All-American meal

Northborough's Steakloft is known for steak and now succeeds with seafood and chicken

by Margaret LeRoux

Steakloft 369 West Main Street, Northborough 393-8134 Mon. 4-10 p.m., Tues.-Fri. 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 4-11 p.m. Major credit cards Full bar Handicap accessible

The busy, boisterous, Steakloft in Northborough is known as a family-run restaurant. After dinner with a group of friends on a recent Saturday night, I'd agree; eating there feels like dinner with a group of gregarious relatives. This isn't a place for quiet conversation, however, you have to speak up or you'll not be heard above the din.

Co-owner Carolyn Johnson is the hostess who welcomes a steady stream of diners -- call ahead for a reservation, or you'll be in for a wait -- son Raymond, a Johnson & Wales graduate, presides over the kitchen. The well-trained wait staff is personable and efficient. The Steakloft feels like a pub: low ceilings, dark wood tables and chairs, paper placemats and napkins, and a large bar that dominates the center of the restaurant.

Though the menu is heavy on meat selections, there are plenty of things for those preferring seafood or chicken. Appetizers are mostly standard pub fare: chicken wings, nachos, potato skins. But we noticed something out of the ordinary -- mesquite chicken roll-ups ($6.95) -- and decided to share an order. The roll-ups -- flour tortillas, cigar-like in shape -- are stuffed with spicy chicken, salsa, and cheese. The rolls were fried and cut into bite-size pieces. Served with chive-flecked sour cream and salsa, they were crunchy, delicious, and a harbinger of good things to come.

One in our group ordered a small bowl of clam chowder ($3.50) and was pleasantly surprised by its fresh flavor. Thick, full of clams and potatoes, the soup, if you ordered a large bowl, could make a satisfying, light meal on its own.

Salads arrived after an interval that allowed us time to catch up on each other's busy lives. Our work days are hectic, so this evening we were in no hurry, unlike many of our fellow diners -- a nearby table turned over three times while we ate at a much more leisurely pace. Our patient and accommodating waitress never once tried to rush us.

The salad greens were crisp, cold, and studded with cucumbers, grated carrots, cherry tomatoes, and slices of red onion. The dressing we chose, honey Dijon, Caesar, and Parmesan peppercorn, tasted homemade. A basket of small, crusty rolls and butter came with the salads.

While we sipped glasses of merlot ($3.25), we studied the extensive menu for quite a while before choosing. Beef selections abound: filet mignon, prime rib, sirloin steak, and kabobs, as well as a variety of burgers. Chicken is presented grilled and with several different sauces.

One of my companions opted for filet mignon ($16.95), a generous portion served medium rare as requested, with a choice of either mushroom sauce or béarnaise. He chose the latter and offered me a taste. I found it tart and creamy, with the hint of tarragon that makes this sauce unique. The steak fries served alongside were okay -- made from frozen rather than fresh potatoes -- as was the fat onion ring served atop the filet.

The other beef entrée selected was sirloin portabello ($16.95), a thick cut accompanied by slices of the meaty mushrooms in a wine glaze with a dash of Worchestershire sauce. It provided a nice bite to the mellow beef.

A big surprise of the evening was the careful cooking of seafood. Since the emphasis is clearly on beef, I hadn't expected so much care to be put into seafood preparations. One of my companions was delighted with her choice of fresh salmon filet ($15.95) served blackened in a crust that kept the fish moist, while adding a spicy taste. The salmon was delicious, my favorite dish of the evening. Unfortunately the whipped potatoes served with it needed some help. Once a generous portion of butter from the roll basket, and salt and pepper were added, the potatoes were much improved.

My selection, scallops Rockefeller ($12.95), were served over pasta -- I chose penne -- in a rich cream sauce that also contained Parmesan cheese, chopped spinach, and bits of crispy bacon. The scallops were cooked the way I like them: just beyond soft and underdone, far from tough and rubbery. The sauce was as rich and generous as its namesake. Even after I doled out samples, there was plenty remaining.

The dessert menu promised homemade apple crisp ($3.50), which seemed an appropriate ending to such an all-American meal. Sweet and crunchy from an oatmeal-and-brown-sugar crust, it came warmed in a goblet topped with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream. Just the dessert you'd expect at a family dinner. Our bill, including tax but not tip, totaled $103.16.