By Bernie Whitmore

When I was younger, Green Hill Golf Course was for playing golf, then a few years back the city had the idea that the club house would make a great restaurant location.  They were right, and the Grill on the Hill was born.  What can you say about a place that offers stunning views of the city, outdoor dining on the wrap-around deck, and good food?  Actually, I think I just said it!

The Grill on the Hill has a great location, so recently a couple of friends and I decided to pay it a visit on a hot summer’s night.  The skies were threatening, so we opted to sit on the covered porch side of the deck, which gave us views of the golf course and the pond.

Our friendly waitress came over to take our drink orders and we all obliged.  Since the night was so warm, we could not pass up a tall Tanqueray and tonic (The Brit who invented this oh-so-refreshing combination should be enshrined in the Inventors Hall of Fame).

While sipping our drinks and catching up on the week’s events, we perused the menu, which is elegant in its simplicity.  There are several appetizer offerings and about eighteen entrees, which include meals and a host of salads and sandwiches.

We decided to share an appetizer and, after much discussion about whether to order nachos or calamari, we chose the calamari and were not disappointed.  The serving was large, more than enough to feed four people.  The crunchy calamari ~ both ringlets and tentacles ~ were coated in breadcrumbs before being lightly fried.  The Grill serves the calamari with breaded deep-fried hot cherry peppers.  The calamari was very good and the side of marinara sauce was a pleasing contrast, especially to the hot fried peppers.

The restaurant offers several nightly specials and on this evening two of my friends went that route.  One ordered the clam roll, while the other went with the sirloin Caesar salad.  I went with a classic cheeseburger.

I can say that all the meals were outstanding in their simplicity.  Sometimes simple food is harder to get right than more complex dishes in upscale eateries.  The clam roll was overflowing with lightly deep- fried tender, whole belly clams served in a toasted hot dog roll.  My friend skipped the fries and went with a double order of cole slaw, which he devoured ~ but he was kind enough to let me taste a few of the clams.  They were equal to those served in those pricey North Shore clam shacks where the dish was invented.

My other friend was presented with a large classic Caesar salad that was topped with 8 ounces of perfectly cooked and sliced sirloin steak.  The salad came with large croutons ~ more like slices of toasted Italian bread ~ and then ringed with grilled pita bread.

My burger, topped with a thick slice of cheddar cheese, was juicy and served medium rare ~ just as I ordered it.  My meal was accompanied by a pile of French fries.

Warning ~ the portions here are large.  However, that did not stop us from ordering a dessert, which we split.  All desserts are made on the premises.  We chose a piece of carrot cake that had a thick sweet cream cheese frosting and, as a nod to the chef’s creativity, was topped with a drizzle of orange marmalade.  Although it was very good and quickly consumed, I am a traditionalist and would have preferred it without the drizzle, which made it too sweet for me.

As the sun was setting and the meal ending, we all agreed that it was a great night out with good friends and good food.  We agreed to return to the Grill on the Hill soon.  Since then, I have heard from others that our extremely positive dining experience here was…par for the course.

Grill on the Hill (at Green Hill Golf Course)
1929 Skyline Drive, Worcester
(508) 854-1704
grillonthehill.net