Nantucket Restaurants 2014 ?? Ackislander and others...
 

Hello all!
Time for my yearly request for ACK restaurant reviews for 2014. Ackislander, wondering if you have any suggestions for this summer? Have they had restaurant week yet?
Looking forward to some reviews to get me even more excited for our yearly pilgrimage. TIA!

Next week is restaurant week. Another poster and his wife will join us for at least two dinners, and we are booked for a third.

Stay tuned!

i look forward to your reviews!

Ackislander, what's the good word?

Today or tomorrow, I promise.

I am heavily involved in trying to keep a developer from destroying our historic neighborhood.

See the latest issue of the Inquirer and Mirror for details.

But I have reports on five restaurants, I promise!

well that certainly sounds much more important!

But dinner isn't trivial!

Restaurant Week is settling into a new pattern in most places -- two courses for $25 or three for $45, all from the regular menu. If you eat here in the summer, you will recognize this for a bargain. There are a couple of exceptions, though, in what follows.

Our first dinner was at Oran Mor, our favorite restaurant on island. We went with friends, P and J. Our waitress was the wonderful Theo, an ocean of calm on a busy Wednesday evening. We had cocktails instead of wine, a new pattern for us, and ordered the $45 menu. It was four courses rather than three, all tastes of items from the regular menu, no choice. Each item was beautifully served with a complete change of silver and different shapes of plates with each course. Though the portions were small, they were so rich and satisfying that we left very happy. I remember tiny chunks of tuna, perfectly cooked duck in an unctuous sauce, wonderful sorbets. The down side of Oran Mor is the steep staircase. I can still make it up and down, so I haven't asked about handicapped access, but I don't think it is there. I get up better than I get down after a drink or two!

On Friday, we went to Dune with S (who posts on here) and his wife A. They are serious foodies, though enviably slim, and we had a nice evening. We had a terrible experience when Dune was new and cut them off our list, but the menu was so tempting this year that we gave them another shot. Again, a $45 dinner with three choices from the menu. Even with wine at regular prices, it was a good deal because the menu is imaginative. But the execution wasn't great. It was busy enough on a Friday night, but they had a 40 person wedding party in the garden, which made for a long wait for everyone. Courses arrived late and not hot, and my fish was dried out from the wait. Our waiter, Barney, tried to keep us all amused, usually successfully, and the house bought us all liqueurs, anything from the menu, to make up for the delays. This was a nice gesture, something too rare, and it made the experience nice enough that we would give Dune another try. But never on a Friday or Saturday night.

Our third dinner was with a large group of friends on Saturday night at a place most visitors would never go: the Miacomet Golf Club. This is a public club and a great place to have lunch, even for non-golfers. They also are completely wheelchair accessible, rare on Nantucket. Prices are user-friendly, three courses for $35 during restaurant week, and the portions are guy friendly. I had perfectly fried calamari with aioli, a very nicely cooked strip steak, and an obscene dessert. Despite several large parties in the dining room and another party in a private room, the kitchen and servers did really well at keeping up. I never got my second beer, but all the food arrived just as ordered. And hot. If you are here and want a change from downtown, this is a good choice for real Americn food, none of your fancy foreign stuff.

I want to comment on the Ship's Inn on Fair Street, a block from Murray's and the Pacific Bank. When you get to St Paul's Episcopal Church, it is across the street. This is real Old Nantucket, and the food is delicious, though very rich. Their $45 menu this year included for the first time their incredible soufflés for dessert. You have to order at the beginning of the meal, but, yes, you want it. Start with one of their famous Martinis or a Jack Daniels Manhattan, and pick from the lighter choices of food. Their short ribs, if you want to ignore my advice, are spectacular. Slightly more dressed up than many restaurants. Lots of Nantucket Reds and blazers.

I will end up with a funny pan of a new restaurant by our friend P. "Just returned from dinner ( snack) at The Nautilus. A total disappointment, menu had great promise but the 'small plates' at $14-28 were precious and not filling. Tasty bits but hardly satisfying. A real bar scene. The noise factor was probably the most annoying aspect of the experience. Sample at your own risk!" This is a disappointment because Nautilus is the latest venture of the Rayners, who own Pearl, Corazon del Mar, and the Boarding House. They are very good at fixing things, so there is hope, but I would give it a miss right now.

ttt for emcash

Thanks so much Ack! I have already made Oran Mor reservations for the first night there. we missed it last year and i couldn't wait to go back. We went to Ship's Inn last year and didn't quite love our experience there as much as we had our first time there. We always go to Dune for lunch - was thinking of trying it again for dinner, but mane not?

