1) Roasted Atlantic salmon with pea risotto, Bettini, Edgartown
Photo courtesy of Linda Laban
This simple dish has surprising flavor layers, both exotic and local. Chef Patrice Martineau, an alum of London’s Savoy Hotel and Daniel Boulud’s flagship Daniel in New York, serves the crisped, but succulent salmon on top of a creamy pea risotto, encircled by citrusy sweet yuzu kosho, which is in turn in enveloped in a tangy yogurt made at Mermaid Farm in Chilmark on the western side of the island. Enjoy at dinner, along with views across the harbor and Edgartown lighthouse.
2) Mushroom fricassee, The Terrace, Edgartown
Photo courtesy of Linda Laban
The Charlotte Inn’s elegant conservatory restaurant is beset with potted palms and whimsical art, like a painting of a particularly jolly pig, dressed in country tweeds and hoisting a glass. Chef James Smith’s earthy fricassee of island grown Martha’s Vineyard Mycological shiitake mushrooms is enhanced by white truffle and pumpkin oils, and tossed with parsley, and wilted kale and spinach. Roasted pistachios add crunch; sun-dried tomatoes piquancy; and Vidalia onions garnish the dish with subtle sweetness.
3) Smoked bluefish board at Woods, West Tisbury
Photo courtesy of Linda Laban
Chef Jimmy Alvarado was born and raised in Lima, Peru and trained at the Culinary Institute of America in New York. He combines his background and knowledge with island produce, creating bold dishes like this smoked bluefish served on a chunk of beautiful cedar. The pungent fish is accompanied by a cumin aioli, but the grilled 25-day sourdough bread that Alvaro makes in house, tending to it twice a day for 25 days, steals the show. Slow risen bread is both better for the digestion and has a denser texture, and far more flavor.
4) Chocolate cake with spiced chocolate semifreddo, Détente, Edgartown
Photo courtesy of Lucian Nastaci
Détente follows on from the now shuttered, but lauded Sweet Life Café in Oak Bluffs, as an island must-try spot and this dessert is one of the reasons why. A luscious combination, this triple flavor shot of cocoa, fruit, and spice, is wrapped in creamy soft textures. While the raspberry sorbet adds color and bright fruity flavor, the Chinese five-spice gives the semifreddo a delicious hint of aniseed from fennel and star anise, and bittersweet heat from clove and sweet Szechuan peppercorns.
5) Grilled romaine and radicchio salad with crab toast, The Dunes, Katama
Photo courtesy of Linda Laban
Flanked by the glimmering deep blue water of the Atlantic Ocean and set on 11-acres, Winnetu Resort is all about family fun, but its Dunes restaurant is where adults relax. Chef Scott Ehrlich’s interesting twist on the classic Caesar salad pairs grilled romaine and radicchio with rich crab toast. Wispy, crisped sliced baguette replaces the crouton, but it’s finished with Parmesan and white anchovy, two ingredients no Caesar, no matter what the detour, should be without.
6) Beer flight, Bad Martha Farmer’s Brewery & Tasting Room, Edgartown
Master brewer Jacobi Reid chooses island fruits and wild berries, sometimes including cranberries from his family farm. The signature ingredient in all Bad Martha beers, however, is handpicked wild grape leaves. The four-glass sampler flight includes Honey Helles, made with local honey; the Wicked Coffee Porter, made with beans from Chilmark Coffee; seasonal delights like Beach Plum Wit, made with Martha’s Vineyard beach plums; and Farmhouse Saison, made with nearby Morning Glory Farm’s lavender, coriander, and lemongrass.
7) Veggie Bowl, Town Bar and Grill, Edgartown.
Photo courtesy of Linda Laban
Town Bar and Grill is welcome a year round restaurant and bar, enjoyed by visitors and locals alike, especially its lovely outdoor patio with a cozy couch by a double sided, indoor-outdoor fireplace. The restaurant’s Veggie Bowl is loaded with red quinoa, bulgur, wilted kale, and seasonal veggies, such as roasted squash and zucchini in the fall. It’s topped with crunchy toasted sunflower seeds, tender grilled tofu, and served with a tasty green goddess dressing.
8) Honey donut, The Front Bakery Café and Back Door Donuts, Oak Bluffs
Photo courtesy of Linda Laban
There’s been a bakery where The Front Bakery Café stands since 1948 and its main claim to fame is double duty as the home of the beloved Back Door Donuts. Nightly, during the high season, freshly baked donuts are sold at the bakery’s back door. Though the name has changed this no-nonsense café has not yet updated its cozy vintage look. Amongst the many types of fancy donuts, from sprinkled to jelly filled, the simple, honey infused donut reigns as a sweet treat at any time of the day, or night.
9) Morning Glory cornbread, The Christopher, Edgartown.
Photo courtesy of Linda Laban
This boutique B&B offers local Morning Glory Farm cornbread on its daily breakfast buffet spread. With a deeper, golden color and a denser flavor than the traditional southern counterpart, the cornbread is made from island-grown corn and molasses, a traditional New England ingredient and a by-product of the sugar and rum industries. But the bread is not sweet and has a cheesiness too, which comes from the addition of luscious, farm cultured sour cream.
10) Martha’s Vineyard lollipop, Good Ship Lollipop, Oak Bluffs.
Photo courtesy of Linda Laban
Named for the Shirley Temple film, Good Ship Lollipop is a Wonka-esque candy land of wondrous colorful concoctions. There’s a hint of nostalgia and humor to the shop: how about those wax lips? Folks swear by the homemade fudge. But for a whimsical, adult sweet, try a lolly made of bittersweet chocolate and shaped like the island.
