Grafton Grill
10 Bridge Street, North Grafton
(508) 839-0333
www.graftongrill.com

Some dishes possess the power to reveal everything you need to know about a restaurant’s kitchen in just one bite. Chief among these is the crab cake. But take care! This is a power that should be used carefully; many a well-meaning chef has chosen to take what appeared to be a reasonable shortcut and purchase decent quality frozen crab cakes. Should we indict the chef for a saving a few minutes?

In the case of Grafton Grill, I relented and agreed to sample their crab cakes even though I dreaded the weary thought of having to relate unto you yet another freezer-to-deep-fryer event.

Happily, at first glance, I knew my concerns were ill-founded and that something special was in store. These cakes were hand-formed with big flaky chunks of crab meat poking out the sides and a nice golden-brown sear from the skillet on top and bottom. Even more compelling, at first bite the mild crab flavor was joined by peppery seasoning; with a minimal of binder, these were just short of solid crab meat.

The appetizer portion of two cakes came with fresh corn relish; kernels of sweet crunchy corn flecked with bits of coriander and finely chopped tomato. A garnish of pickled onion slivers provided pink color contrast and punctuated the dish with an exclamation mark of flavor. Lemon-caper tartar sauce was provided for those who believe in such condiments.

With my glass of Voodoo Good Vibes American IPA, seated in their patio on a perfect summer evening, I was confident we were in capable culinary hands. My friend agreed as he sipped a frosty glass of their refreshing Watermelon Mint seltzer.

Our entrée’s proved that faith to be justified.

My friend’s entrée, Grilled Salmon with Roasted Clams, was visually appealing and a cascade of flavors. A thick salmon steak, served over deep-green broccoli rabe steeping in white wine broth flavored with chunks of spicy chorizo and grape tomatoes, was flanked by in-shell clams that had been roasted open and tossed with that same broth. Topping the salmon, for additional vibrant color, was a forest of micro-greens.

His tasting remarks, “It’s a combination of cuisines: traditional Portuguese with the roasted clams and chorizo and New-American’s roasted salmon. And served over broccoli rabe for a bitter flavor contrast.” The menu listed the dish with roasted potatoes; ever-watchful of the carbs, he requested they substitute additional broccoli rabe.

My entree was Shrimp and Coconut Curry Noodle Bowl which was a mosaic of flavors, textures and bright color. The framework of the dish, a bed of soft noodles (not GF, though much of the menu is) were coated in a curry sauce, creamy and spicy, that also gave the juicy shrimp a kick of flavor. These were joined by vegetable noodles; long strips of zucchini and springy coils of carrots and mixed with crunchy snap peas, crushed peanuts, strips of sweet red and green peppers.

On top of the noodles were groupings of bean sprouts, shredded green onions and pickled onion slices – all poised for mixing into the noodles and ready to provide even more taste and crunch. Initially I ignored the wedges of lime, but after a while I tried a squeeze or two and was surprised with how much it animated the curry flavor.

The Grafton Grill is located on a less-traveled cutoff at the intersection of busy Routes 122 and 140. The evening we arrived a soloist was tuning her guitar. The dining room is not very large, decorated sparingly and bright. But the early-summer weather was ideal and we requested the last outdoor table in their seasonal patio. Other than the roar of an occasional truck, it was good to have such delicious cuisine al fresco.