Looking to escape the city for a night on the South Shore? Then head to Scarlet Oak Tavern in Hingham tonight for the grand opening of their new outdoor patio complete with live music (entertainment is being held here Friday evenings from 5 p.m to 9 p.m.).
The slate patio, which is surrounded by shrubs and the antique colonial's original wrought iron fence, now has a garden feel to it with the addition of wooden plant boxes containing herbs such as peppermint, spearmint, thyme, lavender, rosemary, oregano, sage, lemon thyme, borage, chervil and lemon verbina.
Around the dining room side of the restaurant, raised beds were planted where varieties of heirloom tomatoes, peppers, beans and other vegetables will be grown so patrons can see some of the produce that will be featured on the nightly menu. The casual patio menu offers a perfect night to dine al fresco with everything from lobster sliders, fried clams, clam chowder and oysters on the half shell to mini corn dogs, pitchers of draft beer and carafes of sangria.
We visited the inside tavern recently for dinner and were greeted by the friendly hostess, who quickly showed us to our table. The large bar area was bustling with Bruins fans catching an end of season game. The casually elegant restaurant offers a main dining room, outdoor patio and several private rooms, including a separate bar area on the second floor for intimate gatherings.
Executive Chef Stephen Sherman has prepared a varied menu that includes oven fired pizzas, a good array of sandwiches as well as savory steaks and fresh seafood. He sources produce from their sister property Gibbet Hill Farm in Groton, Mass., as well as from other local farms and purveyors.
We started off with some oysters on the half shell from Narragansett. The deliciously sweet and briny bivalves were accompanied by spicy cocktail sauce as well as a sampling of tangy vinaigrette. Chef Sherman's talents really shine through in his BBQ braised short rib - tender and juicy served in a rich barbecue sauce with Vidalia onions and a cool celery root slaw. Other appetizers included spring herb risotto, garlicky shrimp and baked Westfield Farm goat cheese.
For dinner, I sampled the crispy potato-crusted haddock - the fresh catch was served in an enormous bowl of flavorful bacon and corn chowder. My husband enjoyed the gigantic 20-ounce juicy bone-in ribeye, which was seared to a medium rare perfection and served with a choice of two sides (don't miss the garlic mashed potatoes and roasted mushrooms).
The asparagus and goat cheese ravioli sounded interesting as did the swordfish Nicoise with roasted fingerling potatoes, so we will have to visit again soon to sample. There is a gluten-free menu also available here.
Unfortunately, we were too full for dessert but the carrot cake and Vermont maple bread pudding both sounded fantastic.
Scarlet Oak Tavern
1217 Main Street
Hingham, MA 02043
781.749.8200
ScarletOakTavern.com
