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 Satisfying and Popular – Grill 233 is a Good Choice for Date Night
Why am I a sucker for white Christmas lights, awnings and wood signs? Who knows? But the exterior of Grill 233 at 233 US Route 1 in Yarmouth sports all of these, so they scored extra points before we were even in the door. Inside, the rich burgundy and yellow walls, white tea lights, and dark wood gave the dining area warmth and class.
The initial wait for my Mojito was a bit long but, admittedly, I’m probably the only one who orders this summer cocktail in January, so they probably had to go hunt down someone who remembered how to make it, or dig through permafrost to cut some fresh mint leaves. I’ll cut them some extra slack because when we arrived at 5:35 and I wondered, “who eats dinner this early anyway?” the place filled up within ten minutes. And this is January – not exactly tourist season. Glad we got there early.
 The waitress announced the specials as lobster ravioli and pork tenderloin in a veal demi-glace with mashed potatoes and asparagus. Grill 233 says they are “All American Cuisine,” which, at the risk of sounding like a snob here, sometimes leaves me with images of giant hamburgers, enormous uninspired “smothered” portions, and “pieces of flair” decorating the wait-staff and walls. I bring this up to point out that I was proven wrong. In the case of Grill 233, I think that “All American Cuisine” means a wide selection of chicken, steak, fish and pasta- and the menu is certainly extensive.
 We started off with the Mojito ($6.75), a glass of Liberty School Cabernet ($8) and an order of the prosciutto-wrapped asparagus crostini ($8). The Mojito could have used a little more lime but was otherwise refreshing and good, and the dark, full Cabernet was a perfect accompaniment to this winter meal. While I’m pretty sure you could wrap an old shoe in prosciutto and it would taste pretty good, Grill 233 definitely got the prosciutto-wrapped asparagus right. The asparagus was thin and crunchy, the smoky prosciutto was lightly baked, and the four wrapped packages rested on slices of the restaurant’s signature roasted garlic ciabatta, drizzled with olive oil. After two of those, I could have easily called it a night.
But, no. Not for my birthday meal. In addition to the starter we ordered, our entrees also came with a basket of fresh garlic ciabatta bread, with olive oil and pepper for dipping.
The menu has both lunch and dinner on it, which is nice because you can make the meal what you want it to be – a pulled pork sandwich for $8 or a New York Strip for $27.
I ordered Pasta Provencal – a fettuccini dish with grape tomatoes, fresh spinach and artichoke hearts in a white wine garlic sauce ($14) The sauce was ample and if anyone is turned off by too much sauce, this is not your dish. Fortunately, because the sauce wasn’t too oily, it suited me fine and I was also pleased with the abundance of tasty fresh vegetables. The food was very warm, some might even say hot.
 My husband’s choice was definitely a hit – the Mediterranean salad with pan-seared Mahi Mahi ($17), which was colorful, fresh and healthy. The large white plate highlighted the deep greens, dark kalamata olives, bright red cherry tomatoes, white feta, yellow and green squash. The perfect crust on the fish went well with the softer ingredients of the warm salad and the flavor was enough to convert even me, a girl who normally takes a strong opposition to fish.
Halfway through the pasta, I had overindulged, and I had to push it aside. The portions are large. The recipe states there is a $2 plate fee for shared entrees and so this must be a popular option.
Our waitress was attentive without being obtrusive. I didn’t feel rushed, so we ordered coffee and talked for a little while. We were glad we picked Grill 233 for our date night. At just under $70 (three drinks, one appetizer, two entrees and two coffees), it’s about as reasonably priced as it gets for good food.
In addition to date night, I would suggest bringing guests here if you weren’t sure of food preferences – with that many choices there is something for everyone.
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