Oops.

Perhaps the night before Valentine's Day wasn't the best night to review a new place called The Chocolate Cottage. Or maybe it was.

We walked in to the remodeled house on Coffeen Street to a throng of customers at the bakery cases pointing to piles of homemade chocolates, truffles, cookies, scones and decadent desserts-to-go.

But it's not a takeout place by any means. It's a cozy and comfortable tearoom with a European feel. Original ornate wallpaper sets the tone, complemented by old ceiling light fixtures and a beautiful hardwood staircase and banister leading to the second floor.

Plush couches and chairs line the perimeter of the dining area. Small, skirted bistro tables just big enough for two dot the room. A perfect mix of classical and light operatic music drifts from the CD player in the corner of the room.

And despite the mayhem at the counter, Lindsey was at our table in no time, ready to explain the menu to my three sweets-loving lady-friend guests and me.

Hey, you wouldn't take three vegetarians to a steakhouse, would you?

It offers mostly sweets — strudels, scones, "sweet loafs," croissants, cheesecakes, cannoli, chocolate cups and imported gelatos — but also has soup, salad, frittatas and its "lighter fare du jour."

There are coffees and teas, too — medium body Venezia, full-body Costa Rican and of course, high-test espresso. There are eight flavors of gourmet Republic of Tea. Cappuccino and latte come in vanilla, hazelnut, raspberry and chocolate flavors.

Our journey began with scones. White chocolate and raspberry was delectable, served warm and yummy. Chocolate chip was good, too, and had a hint of flavor we thought might be almond.

Soup du jour was excellent, a thick and flavorful hearty vegetable with tomatoes, peas, carrots and lots of beans.

Just now I find out that this is not my guests' first visit to The Chocolate Cottage, even though it has been open less than a month. I'm told that the lobster bisque they had last time was equally excellent, rich and creamy. It had a puff pastry "hat" floating on top, as did the vegetable soup.

Their sweet loaf is a neat idea, a miniature bread-like loaf of goodness. Lemon-poppy seed had a wonderful lemon flavor with poppy seeds and a moist, dense texture. Apple-cinnamon was fantastic with long slices of apple pressed into the top of the bread, coated with a layer of cinnamon. Double chocolate was a chocoholic's dream come true with chocolate oozing from the middle of the bread.

There's just one salad available, a marvelous mix of fresh greens (not a trace of iceberg), with nuts and berries and the tasty house balsamic vinaigrette with citrus overtones.

The croissant surprised us with a layer of apricot hidden between the buttery, flaky layers.

Frittatas were fun, four petite crustless quiches that appeared to be made in a mini-muffin pan. The "du jour" flavor was bacon-Parmesan, with a light taste of egg and cheese and almost no bacon. Four frittatas barely whet our appetites, so we ordered a second round of the little morsels.

How could their desserts be any better than the sweets we already experienced?

Hard to believe, but they were.

Our gelato "coppa" was "stracciatella" — hazelnut-swirled vanilla and chocolate ice cream, mellow layer after layer until you hit this rich pool of chocolate in the bottom of the cone-shaped parfait glass. Garnishes of fresh kiwi, real orange slices and chocolate curls dressed up the plate.

The chocolate cup was creamy marbled milk and white chocolate mousse placed in a hardened semisweet chocolate cup, garnished to the hilt with fruit and real whipped cream. An edible work of art.

In comparison, the cannoli were not nearly as sweet. A tubular shell was traditionally thick, the ricotta filling smooth and simple. A neat vanilla-chocolate "straw" decorated the dessert.

Banana caramel cream tart was a pleasant change from the chocolate theme, a creamy pudding mixture with fresh, sliced bananas in it, a caramel drizzle and whipped cream on top.

Desserts we'd love to try next time are tiramisu, chocolate mousse cake and their personal cheesecakes — New York Black Forest and dulce de leche almond ricotta.

Here are the comments from around the table over coffees and lattes:

¦ "The atmosphere was very comfortable and elegant."

¦ "I didn't feel like I ate a ton of food ... probably only a ton of calories!"

¦ "Very cozy and quaint."

¦ "I hope they have more non-dessert fare in the future."

¦ "I thought everything was delicious."

¦ "Service was relaxed, friendly and knowledgeable."

¦ "I like the European décor and feel."

¦ "I REALLY like this place!"

An evening of light dining and lots of sweet treats came to $67 for four of us.

There's parking out back (a little tough to negotiate with snowbanks) with a rear entrance to the building. In the evening, there's parking available at the business across the street.

We understand a liquor license is in the works. They plan to feature upscale beers and wines.

The Chocolate Cottage is open seven days a week; 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays.

You can contact Walter E. Siebel via e-mail: wsiebel@wdt.net.

The Chocolate Cottage

527 Coffeen St.

Watertown

777-4407

Strudels, scones, "sweet loafs," croissants, cheesecakes, cannoli, chocolate cups and imported gelatos as well as soup, salad, frittatas and their "lighter fare du jour."

Coffees and teas, too. There are eight flavors of gourmet Republic of Tea. Cappuccino and latte come in vanilla, hazelnut, raspberry and chocolate flavors.

HOURS: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday

9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays

Rating: 4 and one-half forks