The Herb Lyceum at Gilson's

This is a tough review to write - because this is not a dinner destination for all.  Gilson's offers a locally based, small plate dinner menu.  A huge part of the draw is that it is a destination evening - plan to arrive at 7 and enjoy small plates over the next 3+ hours.  The menu is fixed (check to see that you enjoy what they are serving before you  make your reservation) and it is BYOB, which is a great opportunity to play with wine pairings.

We went with one other couple on a beautiful summer evening.  After enjoying the grounds (which to be fair are lovely but could use some weeding!)  we were all seated in group tables in the barn (which is beautiful). The tables were artfully set, and it seems sort of a self-selecting process for dining companions. We met people we actually had a great deal in common with and exchanged email addresses with.

The food, over all, is very good. The portions, however, are small. I enjoyed the size of the meal, but of the four of us (all women) at least two left saying they were still hungry.

Our Amuse course was a beautiful salad served inside an edible lily flower.  The starter courses  included a beautiful snap pea/mint soup and roasted asparagus wrapped in prosciutto and served with a poached farm-fresh egg.  I'm not a fan of egg and avoided it and still found the course delicious and satisfying.  The main portion - beef - was a very small serving. I was good with that. I'm not sure if I were more of a carnivore, or a hungry man, I would have been too pleased.  They make a point at the beginning of the meal to say that they don't serve bread because they don't want you to fill up on "extras", but personally, I think the meal would have been improved with a small bit of bread (and I'm not even much of a carb person!).

The cheese course?  Fabulous!  Dessert - I remember liking it but at this point I cannot remember what is was and I'm not that motivated to go back and check my notes.  I guess I would have to say dessert was not memorable.

Unique and special:  The presentation of all the food. The fresh flavors. The novelty of the dining experience.  Negatives:   We felt all the (hot) courses should have been hotter when they got to the table.

Would we go again?  Absolutely - for a treat night out.  Tips/suggestions:   try going with at least one other couple.  If you are wine drinkers, it allows you to bring a couple different wines to enjoy with the various courses and you know you will at least have someone there you have something in common with.  On the other hand - talk to the person next to you!   There are lots of interesting people in the world if you pick your head up and say hello. Book well in advance.  And believe them when they say it will be long evening.  We were actually there until after 11 pm.  Not suitable for vegetarians, unfortunately.

I did enjoy that by the end of the evening you could see that there were many people who had arrived not knowing one another enjoying each other's company.

My wife and I go to Gilson's several times a year.  My first experience was their (last) Robert Burnes Night Dinner.  The Scottish poet shares a birthday with my wife, and they used to do a big Scottish fare feast.  Usually the BYOB is a bottle or two of wine, but this night everyone BYO'd single malt.  Glad we live nearby!

Last time was 6/15/2013.  New chef. personally vetted by Will Gilson: he can handle a kitchen!  Molly K posted 6/17/2013 and we were there the same night, so I'll let her describe the food.

The lack of the fifth star: I save five out of five for truly transcendent dining experience, which I've had at the Lyceum many times.  But the seating is a bit of a crap-shoot.  Unless you go in numbers, you don't know who you'll be next to.  Most of the time, it old friends that you haven't met yet: the clientele is somewhat self-selecting.  But some folk just don't get it.

Five courses, six including the amuse.  It is a long evening to savor.  if you don't have the time to savor. try Gibbet Hill.

Friday evening we visited the Gilson's Herb Lyceum in Groton for a relaxing evening.  Arriving with our own wine selections at 7:15pm, we enjoyed a nice glass of wine under the sweeping branches of the hickory tree while basking in the beautiful weather.

With dinners offered on only Friday & Saturday, reservations are required for the 6 course meal that began at 7:45pm. Within the large barn sit 2 medium tables and 1 long table where strangers meet for great food, good foodie conversation & a memorable experience. With all locally-sourced ingredients (mostly from on-site when possible) and thoughtfully crafted dishes, this experience is a real steal at only $60 per person, despite the fact that the whole experience lasted 3.5 hours.  

We started with a delicious succotash...

followed by grilled proscuitto wrapped asparagus, farm egg, tallegio and thyme mornay. This may have been T's favorite, it was one of mine mostly due to the mornay sauce mmmm.

Third was the chilled sugar snap pea and mint soup with tomato concasse, chili oil and creme fraiche. Another of T's favorites, this was a bit too cucumber-y for me, but was still deliciously light and refreshing, and the hint of chili oil was a perfect contrast.

Our main dish was the best of all, perfectly sized herb rubbed hanger steak with pommes duchesse, baby carrots, and a sauce choron. Unbelievably delicious and tender.  The potatoes were T & my favorite bit, they were pretty much twice-baked mashed potatoes piped out into the pretty shape. Everything was perfect with this dish.

Our cheese course was a blue perfectly paired with a few slices of green onion & a house tomato.

We finished with a strawberry gelato, short cake cookie, fresh cream, and some crumbles that tasted just like gingerbread, but turned out to be lavender cookie crumble.

As the night dwindled and the stars came up, we headed home full, happy, and looking into the menu for July. With dinners being offered Fridays and Saturdays year-round, with a monthly-changing menu, we are definitely looking forward to trying another evening, and bringing along some friends to share in the experience.