Items from defunct Saugus restaurant up for bid

SAUGUS – The Hilltop Steak House liquidation will hit close to home for even auctioneer John McInnis, who recalled dates with his then wife-to-be surrounded by the items he was hired to sell in today?s auction.?Everyone has a Hilltop story,” said McInnis, standing by the bar at the establishment Friday. “It?s the end of an era for this restaurant.”Wakefield resident Arthur Maynard had the same sentiment as he browsed the items in Friday?s preview. “To see it ripped up like this is just a sin,” said Maynard. “I came here all the time, two or three times a week to meet my friends or have dinner. It was worth spending two hours here.”Cowboy boots, bull?s horns, cow?s heads and Native American wood carvings were laid across tables with wine glasses, plates and light fixtures. Posters, old advertisements and signs for Sioux City were propped against walls and the legs of tables, tagged with numbers for buyers to take note of for later when auctioneers would lead them through the rooms and sell to the highest bidder, a process McInnis called “organized chaos.”McInnis said one of the most sought-after items may be the cow mold, positioned at the entrance, which was used to make some of the Hilltop?s infamous fiberglass cows. He estimated the bidding price could go up to $20,000 at auction.Maynard said he expected the crowd at the auction to be “hundreds and hundreds” of people, so many that he said it was more worth it to see the items one last time before auction. He thought of placing a bid on an item or two, but shook his head. “My wife will kill me,” he laughed.Maynard said he had enough to remember Hilltop by with the menus he stole long ago.Executive Chef Robert “Boudy” Boudreaux said he was offered several items prior to the liquidation, but he, too, was all set with vintage menus that showcased a $2.95 filet mignon.Though he didn?t plan on bidding, it didn?t stop him from the guessing game of what would be most popular among bidders. He guessed the decorative pieces like the Native American statues would be fought over and said he heard the cactus could sell for $1 million.Boudreaux, who had worked his way up over the years from a dishwashing position in 1973, was now thinking of starting his own restaurant, he said, possibly a breakfast or lunch joint. About the Hilltop?s closing, Boudreaux said, “It?s sad in a way, but it?s time.”