Food

Located in the center of town in a restored mill building, Cobblestones (91 Dutton St., 978/970-2282, www.cobblestonesoflowell.com [1], 11:30 a.m.–10 p.m. Mon.–Sat., closed Sun., $7–29) has something for everyone. A formal dining room serves grilled flatbreads, risotto, and fisherman’s stew, while a casual bar area dishes out sandwiches, buffalo wings, and a variety of oysters on the half shell (including, we kid you not, Rocky Mountain oysters).

The oldest Asian restaurant in Lowell [2], the Southeast Asian Restaurant (343 Market St., 978/452-3182, www.foodventure.com [3], 11:30 a.m.–10 p.m. daily, $4–13) was started by an Italian man and his Laotian wife, who set about trying to re-create the food served in open-air stalls across the subcontinent. Twenty-five years later, it is still one of the most popular eateries in the city, serving a range of authentic Cambodian, Laotian, Vietnamese, Thai, and even Mongolian cuisine in a large and festive dining room.