Rowley’s Secret Revealed

Posted: March 17th, 2009 | Author: | Filed under: American, Rowley, Seafood, Steakhouse | Tags: | No Comments »

Editor’s Note 5/1/09

We are sad to report that Sidney and Hampton didn’t make it through the recent economic upheaval and has closed it’s doors. Any outstanding gift certificates will be honored by the Sylvan Street Grill, either at the Peabody or Salibury locations.

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When friends who live in Ipswich suggested we go to dinner in Rowley Saturday night, our first thought was Rowley, huh? What’s there? The answer came back: Sidney and Hampton. We duly Googled the place, and came up with scant mention, aside from their own Web site. Curiouser and curiouser; now we felt compelled to check it out, if simply to clear up all the mystery.

While the name might sound like a law firm, it turns out that Sidney and Hampton is the newest incarnation of the old Eagle House on route 133. Acquired three years ago by Ernie Tremblay, owner of the Sylvan Street Grill restaurants, it has obviously gained a loyal following; both the bar and dining room were packed when we arrived.

Our table wasn’t great (I hate sitting near the door), but we had only made our reservation that morning. Still, the rooms were much more warm and inviting than the slightly antiseptic photos on the Web site led us to expect. The exposed beams, crackling fire, and well-chosen light fixtures created a level of comfort to accompany the food, which leans toward reasonably priced upscale country dining with a few twists.

The mixed drinks looked terrific, nicely sized with a lengthy martini menu, most priced around $10. However, having cocktailed earlier, we ordered a bottle of Pinot Noir from the wine list, which was quite respectable.

The appetizers were all generous portions and arrived in good order. The oysters on the half shell ($13 for ½ doz.) hailed from Virginia this time of year and earned high marks from those who tried them for freshness and taste. The fried calamari ($10) was excellent; light, crispy, and tender. Chef Jameson Donlan, whom we met later in the evening, told us he uses graham cracker crumbs in the coating mixture. The lump crabcakes ($12) were moist and tasty with a tangy chive remoulade.

Last but not least, we tried a house favorite, the popover salad. ($8) Being a fan of any excuse to incorporate baked goods into the meal, the idea of mixed greens, fresh mozzarella, plum tomatoes, sliced apples, and balsamic vinaigrette served in a fresh baked popover sounded intriguing to say the least. Both the salad and the popover tasted pleasant, but somehow the combination wasn’t spectacular. Perhaps it’s our preconceived notion that popovers should be served piping hot and slathered with butter, which we couldn’t quite shake.

With all of the appetizers, you’d think we’d have been sated by the time the entrees arrived, but we soldiered on. Our waitress, when asked about the baked seafood risotto ($28) said, “What’s nice is that it’s not an archeological dig to find the seafood,” and upon its arrival, we noted that she was spot on. The risotto was creamy with great texture, and the chunks of flavorful shrimp, scallops, and Maine lobster meat were large and abundant.

The salmon picatta ($24), fresh Atlantic salmon with capers, artichoke hearts, and a lemon white wine butter sauce, was a bit ho-hum, probably the least interesting entrée of the evening.

Both the New York sirloin and the frenched New Zealand rack of lamb were trimmed in-house and grilled to order, served with house potato and vegetable. Each cut of meat was tender and juicy, ensuring no need for a doggie bag. The sautéed green beans were of note, tasty and bright with a bit of crunch, and the garlic mashed was lovely as well.

By this point, we had been sussed out as food bloggers, (must learn to be more discrete!) and our waitress very kindly brought out Head Chef Jameson Donlan to say hello. An attractive young man with an obvious enthusiasm for his job, Donlan is relatively new to the position and refreshingly without attitude or ego. He had an honest interest in what we thought of his food, and after shaking hands and chatting a bit, he retreated to the kitchen.

After that, we couldn’t leave without at least tasting a few desserts we had seen displayed at other tables, along with espresso. The ubiquitous crème brulee and chocolate flan were fine; the standout was a special that evening, a Guinness cake with Bailey’s icing. The cake, created by Chef Donlan, was rich, dense, and tasty and well complemented by the icing, which had just the right amount of sweetness.

It’s obvious that the solid country steakhouse menu and reasonable prices will have locals returning on a regular basis, but it will be interesting to see, as Chef Donlan evolves, if his youthful creativity can blossom and turn Sydney and Hampton into a destination restaurant.

Sidney and Hampton has a pre-fixe menu, a first seating menu, and two function rooms available in the fully-restored New England barn, built in 1880.

Sidney and Hampton
87 Haverill St. (Rt.133), Rowley
(978) 948-6666
www.sidneyandhampton.com

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