Gibbet Hill Grill
There are restaurants that feed you and restaurants that nourish you, but there aren't a lot of restaurants that take your breath away. But when you see the rolling hills and the farm to table cuisine at this place, you will be blown away. We are in Groton, Massachusetts at a one of a kind restaurant and dining destination called the Gibbet Hill Grill. It's located on 500 rolling acres of actual farmland. A lot of restaurants say they're farm to table here, they definitely are. You can actually see the livestock. You can see the crops. They have a sign on the wall that shows you all the fresh produce that they're gathering currently.
This land was purchased by the Weber family 20 years ago, and this was basically a big abandoned barn. They completely restored and refurbished this into one of the most stunning dining rooms I have ever seen. Just take a look around and you see the detail. You have that farmhouse chic aesthetic. Everything is just perfect, the stone, the metal, the antiques, the super high loft ceiling, the original post and beam construction, a super cool modern bar, a big open kitchen, and you have stunning views from every seat in the house.
This is what you would call the farm to table contemporary steakhouse. Chef Justin Urso is a man who is obsessed with fresh, local, seasonal ingredients. So whatever they're growing on the farm, you're gonna see it on the plate. Let's start with some comfort food, farm to table style. These are the farmhouse grilled cheeses. So this is like the gourmet version of what everybody loved when you were a kid. You have these mini grilled cheese sandwiches, and it comes to the side of their homemade tomato soup. So all you gotta do is take that crispy, buttery grilled cheese, give it a dunk inside of that beautiful tomato bisque. Now that's comfort food done right.
The most popular appetizer here is the crab dip. It's known as Cindy's crab dip, and it has been on the menu since day one. This is made with a blend of cream cheese, onions and a little sherry wine along with a ton of jumbo lump crab meat. It comes out piping hot, served with some crispy toast points for dipping. You just stack the crab dip right on top of the baguette, go in for a bite. Mmm, mmm, that is incredible crab.
The Gibbet Hill Grill is a steak house. So if you want a good piece of steak, this is definitely a good place to go. The Porterhouse is one of the most popular cuts of meat. You got the strip steak on one side, the filet on the other cook to temperature. I like it at a nice medium rare. Give me a porterhouse steak, a glass of red wine and a fully loaded baked potato with bacon and cheese. And I'm a happy guy.
When you talk about value, it is hard to beat this plate of steak frites. You have a beautiful hanger steak that is grilled, sliced, and served with a nice green salad. And, of course, some beautifully seasoned french fries. They're mixed up with some truffle and parmesan and fresh seasoning. What puts this dish over the top is the homemade compound marrow butter. The steak already has so much flavor that when you pair it up with this butter, it just takes it to the next level.
If you're really hungry, the pork shank at the Gibbet Hill Grill, I think, is one of the definitive dishes in this entire region. This is like a Fred Flintstone kind of entree. You got a big bone in pork shank. They serve it over some slow simmered saffron risotto that has that beautiful, rich color, along with some nice roasted potatoes and a little fresh gremolata over the top. So how does it taste? The tenderness is like a 10 out of 10. The meat is literally melting in my mouth. Masterpiece.
Here's a pasta dish I would highly recommend. It's the tagliatelle. Here they serve them with some short ribs that are cooked in a red wine jus. You get the beefiness, the savoriness of those short ribs, beautifully al dente pasta has that perfect bite. Give it a little twirl. I'm running out of words to describe things here, everything is so good.
if you ask me, there is no better way to end any meal than with a plate of cookies and milk. That's right, one of the most beautiful restaurants I've ever been to, their signature dessert is a chocolate chip cookie with a cold glass of milk. You always have chocolate chip cookies. They rotate another flavor seasonally, hot out of the oven, nice and gooey, dip it in a cold glass of milk. Honestly, does life get any better than that? This is the kind of restaurant that you will come for, the food, you will stay for the atmosphere, and you'll come back time after time because there was no other restaurant experience quite like the Gibbet Hill Grill.
