By Margaret Locher, Contributing Writer
Worcester – You would never guess that a place as peaceful and quiet as Grill on the Hill could be tucked away just off of Route 9 in Worcester. The restaurant, which sits on the Green Hill Golf Course, opened for the season last month. Already it's occupied by groups of friends admiring the view and golfers relaxing after their game. Hills roll away from the restaurant's patio, down to a serene pond on one side and up to a ridgeline of ornamental trees that are backlit by the orange sunset in the evening.
This season, the restaurant has a new menu, which my boyfriend and I looked over as the sunset reflected off the pond. The appetizers list had nachos, clam chowder and brushcetta, along with a plate called “the scramble,” which includes spanakopita, tzatziki, and pita with feta, olives and cucumbers ($9.99). We ordered a plate of hot wings (8.99) to split.
My boyfriend was torn between the pulled pork sandwich on a Kaiser roll ($8.99) and the chicken flatbread pizza with spinach and gorgonzola ($8.99). Janet Fotiadis, half of the husband-wife team who runs Grill on the Hill, said she eats the chicken pizza all the time, so he ordered that. I chose one of the new menu items: a seafood platter with clams, scallops and haddock ($15.99). Our server was happy to accommodate me when I asked if I could swap out the clams.
A retirement dinner was underway in the function room as we waited for our meals and watched the last of the light fade from the horizon. The function room is often busy with social or business events, and Fotiadis said they have some graduation parties booked already too. It is even an option to reserve part of the patio for a private event.
When our meals arrived, my boyfriend was not disappointed that he's opted for the pizza. He ate the whole thing, well, except for the slice he insisted I have so I could see how good it was. My seafood platter was massive, a large piece of haddock, a few shrimp and more scallops than I could possibly eat served in a nest of fries. I did my best and made a good lunch of the leftovers the next day. I didn's have room for one of the homemade desserts like blueberry crisp or coconut pie ($4-$6), but will save space next time!
Grill on the Hill will host a Mother's Day brunch from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. May 13. On May 19, the restaurant will begin serving breakfast on weekends, available from 8 a.m. to noon. There will be live music on the patio on Friday and Saturday nights over the summer. You could spend a day, have lunch, play a round, then relax on the patio with a beer, and feel like you'se had a mini-vacation.
Grill on the Hill is located at 1929 Skyline Drive in Worcester, in Green Hill Park. It is open daily 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. for lunch and dinner, and for breakfast on weekends at 8 am. For information regarding booking the function room, contact 508-854-1704. www.grillonthehill.com