Set in an emerging neighborhood with an industrial sensibility, Lock 50 has upped the game for its neighbors. With a split-level space catering to the breakfast, lunch and dinner crowd as well as a nice patio area, the origins of Lock 50 are evident throughout its design and location as the 50th lock in the canal sitting at the intersection of Water, Pond and Harding Street.
The tapas-style menu is designed for sharing with small plate starters and more significantly rounded-out entrees. Sharing food can be tough in a mixed crowd but with a broad menu there’s something to please even the most scrutinous palates. Unlike many restaurants where bread is complimentary, the assorted bread basket at Lock 50 must be ordered from the menu. I wasn’t sure what to make of that but we ordered it, because that’s our job, and I was happy we did. There were at least three varieties of warm delicious bread with a choice of EVOO and whipped butter, which was delightfully rich and decadent. Our group also ordered a handful of small plates to try. While the Grilled Beets with Creamy Goat Cheese, Baby Kale and Blood Orange was lovely, the portion was on the small side for sharing (or I could just be a little selfish). The char offered a nice texture and the goat cheese and blood orange gave the beets a deeper more complex layer of flavors. The rest of the table ordered an array of plates from Potato Gnocchi with Bleu Cheese and Crispy Sweet Potato (one of the larger portioned selections), the Chorizo Stuffed Calamari with Zesty Tomato Broth and Chickpeas (which could have been mistaken by sight for marinara covered manicotti… very playful and even more delicious than it looked), the Shaved Compressed Octopus with Salsa Verde and Crunchy Bread Crumbs (so delicate and unexpected, it looked it rose petals) and finally the Buttermilk Fried Quail with Celeriac Slaw and Cranberry Gravy. I took a very small bite of the Quail; It was good but tasted like fried chicken. With so many unique pairings and playful preparations I didn’t want to use up what appetite I had left for the next course.
We ordered the Roasted 1/2 Chicken with Mushrooms and Marsala Syrup. The mushrooms were the star of this dish. They were slightly crunchy and tasted as though they had marinated in that Marsala sauce overnight. From there we feasted upon the Grilled Tri Tip Steak with Roasted Potato and Broccoli Rabe Pesto as well as the Porchetta accompanied by Grilled Sausage, a Pork Rib, Stewed Lentils and Fried Polenta. The Porchetta dish was my favorite by far. This plate embodied the spirit of sharing and had an earthiness about it. It seemed like others at my table were digging the steak a bit more; which meant more pork rib for me! The fried polenta rounded out this entrée with just enough crunch and even tasted great with the sauce from the stewed lentils.
To wash down all of this food, I ordered a light, refreshing and slightly dry hard cider from Lookout Farm in South Natick. I highly recommend it, especially at the height of those hot summer nights.
The service was fantastic. Our waitress was very attentive and knowledgeable. When we ordered the Calamari she was sure to tell us that it is different than what most people expect. Kudos to her for that, not all servers are as forthcoming.
There was a lot to love about Lock 50, from the ambiance to the service, but my favorite part was the shareable plates. The act of sharing food creates conversation and brings about laughter and camaraderie. I always look forward to my monthly foodies meeting but this was one of my favorites so far. It was a little pricey but we ordered more food than was necessary. The shareable plates are bigger than what you might think of in a traditional tapas meal.