Worcester Magazine
February 2007

Ahlquist dynasty: Madeleine Ahlquist, who owns The Sole Proprietor and The One Eleven Chophouse with her husband Robb, grew up eating Italian comfort food, so now they’re going to serve that very kind of food to you — on Shrewsbury Street. The mighty couple is going to open VIA at 89 Shrewsbury St., which is a 7,500-square-foot place in a flat-iron-style building formerly used by the Worcester Public Schools Department. VIA (all in CAPS, we understand) will feature grilled pizzas and sandwiches, gnocchi pie, Italian paella, Sicilian meatloaf and swordfish Milanese, among many other dishes. They plan to import many of the ingredients from Italy, and the restaurant is a culmination of many visits to restaurants from Milan to Sienna. VIA should open in late March. Given the creative brains behind this endeavor, is there any doubt that it’ll be a smash?