A few months back, I wrote about places to celebrate a special occasion, reviewing two spots in Boston. Of course, there are places closer to Harvard that are also worthy of a visit for a special occasion. I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to enjoy one of those recently, The Herb Lyceum at Gilson’s in Groton.
Older reviews of the place explain that the Gilson family has run a farm in Groton since the 1800s, with the current patriarch, David, getting into farming with a career change in 1989. The idea for a restaurant ensued, and the Gilsons started farm-to-table dining before it was “a thing.” They would serve one set menu at two long tables in their carriage house. Alcohol was BYOB. Son Will, who was 16 when the restaurant started, jumped in to be the chef, turning that into a career and eventually opening five restaurants in Cambridge, including Puritan & Company, whose team currently runs The Herb Lyceum.
Today, the restaurant offers separate table seating (no longer family style), a menu with two or three choices per course, and it has the ability to serve alcohol. Dining is still in the cozy carriage house, with six tables for four and a long table that can seat up to 10. With this limited seating, reservations are a must. Menus change monthly and for special events.
.On our special evening, we got out of the car, looking around not completely sure where to go. There is a main house on the road, which looked to still be very much a home, and a few greenhouses sit beyond the parking area. Then we noticed a small building behind the main house that sported a few string lights, so we headed there. We entered what turned out to be the right place—the carriage house—and stepped into a foyer of sorts with exposed dark wood and some cool antiques (including an egg incubator) and a few items for sale. We were greeted and brought into the dining area. More dark exposed wood, more cool antiques, and dried flowers combined to create a lovely rustic ambience.
Wine a la carte, or in a pairing?
The server explained that we could order a wine pairing with our meal, or get drinks a la carte, and gave us each a menu card. We started with a glass of bubbly and opted for the wine pairings.
From the three appetizers, I chose the lobster quenelle, and my husband chose the poutine foie gras, giddy with anticipation for that choice. Butterball potatoes with walnut tapenade, truffles, and aioli was the third option.
According to the interweb, a quenelle is a mixture of creamed fish or meat, formed into an egg-like shape, and cooked—usually by poaching. The term has been extended to apply to any food made into a similar oval shape.
Two cod quenelles were served with lobster on the side. The cod had a firm, smooth texture and delicate taste. Two to three forkfuls of lobster gave the dish its name. The sauce was excellent; it was all I could do to stop myself from running a finger over the plate to get the last bit.
My husband really enjoyed the poutine, quipping that since the dish combined two decadent things, it could only be great. The chicken gravy over the fries had small nuggets of the foie gras, imparting that wonderful flavor. And, of course, cheese curds completed the dish. Both appetizers were paired with a crisp and light sauvignon blanc.
Scallops, rabbit, or mushroom risottto?
Entree choices were scallops, a rabbit casserole, and mushroom risotto. Staying with the seafood theme, I went with the scallops. Staying with the not-so-usual theme, my husband went for the rabbit.
The sea scallops, four or five of them, were pan-seared to achieve a satisfying char on top and served over a “hill” of potato puree with broccolini and a beurre blanc sauce. Just fantastic! A buttery chardonnay was the pairing. The rabbit was served with spaetzle, a short egg noodle with Germanic and Eastern European roots. My husband really enjoyed the dish, noting that the rabbit was surprisingly tender; the English peas and roasted carrots were great accompaniments. Another in the party had the mushroom risotto, which she described as “meaty” (in a good way). A pinot noir was the pairing for these two entrees.
For dessert, my husband and I both opted for the tarte Tatin with brown butter ice cream, which we polished off with joy (though I might have enjoyed a bit more crisp on the apples and pastry). The tarte was paired with a very flavorful Amaro from Mount Etna, which was my favorite of the three pairings. The other dessert option was a mousse made from chicory; when describing it, the server assured us it tasted “just like chocolate.” The mousse was paired with mead from Carlisle’s HoneyBound Meadery.
From the coziness of the space, to the attentiveness of the staff, to exceptional food that was well prepared, our experience at The Herb Lyceum was very special. Whether celebrating an occasion, or just wanting to celebrate yourself (why not?!), I highly recommend The Herb Lyceum.
Alice Bartram leaves much of the cooking to her husband, though she has many Instagram-saved recipes that she’ll get to one day as, really, she finds eating out more fun than cooking.
