apartments and condos in historic mill buildings. This growth has resulted in The
Canal District has becoming the fastest developing area in Worcester
and second only to Boston's Seaport District in Massachusetts.
Additionally, in 2021, the Worcester Woo Cats will succeed the
Pawtucket Red Sox as the Boston Red Sox Triple A minor league team,
playing at a brand new stadium in The Canal District scheduled to open
in 2021. It's an exciting time to live and work in Worcester with The
Canal District as a major player in the city's renaissance.
"We have a number of good young independent business owners in
the area," said Hicks. "This isn't the place for chains, just a lot of
new businesses mixing with established older family businesses. It (The
Canal District) has
really transformed. We hope to be here for a long time."
For Worcester, that means having the fortune to enjoy mouthwatering
foods at Maddi's created by one smart cookie!
Maddi's Cookery
& TapHouse is
located at 64 Water St., Worcester MA. Tel. 508-459-1080.
Web site: http://www.maddiscookery.com. Facebook fan page: http://www.facebook.com/maddiscookery. Instagram address: http://www.twitter.com/maddis_cookery.
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