Eating Out: Gelston House Restaurant | East Haddam, CT

If you’re a history buff, you should visit one of Connecticut’s historic buildings – the Gelston House adjacent to the Goodspeed Opera House.

Originally named Riverside Inn, a tavern and boarding house built by Jabez Chapman back in 1736, the Gelston House’s core was built by the Gelston House Company spearheaded by George Gelston in 1853. Now it’s owned by the Goodspeed Opera House Foundation. By the way, I found this information here.

Two weeks ago, we visited Gelston House Restaurant and met up with some blogger friends. We sat in the outside patio overlooking the Connecticut River. It was easy to imagine people from the olden days seeing the same view we were seeing that day.

We met Chef Iso Dedusaj.

Then the parade of great food ensued.

Here’s the Bucket of Mussels that had sauteed mussels with spinach, tomato and chorizo sausage in garlic butter sauce.

The Sweet Potato Shrimp were jumbo shrimps covered by a sweet potato crust batter then fried.

The Bang-bang Shrimps were fried popcorn shrimp tossed in a tangy sauce.

Care for some oysters on the half-shell?

The Fried Calamari was just delicious!

This was the appetizer version of the Pistachio-Encrusted Tuna.

I thought the Tomato Balsamic Shrimps were pretty good!

Not a fan of scallops, but this is an exception.

The Tuna Tartare was a winner in hubby’s book! He wouldn’t stop raving about it on our way home.

The Roasted Beets and Cranberry Salad had goat cheese, arugula, toasted almonds and raspberry vinaigrette.

Tried four cocktails, but the Mango Sunrise was my favorite! That’s hardly surprising since I love mangoes.

Then there were these Grilled Mahi Tacos, two flour tortillas with onions, peppers, corn and chipotle aioli.

The Goodspeed Burger had bacon, sauteed onions, cheddar cheese and tangy sauce.

I ordered the Pan Seared Salmon with honey mustard cream sauce accompanied by risotto and vegetables and yes, I finished it all up.

Who can say no to these Hot Lobster Rolls?

Hubby ate the Lobster and Shrimp Scampi. Too much food for one person, so I tried to help him only to find out it was spicy hot, though strangely in a subtle way.

Here’s the lovely Chilean Sea Bass with Risotto.

Here’s the entree version of the Pistachio-Encrusted Tuna in a mango wasabi sauce served with risotto and vegetables.

Now for the desserts, we all ordered homemade ice cream in flavors like chocolate, vanilla, mango and tiramisu.

Verdict: With its delicious food, relaxing ambiance and nostalgic vibe, the Gelston House is good for casual dining yet it would also make a perfect venue for special occasions. I can easily picture weddings with the Connecticut River as the backdrop while we were there. It was very relaxing to sit out in the patio but if that’s not your style, they have indoor seating with both contemporary and Victorian styles.

Thanks to the Gelston House for hosting this afternoon event!

Address:
Gelston House Restaurant
8 Main Street East Haddam, CT 06423