By Kathleen Pierce, kpierce@lowellsun.com
LOWELL -- The Blue Taleh started it in January. Mr. Jalapeno followed last month and yesterday, hip hot-dog chain Bad Dawgs opened -- all on Merrimack Street.
Before summer hits, the Village Smoke House will fire up its grill on Middle Street and by the time the Spinners step up to the plate, Lowell Beer Works will have the tanks at Brewery Exchange on Cabot Street humming.
Recession? What recession?
The third wave in Lowell's renaissance, after artists and condo dwellers, is being fueled by burritos, sushi, ribs and the sweet smell of locally made beer.
"Lowell is not going away. There's the school, condos, it has an interesting architectural downtown and mills. It fits very well with what we like to do -- fit into an area that has a name, that stands on its own," said Joe Slesar, president of Beer Works.
In June, the restaurant/brewery known for its blueberry ale and hand-patted burgers, will add Lowell to its successful trinity -- just steps away from Fenway Park and on Canal Street in Boston and in Salem. This gastro-brewery Goliath, with a neo-industrial feel, should enliven this tucked away corner of the city offset by mills and canals. The Boston-based company is taking over 10,000 square feet on the first floor and will have 16 beers on tap, featuring 50 different styles a year.
"We were looking for a production space to brew bigger batches of beer. The guys up there weren't doing well so it made sense for us to take over the brewery space for the restaurant," said Slesar, who has signed a long-term lease.
Besides starting up bottle business at the site, Slesar plans eventually to expand into the theater space on the first floor. The top floor will remain the Brewery, but will morph into a sports bar along the lines of ESPN Zone and Dave& Buster's, said Vinny Fraumeni, Brewery Exchange general manager.
"This is going to be phenomenal when it's done. I think they have good recognition in Boston and Massachusetts. I think it will be a good marriage between Beer Works and baseball and also the Lowell Devils," said Fraumeni.
Back on Merrimack Street, the paw prints marking the walls in the former Mossie's sandwich shop are hardly the only change customers will notice. The Euro, the boxer and the chow chow dawg make their debut too. Bad Dawgs, opened by twin brothers who grew up in Lowell, feels modern, fresh and sounds tasty.
"As a kid, I always put mac and cheese on my hot dog and loved to experiment with combinations," said Erik Kirste.
The franchise, which started in Plymouth, N.H., specializes in inventive combinations like pineapple, bacon and pizza sauce on beef, turkey or vegetarian franks.
"We had to open in Lowell and it had to be Merrimack Street," said James Kirste.
To cater to the downtown crowd, Bad Dawgs will be open until 3 a.m. Thursdays through Saturdays.
"Lowell is really coming along. Ten or seven years ago, I would never have thought of doing it here," said Erik Kirste.
Two weeks ago, Mr. Jalapeno opened on Merrimack Street, adding even more Mexican options downtown. Mexico transplant Ricardo Candiani offers an old-world style cuisine that has many people enjoying mole sauce and pork tamales in a warm, earthy space.
Around the corner on Middle Street, crews have been busy since December turning the former Evos Arts Institute into a Texas-style barbecue. Village Smoke House Owner Alan Kaplan said his new restaurant will open in 10 weeks.
"Lowell has a nice population ... it's a destination location," said Kaplan.
The restaurant will feature burgers, chicken, brisket, beef barbecue and pork sausage, a menu that has been successful in Brookline for 21 years.
He's adding all new fixtures, booths, seats, a bar and open kitchen.
"It's going to be the coolest place around."
This story appeared in the Lowell Sun on Wednesday, April 2, 2008