My old college chum Darren came east for the weekend to hang out and catch up while his wife and 2 little girls were off on a Girl Scout overnight.
He arrived around 5 pm, and we sat around for a bit with bottles of
Opa-Opa IPA and caught up on things while we waited for our 9:30 dinner reservation to creep closer. After hanging out for a bit we headed off to Groton and our destination: Gibbet Hill Grill.
When we arrived the place was standing-room only. It's a good thing we'd called ahead to secure a spot, because there was no place to be comfortable for the 90 minutes or so before we were to be seated. So we headed back out into the rain and drove around Groton proper, and decided to grab a beer at
Oliver's Grille & Pub, a little bright townie bar. They had the afternoon Sox-Jays repeat on the televisions, and Darren & I split some fried mushrooms and broiled calamari while we each had a beer (I had a
Wachusett Country Ale). It passed the time most satisfactorily.
Then it was back to
Gibbet Hill Grill just in time to be seated, and the place had emptied out a great deal by the time we arrived. What a place! It is a huge barn converted into a two-level restaurant, and they grow most of their vegetables and raise most of their animals on the farm proper. I began the meal with a
Peak Organic Summer Session Ale, which filled my nose (and palate) with happiness. There was a lot to choose from on the extravagant menu, but Darren & I split a big bowl of Prince Edward Island mussels, and in addition he got an iceberg lettuce wedge, while I requested a bowl of clam chowder. Revelation! The combination of the chowder and my beer was indescribable. The flavors complemented each other in such a way that every mouthful was amazing. I intend to repeat the experience sometime soon.
(finish later)
