Ironwood
Welcome back to Phantom Gourmet.
If you’re the kind of person who believes great meals pair perfectly with great views, and the only thing better than sinking a hole in one, is sinking your teeth into something delicious…
It’s time to tee up a reservation at Ironwood Restaurant at the South Shore Country Club in Hingham.
Ironwood is a cozy and homey restaurant that specializes in serving classic New England comfort food, all thanks to Chef and Owner Tina Conte.
“We do a lot of classics. It's got a little tiny bit of an Italian flair, just probably because I like to cook Italian food. But mostly we try to stick to approachable comfort food.”
“I want them to feel welcome. I want them to feel like they're at home, like they can relax and let the weight of their day roll off their shoulders. Enjoy a good meal with people that hopefully they enjoy. And, you know, leave feeling like they want to come back.”
That homey feel begins with their sharable starters like the short rib arancini that are crispy on the outside, cheesy, gooey, and savory on the inside. And they serve it with a perfectly-paired paprika aioli.
Or check out their take on the classic Philly cheesesteak. They’re serving these egg roll style, with top round roast, stuffed into that crispy egg roll shell and served with a horseradish, scallion mayo for dipping.
For the main course, there are plenty of options, whether you’re in the mood for seafood, chicken, or beef. Italian or Irish.
One of the most popular entrees is the Statler pan roasted chicken, which is seared to crispy skin perfection, served with a potato puree, some pan gravy and asparagus all topped with a white balsamic arugula salad.
Chef Tina is also known for her sausage and rigatoni recipe. She cooks down bits of sausage, peppers, onions, carrots, and tomato for hours before combining that delicious sauce with rigatoni pasta and grilled broccolini. And she tops it all off with house made ricotta. It’s served right in the crock. It’s been a menu staple since the day they opened and Tina insists she will never take it off the menu.
They’re also cooking up an ultimate Irish comfort food classic, Shepherd's Pie, but they do it with a bit of a gourmet twist.
“The short rib shepherd's pie that takes a couple days to make. I braise the short ribs for about four hours. Take them out of the gravy. Strain it. Reduce the gravy down… cut up the short rib, cut up the carrots, onion. I cook those separately so they're perfectly cooked, and then I finish them in the gravy. Chop up the short rib, fold it back into the gravy, make sure it seasons perfectly. We serve that in a crock with some rosemary mashed potatoes and a fresh made biscuit. And it is to die for.”
If you want to ditch the utensils, or you just want to grab something quick after playing a round of g olF, Ironwood also serves some delicious handhelds.
Like the Ironwood Burger. It’s made with top of the line Wagyu beef, a cheddar cheese sauce and crispy shallots.
Or go for the Fried Chicken Sandwich. They brine the chicken in pickle juice, before breading and frying it up and serving it on a toasted bun with lettuce and buttermilk ranch dressing.
But, when in Hingham, you gotta go for their fish tacos that truly are as fresh as you can get.
“We do source some of the best fish in town. It comes in fresh. We cut it, we batter, we fry, and we serve nothing but the freshest ingredients. So I think anyone who's had it, they're always very happy with it… I just think when you use the fresh ingredients, you can't go wrong. The beer batter is delicious. It gives that nice textural crunch to the fish. Nice. Crunch from the cabbage, the pickled onions… It's a really good fish taco in my opinion.”
Whether you spent a day on the course, or you’re just coming in for a meal, every day is better with a little sweet treat. And at Ironwood, they do dessert right with their Banana-chocolate chunk bread pudding. Delicious pieces of that sweet chocolate banana bread, served with Strawberry ice cream and a honey tuile on top. It doesn’t get better than that.
So grab your clubs, or just grab a fork and head to Ironwood at the South Shore Country Club in Hingham. It’s open to the public seven days a week for lunch and dinner. And I recommend bringing a table of Fooooore!
