Phantom Gourmet: Fuse Bistro In Lowell
LOWELL (CBS) --- It's housed in an old firehouse and that's a good thing, because Fuse Bistro is red hot.
Located in downtown Lowell, Fuse Bistro serves unexpected food in an unlikely setting. The menu is packed with fresh, seasonal, comfort foods with deliciously unique twists, like Buttermilk Fried Chicken with Pumpkin Waffles, a Cape Cod Crunch Burger topped with potato chips and a Salted Caramel Ice Cream Sandwich. It's the kind of food chef Scott Pelletier likes to cook and loves to eat.
"I work a lot of hours, so when I have time off, where do I go? And that's kind of what I modeled the restaurant after. I wanted a place where I would go when I was off duty."
The action back in the kitchen is fast and furious and that same energy carries over to the always busy dining room. Melissa Haley oversees a staff of friendly and efficent servers, and bar that shakes up all kinds of creative cocktails made with alcohols infused in house.
"We infuse our own alcohol, vodkas, tequila, rums. So we take fresh ingredients, infuse them into the alcohol and then create one of a kind cocktails with them."
After years of working at other people's restaurants, Scott and Mellisa are thrilled to finally have a place of their own. And the freedom to serve what they know their customers want.
"My favorite thing is that I can do the food that I want without anybody telling me, 'Oh you shouldn't do this, you shouldn't do that.' Because I feel like I have a really good palate and I like to do seasonal things, and I kind of want to just put it our there and get some reaction."
"There's always something new for them to try. And I don't want people to ever get bored with Fuse, and I don't really think they'll be able to."
For more food and fun, watch the Phantom Gourmet at 10:30 and 11 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday on myTV38.