Please excuse me if I sound like I am gushing writing this review. I find it a bit hard to contain myself when I am writing, okay raving about Hamilton's Grill Room.When I found out we were meeting friends at Hamilton's for dinner that night, I was like a kid waiting for Christmas all day. It's all I could think about.
Hamilton's Grill Room is the brain child of Jim Hamilton. Jim is a local boy, who graduated from Yale and The Rhose Island School of Design. Jim is a true Renissance Man. He can cook, paint, build or write, and each with perfection. His fingerprints are all over the Grill Room. It's wonderful localy fresh menu, it's sophisticated atmosphere with a country casual feel. It all comes together beautifully here like a fine orchestra.
The Grill Room is located in the old Porkyard in Lambertville. It's a wonderful little courtyard with a few design shops and a wonderful bar called The Boathouse. It all sits on one of the quaint canals that follow the Delaware River. The location is picture perfect.
Inside the feel and look is urban sophistication. It almost seems more like a restaurant in Soho and not in a little country town in New Jersey.
The menu seasonal and always changes are the produce from the area changes or fresh fish from the Atlantic becomes available. Both Jim Hamilton and the Executive Chef, Mark Miller, understand the gift they have of being in a place with such wonderful produce. Each time you go back, it's a new expierence as things change with the season.
Tonight I had a wonderful starter, it was a mixture of Mediterranean treats. However the real winner this evening was the wonderful fresh mussels served over a homemade noodle. It was outrageously excellent. I had steak for my main course, and the rest of the table chose fish. All was cooked perfectly and the use of fresh herbs gave everything a garden fresh taste. We had fresh sorbet for dessert with expresso. It was a perfect end to a perfect evening.
Hamilton's Grill Room does not sell wine. You are allowed to bring wine with you. They do not charge a corkage fee. There is a great wine store in downtown Lambertville and it's always a fun stop to stop here and have them suggest something before heading over to the Porkyard. You can also get a pre-dinner drink at The Boathouse next door prior to dinner. It's just a short walk across the courtyard for dinner.