Jeff and I are celebrating our two-year anniversary today. We got married at The Estate at Moraine Farm. It's part of the same restaurant group as Gibbet Hill Grill, so for our one-year anniversary, my sister sent us a gift card to the restaurant (thank you, Lindsay!). Over Labor Day weekend we finally journeyed out to Groton to check it out (waiting was a little strategic on my part -- I wanted to go when tomatoes and corn were in season).
We tried to take back roads (or "the scenic route") most of the way there, which led us by lots of farm stands and corn fields. When we pulled into the parking lot, we saw the restaurant on one side and the barn where they hold weddings on the other side. There was a wedding going on in the barn, which was pretty cool and reminded me of our own wedding.
Inside the restaurant, the decor is very rustic, and we instantly loved it, from the fireplace straight ahead to the wood floors. It's also feels very spacious yet cozy, with high ceilings and an open kitchen.
I decided to try the corn gnocchi to start and Jeff got a Caesar salad. While the Caesar salad was great, we were soon both digging into the gnocchi, which were light and pillowy -- not at all dense -- and covered in a delicious sauce reminiscent of corn chowder. Some fresh tomatoes added another sweet element. (And there was Swiss chard for balance, but try as I might, I am just not a fan.)
Just like at our wedding, for entrees, Jeff went with a beef dish and I went with pork. He had the sirloin steak tips and paired them with mashed potatoes and onion rings. Everything was really good, and the steak was cooked just right.
My pork chop was served atop corn sauteed with herbs and had pickled peaches and fried green tomatoes on the side. Since everyone thinks of Labor Day weekend as the unofficial end of summer, I will call this my unofficial end-of-summer dinner. The dish offered bites of some of my favorite summer things.
We were actually too full for dessert -- I'm guessing because of all that corn gnocchi -- so we skipped it this time. But we had such a great experience and enjoyed the food so much that I know we'll be back.
The meal was a great reminder of the locally sourced, farm-fresh food we had at our wedding, and the rustic environment took us back too.
Have you been to Gibbet Hill Grill?