Thursday, January 2, 2003

By SUSAN GOTTSHALL
Special to The Morning Call

BETHLEHEM TWP., PA -- The map promised my destination was just about a third of a mile from the William Penn Highway exit off Route 33. But it seemed like we'd driven farther than that, and I was wondering if I'd made a wrong turn, when I saw glowing light ahead on the right.

The light, I discovered, shone from a row of trees, their winter skeletons meticulously covered with thousands of tiny lights. It was magical, and I knew so much attention lavished on a row of trees signaled something big up ahead. Sure enough, it was my destination, Blue, in its debut performance on the Valley's dining scene.

I visited the restaurant on its opening weekend, and, along with those brilliant trees, this is what I found: Blue is, indeed, big - in size, concept and delivery. This restaurant's raison d'etre is ambitious: a 220-seat grillhouse and wine bar, with a 300-bottle wine list, that promises ''classic ambience'' and ''classic cuisine perfectly prepared.'' A tall order, to be sure.

It took nine months to transform the former Candlelight Inn into Blue. I can't compare the present with the past, since I never dined at the Candlelight, but I can report that the decor of the restaurant in its current incarnation is nothing short of impressive.

There's elegant chestnut brown mahogany everywhere - tabletops, wall panels and tall, massive booths. Beige and brown wall-to-wall carpeting complements the wood, and trios of clear glass votives with white candles enhance its elegance with their soft light.

The building's stone exterior, coupled with precise landscaping and large flickering gas street lamps, shows the restaurant's consistent commitment to classic and classy style. Even so, Blue is not stuffy - a bit reserved, perhaps, but there's no jacket and tie requirement here.

At its essence, the self-proclaimed grillhouse is a meat and potatoes place, but kicked up a couple of notches to offer that fare in its best form.

The menu's main act is grilled steaks, chops (veal, pork and lamb) and seafood. The supporting cast includes broccoli or asparagus with Hollandaise sauce and potatoes - oven-roasted blue, Lyonnaise, french fries and baked with all the toppings. Opening acts range from shrimp cocktail and French onion soup to Asian-inspired pot stickers, Thai chicken satay and shrimp spring rolls.

A complimentary breadbasket offered as we studied the menu was the first sign that the decor's top-notch form would be carried through in the food. It held slices of a dense and savory olive loaf, sweet raisin bread and a hearty-textured, crusty white variety, along with crispy flatbread.

Sharing the cheese plate to start was a good decision, since it probably would serve four quite nicely as an appetizer (we took two-thirds home). The imported and domestic cheeses, served with grapes, star fruit and thin apple slices, were well balanced, but their flavor wasn't in full bloom because they were still under the influence of residual refrigeration.

The two dinner salads we sampled, mixed green and spinach, were obviously composed with the freshest ingredients. Spinach salad was particularly enjoyable: Smokehouse bacon and Danish blue cheese were a fine counterpoint; red onion vinaigrette added a lovely, light tang.

My filet mignon, tender and juicy, was perfectly cooked to ''medium'' as requested. À la carte sides - mashed potatoes and sautéed crimini and button mushrooms - were well prepared and served in portion sizes that begged sharing. A vegetarian plate took advantage of Blue's 1800-degree Montague grill: Seared zucchini, yellow squash, eggplant, asparagus and portobello mushroom were in excellent form, served with a stuffed, roasted tomato and cucumber roll.

The final act was a fitting resolution to this premiere. From among standard dessert selections such as a hot fudge sundae and New York cheesecake, we chose bananas Foster and chocolate Godiva. The former was served flambé, rather than cooked tableside; and the bananas, in a cookie cup, were sweet, warm and wonderful. Chocolate Godiva - a mound of warm chocolate cake filled with a molten pure chocolate - was sinful, it was that good.

Organized according to wine type and geographic region, the extensive wine list offers selections from Australia, Chile, New Zealand, Spain and South Africa, as well as France, Italy and California. More than 60 wines by the glass ($5 to $13.75) include Meritage (red), Syrah, Sangiovese, Burgundy (white), Pinot Gris and White Zinfandel as well as Bordeaux (red), Merlot, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. The glass-enclosed, temperature-controlled ''wine cellar'' is a focal point of Blue's decor.

I would be remiss not to mention the restaurant's impeccable service. An army of servers, in classic black slacks with white shirts and ties, was ever at the ready to assure everything about our meal was just as we wanted. What's more, with great graciousness, the kitchen grilled the vegetarian plate to my companion's specifications and our server exchanged the Caesar salad I was served for the spinach salad I had ordered.

Dinner at Blue, including tax, tip and nonalcoholic beverages, totaled $95.

Susan Gottshall is a freelance restaurant reviewer for Go Guide. Gottshall, who tells it like it is, attempts to remain anonymous during restaurant visits. All meals are paid for by The Morning Call.