Casual, Outdoor Dining

A Review

Want a different seafood dining experience? Head to
The Place in Guilford, CT. where you’ll sit on tree stumps and enjoy great grilled food in the open air.

Admittedly, this cookout garden is a little more cramped as well. This is understandable, considering the encroachment by development on Route 1. But even as fast food chains and supermarkets open near The Place, it has still retained its tree-stump perfection.

You can still eat at rustic picnic tables, sitting on tree stumps under lights strung up overhead. You should order lobster by weight, preferably barbecued female with roes. And also get an ear of corn on the side, dripping with butter. The bluefish and crabs are also delicious.

Nothing, however, beats the “Roast Clams Special”. The clams are drowned in butter and cocktail sauce, fired over the coals, and served on a red-hot grate. The clam juice mixes with the butter and sauce to create a heavenly charm.
To this, you can add your own bread and salad. In fact, you can even bring your own wine, and they will probably provide corkscrews and plastic cups. The Place also serves salads, but if you really have a sweet tooth, you should head over to the nearby Ashley’s for a chocolate cone.

Summers are the best time to eat at this restaurant. At this time of the year, The Place is mostly open for the weekends, and they close for winter. Call ahead before you visit.

All in all, The Place passes as a casual dining eatery with full marks for the seafood and more-than-pleasant atmosphere.

A word of advice: Bring some cash. There is an ATM nearby, but the charges are really high for account holders.