I'm curious, what are your thoughts on la languedoc and 56 union?

This year, after many years, we decided to take Galley off our list. We stay near there and have lunch there at least twice, have cocktails there often and are always underwhelmed by dinner there. For the price, it's never quite what I hope.

I had posted this on another thread, but just heard from AckIslander so I'm moving it here:

Spring Restaurant Week has just ended, and we joined Ackislander at Dune. We also ate at Company of the Cauldron and Cru. I'm anxious to hear what Ackislander has to report, but in the meantime:

Company is one of our favorite places. The atmosphere is so perfect; I think it's the most romantic restaurant on the island. Our dinner Thursday included a scallop and pasta carbonara dish for an app, an herb crusted lamb as the entree, and a baklavah and ice cream combo for dessert. The app was deliciious, the lamb very tasty, but the dessert was too sweet.

Dune was crowded on Friday night, and there was a pre-wedding dinner outside which slowed the service. For apps: three of us enjoyed the beet salad, and one of us had duck confit which was an entree size portion and excellent. All of us had a variety of fish dishes for the main course, which were uniformly excellent. Our entrees took a long time to arrive -- but the waiter [via the chef, I believe] offered an after-dinner drink which went very nicely with the very tasty desserts, and made us feel better.

The last day of Restaurant Week was Sunday, and we had an outstanding dinner at Cru. It's a very popular spot on the water, sometimes too loud for us 60-somethings, but the noise and energy levels Sunday were just perfect. We thoroughly enjoyed our lobster bisque and seafood salad, as well as our entrees [pork schnitzel and chick-pea crepes], and shared key-lime pie for dessert.

So three down, and about 25 to go: American Seasons, Le Langeudoc, Oran Mor, Straight Whaft, The Pearl, Galley Beach, Queequegs, The Breeze Cafe, Met-on-Main, The Summer House, Ventuno, Boarding House, Proprietors, Brant Point Grill, Lola 41 and on and on. Plus the new ones: Nautilus and Prime at the Jared. Fortunately the season is still young.

We went last night with friends to Queequeg's, a small restaurant behind the Atheneum. It shares a kitchen and part of its menu with Town, the next surety over. Until July 1, you can get two courses for $25 if you order before 6:30. We go here a lot in the winter and find the food consistently good.

My wife had tuna tartare, then cod wrapped in prosciutto. Fran had sea scallops preceded by a fantastic salad of buratta with fresh peas and baby artichokes. Very imaginative, or so I am told. I don't like buratta or mozarella. But it was both pretty and hearty. Steve had clam chowder and pork osso buco, while I had mussels with tomato and chorizo followed by short ribs. We shared a single chocolate-caramel mousse for dessert. I didn't see the check since Steve paid, but with a bottle of wine, three coffees, tax and tip it must have been $180-$200.

Town shares some menu items, but their appetizers and small plates focus on Asia, a change from their previous Mediterranean focus, possibly because Sushi by Yoshi is closed for renovations.

We tried to go to Languedoc since our visitors are Francophiles, but it is very, very hard to get a table downstairs, and he reservation policy is confusing

Hit the button too fast. I stopped by and talked to the owner and suggest you do he same. I love the menu butI may wait until summer's end. If I feel too much need for sweetbreads, they serve the same menu upstairs and it is easier to get a reservation.

Downhill, just past Dune is a new wine bar with small plates. The doorway is verly low, so I haven't been in yet, but the plates as seen through the front window look delicious. The view of Broad Street from ankle height is unique! The owners have a wine and cheese retail shop on the wharf, and one of them is a trained affineur, so it has promise.

I only eat at the Galley during restaurant Week owing to the prices, but it will have to wait until fall, and I may be in Paris then anyway.

Do any of you have an opinion on 56 Union? I'm always tempted to try it but never have been?
Glad to hear you had a great meal at Cru!

No opinion.

I think the current owners are trying hard with imaginative fife rings like post Beach snacks and drinks, but I haven't eaten there since about three owners back and not know anyone else who has, either.

If I were going to the Basket Museum, I might have lunch there since it across the street.

Thank you all! Looking forward to our time out there.

I love reading your posts about everything Nantukcet, Ack!! Keep up the good fight against those developers!

I still remember how heartbreaking it was to compare the Nantucket of '77, the 1st time DH and I went, to the Nantucket of '99 when we finally took DS---I should say when he finally was willing to go---so many changes and not a single one for the better!