Shrewsbury Street runs east from the train station out toward Lake Quinsigamond, and the stretch closest to downtown is the city's main restaurant strip. The street was the heart of Italian Worcester in the early 20th century — the neighbourhood is still informally called the Italian East Side — and many of the long-standing restaurants here are Italian-American family-run places.
For a longer walk-and-eat, start at Kelley Square and head east; you will pass Italian delis, bakeries, pizza joints, and a handful of more ambitious newer kitchens within a few blocks. It is the easiest part of Worcester to spend an evening in.