Stephen Stein
20 years ago
My friend's birthday and mine are very close, so every year we and our
wives go out for a "special" dinner. This year we went to the Gibbet
Hill Grill in Groton,MA (aka "the boonies" to a lot of this group :-).
We had heard some good things about the place, but we didn't really know
what to expect.
We were NOT disappointed. We had a great time and a great meal.
Gibbet Hill is a working black angus farm near the center of Groton.
The restaurant is in a big barn - two levels with a lounge, dining room
(with fireplace) and open kitchen on the lower level and a private
dining room upstairs. The atmosphere (on Saturday night) was bustling
and a bit loud, but not annoyingly so. The place was full, but we were
seated promptly at our 7:30 reservation time.
A couple of us ordered steak dishes. My 10 oz sirloin was a
softball-sized cut, grilled medium rare and absolutely perfect - tender
and juicy. It was accompanied by garlic-mashed red bliss potatoes and
an au poivre sauce (served on the side - they don't cook the steak au
poivre - too bad, but wonderful nonetheless).
My buddy had the special - a 12 oz bone-in sirloin with lobster macaroni
and cheese (sounds a bit strange, but it was a REAL treat), and a
spinach arugula salad to start.
My wife's choice was baked stuffed shrimp - her favorite. The shrimp
were done perfectly, served with an herb/crabmeat/bread stuffing - tasty
and just slightly spicy.
My friend's wife enjoyed a couple of appetizers instead of an entree -
"beef and bleu" - tenderloin tips with bleu cheese sauce, and an
asparagus gratin.
Three of us had Ceasar salads to start - dressing and homemade croutons
were very good, but no anchovies were offered.
The meal (no appetizers or desserts) with 2 bottles of moderately priced
wine ("Two Hands" Australian Grenache/Shiraz/Mouvedre blend - very nice)
and tip came to $200 for the 4 of us, which is definitely on the low
side for our "special" meals.
The menu (http://www.gibbethill.com/GHG/htm/menu.htm) is surprisingly
varied - all the way from $9 burgers and Mac and Cheese to the $31 filet
mignon. It seems heavily weighted to New England farm fare - chicken
pot pie, shepherds pie, some seafood dishes, baked beans. But the
highlight for me was definitely the beef. Great cuts, great preparation.
The wine list is mostly Califonian and Australian, with most bottles
ranging from $30-$50. There's a special list with more expensive
bottles. The two I recognized were marked up 100% from retail (Penfolds
RWT Shiraz and St Jean Cinq Cepages were $120, iirc), which is OK for
the bottom of the list, but it seems a bit steep for the more expensive
bottles.
Jackets and ties not required. Nice business casual was the norm - some
jeans were in evidence.
Service was just a bit on the casual side but very knowledgeable,
attentive and efficient. We had some concerns about ingredients and
preparation, but all of our requests were handled with no problem.
There was a party without reservations who waited a couple of hours for
a table - so make reservations!
Gibbet Hill Grill
61 Lowell Rd.
Groton, MA
978 448-2900
http://www.gibbethill.com/GHG/index.htm
wives go out for a "special" dinner. This year we went to the Gibbet
Hill Grill in Groton,MA (aka "the boonies" to a lot of this group :-).
We had heard some good things about the place, but we didn't really know
what to expect.
We were NOT disappointed. We had a great time and a great meal.
Gibbet Hill is a working black angus farm near the center of Groton.
The restaurant is in a big barn - two levels with a lounge, dining room
(with fireplace) and open kitchen on the lower level and a private
dining room upstairs. The atmosphere (on Saturday night) was bustling
and a bit loud, but not annoyingly so. The place was full, but we were
seated promptly at our 7:30 reservation time.
A couple of us ordered steak dishes. My 10 oz sirloin was a
softball-sized cut, grilled medium rare and absolutely perfect - tender
and juicy. It was accompanied by garlic-mashed red bliss potatoes and
an au poivre sauce (served on the side - they don't cook the steak au
poivre - too bad, but wonderful nonetheless).
My buddy had the special - a 12 oz bone-in sirloin with lobster macaroni
and cheese (sounds a bit strange, but it was a REAL treat), and a
spinach arugula salad to start.
My wife's choice was baked stuffed shrimp - her favorite. The shrimp
were done perfectly, served with an herb/crabmeat/bread stuffing - tasty
and just slightly spicy.
My friend's wife enjoyed a couple of appetizers instead of an entree -
"beef and bleu" - tenderloin tips with bleu cheese sauce, and an
asparagus gratin.
Three of us had Ceasar salads to start - dressing and homemade croutons
were very good, but no anchovies were offered.
The meal (no appetizers or desserts) with 2 bottles of moderately priced
wine ("Two Hands" Australian Grenache/Shiraz/Mouvedre blend - very nice)
and tip came to $200 for the 4 of us, which is definitely on the low
side for our "special" meals.
The menu (http://www.gibbethill.com/GHG/htm/menu.htm) is surprisingly
varied - all the way from $9 burgers and Mac and Cheese to the $31 filet
mignon. It seems heavily weighted to New England farm fare - chicken
pot pie, shepherds pie, some seafood dishes, baked beans. But the
highlight for me was definitely the beef. Great cuts, great preparation.
The wine list is mostly Califonian and Australian, with most bottles
ranging from $30-$50. There's a special list with more expensive
bottles. The two I recognized were marked up 100% from retail (Penfolds
RWT Shiraz and St Jean Cinq Cepages were $120, iirc), which is OK for
the bottom of the list, but it seems a bit steep for the more expensive
bottles.
Jackets and ties not required. Nice business casual was the norm - some
jeans were in evidence.
Service was just a bit on the casual side but very knowledgeable,
attentive and efficient. We had some concerns about ingredients and
preparation, but all of our requests were handled with no problem.
There was a party without reservations who waited a couple of hours for
a table - so make reservations!
Gibbet Hill Grill
61 Lowell Rd.
Groton, MA
978 448-2900
http://www.gibbethill.com/GHG/index.htm