Jason P.
Yelp
All couples have these conversations. You read something, and say, "This place looks really cool. We should go sometime." I don't remember the specifics of when, and who said what, but I remember years ago that my wife and I both thought "The Place" in Guilford looked awesome. So it's fitting that, as we decided to plan date nights this Summer without our son (but with Pasta the Dog), that our first 45 minute trip was to The Place.
I wonder if a plainer name -- The Place -- has ever been attached to such a unique experience. Seat yourself outside on a tree stump. The plating leans toward the paper, rather than the fancy, side. The Place is so dog friendly that an owner stopped by to give Pasta the Dog two biscuits. Service was great in that way. Pro tip -- cash or check only.
When the server arrives, order your choice of fire-roasted seafood, steak, corn and/other veggies from the giant menu display. It's the only menu you'll get. This isn't your backyard grill fire. This is an F-I-R-E fire. The grill is wide, and the flames flash high.
I tried the clam special (clams grilled with a cocktail sorta sauce), the shrimp, the Veggie Bobs, Key Lime Mousse and maybe the star of the show - the husk on, corn on the cob. All fire-roasted. Everything was well executed. The liquid in the clam shells sizzled as they arrived atop a metal grate. The clams tasted fresh. They were essentially braised in the cocktail sauce, and they combined to form something greater than the sum of the parts. The hot peel your own shrimp with cocktail sauce were also very good. You taste the wood fire in the seafood and corn. Of course the key lime mousse, with that graham cracker crust, was tasty.
The Place is CT-one of a kind. I highly recommend it. Lobster and/or steak might be the best play by the way. However, those orders seemed difficult to manage while we took turns leashing an enthusiastic 85 pound Dog-Child who loves human food. Next time.
Five Stars
This is my 500th Yelp Review. On my "pastathedogctjp" Instagram Food Blog, I posted a reel commemorating our experience at The Place. Cheers.