A pleasant surprise in Lowell

July 19, 2009

Cobblestones of Lowell Restaurant & Bar
91 Dutton St., Lowell
978-970-2282
www.cobblestonesoflowell.com
Hours: Monday-Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 a.m.
Handicapped accessible
Credit cards accepted

Raised expectations - often enhanced by hype and hoopla - can turn an otherwise reasonably entertaining film or pleasant restaurant into a disappointment if experience falls short of anticipation. Conversely, low expectations that rise as reality unfolds can turn an average movie or meal into a memorable occasion.

Admittedly, we did not walk into Cobblestones of Lowell Restaurant & Bar with huge anticipation. Housed in an 1859 brick building with a huge sign proclaiming its name, Cobblestones is a 15-year-old institution in Lowell. Maybe June’s constant rain had made me dourer than usual, but I was expecting simply a reasonable meal of more or less traditional New England and American fare, chosen from an extensive menu and delivered in hefty portions.

Well, shame on me. My dining companions and I ended our evening not only pleasingly full but also filled with deep respect for the attention to culinary details by Cobblestones’ chefs and staff, who managed to turn the ordinary into extraordinary.

Situated in a building once used as a boarding house and then as an exclusive men’s club, Cobblestones features a large main dining area and bar on the first floor, with facilities available for private functions on the second and third floors.

The restaurant has a large wine list and a host of special martinis and cocktails with names like Naked Paradise, a soothing concoction of cachaca, tropical rum, pineapple, and raspberry, which went a long way to dispel thoughts of the rain falling outside.

We continued the sojourn to the beach by way of the seafood sampler ($24), a selection of smoked salmon, raw oysters, shrimp cocktail, and chilled lump crab cocktail. The plate was a well-matched assortment of tastes, with the crab cocktail particularly delectable. Just for contrast, we tried the fried brie cheese ($8), which turned out to be light and savory.

Cobblestones offers a range of burgers and sandwiches, including a New Orleans muffaletta ($10) and a Miami Cubano ($11) in addition to wraps and reubens. You’ll find the usual suspects rounded up for dinner: an array of steaks ($15 to $29), chicken marsala ($19), fish ’n’ chips ($16), and mac ’n’ cheese ($15).

But Cobblestones adds its own kind of flair to what could be unremarkable dishes. Take the chicken saltimbocca ($18), a revelation in its deft use of chicken, red wine sauce, and provolone. No single ingredient overwhelmed the others; the dish worked as a whole.