For more Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket restaurants, as well as restaurants around all of Cape Cod, visit bostonglobe.com/caperestaurants.
MARTHA’S VINEYARD
Alchemy Bistro and Bar
With streetside tables and a romantic, French-quarter-esque balcony overlooking Main Street, Alchemy Bistro and Bar in Edgartown is a see-and-be-seen type of place. The vibe here is boisterous and fun, but with a French bistro bent. Come for the mussels with coconut broth, leeks, and tomatoes or the especially savory bar menu items like pork panini or steak tacos. The wild-mushroom arancini with truffle oil always turns heads in the dining room. Back bar upstairs is a hidden gem. Conveniently close to the movie theater for film buffs. 71 Main St., Edgartown, 508-627-9999
Atria Restaurant
and Brick Cellar Bar
One of the best venues on the island to enjoy both a posh dinner and then a livelier late-night scene, the cozy cellar bar at Atria Restaurant and Brick Cellar Bar serves 11 kinds of burgers with irreverent names like the Mother Clucker and Dante’s Inferno. In direct contrast, the restaurant’s refined dining room serves up a more global cuisine with Thai and Mediterranean-inspired dishes. Favorites include duck spring rolls and coconut prawns in peanut sauce, and cioppino and poached lobster with mascarpone gnocchi. 137 Main St., Edgartown, 508-627-5850, atriamv.com
Black Sheep & Trio
Cheese and charcuterie is the focus at Black Sheep & Trio, a gourmet shop in Edgartown. But our favorite part is that the cheese shop morphs into a dinner spot serving small plates and beer and wine in the evenings. Wine flights are also highlights on the menu; each are designed to pair with the cheeses. Selections vary from the familiar — Cabot’s clothbound cheddar — to the exotic — the Barely Buzzed, rubbed with lavender and Turkish coffee. 18 North Summer St., Edgartown, 774-549-9118, blacksheepmv.com
Behind the Bookstore Café
Behind the Bookstore Café is a new oasis for coffee and sandwiches tucked behind Edgartown Books. This year it has undergone a renovation and has both indoor and outdoor seating available to enjoy their specialty coffees, pastries, prepared lunches, and cold-pressed juices, all done in-house. 46 Main St., Edgartown, 774-549-9278.
Chesca’s
Probably the best Italian restaurant on the island, Chesca’s in Edgartown does a great job of being both large-party-friendly (main dining room) and romantic (the enclosed porch). Order the pappardalle Bolognese, the lobster ravioli, or the sole piccata. The pillowy house-made gnocchi with Gorgonzola sauce is a must from the appetizer menu, and the lobster sliders from the late-night bar menu share beautifully. There are also gluten-free options for pastas and desserts. 38 N. Water St., Edgartown, 508-627-1234, chescasmv.com
Dock Street Coffee Shop
You could come to the Vineyard every summer for a decade and still walk right past Dock Street Coffee Shop, a tiny breakfast and lunch spot. It’s ideal for when you (and the budget) would prefer a simple egg-and-cheese on an English muffin, a short stack with butter and syrup, or a classic BLT rather than fancier fare. Delicious and fast. Don’t forgo their grilled doughnuts; sliced in half, they get a caramelized crust from the heat. 2 Dock St., Edgartown, 508-627-5232.
Katama General Store
Just a short bike ride from South Beach, the Katama General Store is the best place to stop for prepared salads and snacks to take to the beach. Their prepared foods and scones have a gourmet flair to them and are perfectly sized for toting over the dunes, and they also stock chips, sodas, and juices. 170 Katama Road, Edgartown, 508-627-5071.
L’Etoile
L’Etoile’s chef-owner Michael Brisson is devoted to excellent cuisine, with a French influence. The interior is a series of elegant rooms in a former Edgartown home; outside, a tented patio feels romantic. This is the place to celebrate a special day or to sate the gourmand’s appetite for dishes such as asparagus soup with shaved black truffle, Katama oysters, and the surf-and-turf with a half lobster etuvée and grilled flat iron steak in a lobster and cabernet sauce. It’s one of the few restaurants on the island doing chef’s tasting menus. Reservations are a must. 22 North Water St., Edgartown, 508-627-5187, letoile.net.
MacPhail’s Corner Café
MacPhail’s Corner Café serves lattes, cappuccinos, and espresso using fair-trade, organic coffee, as well as breakfast sandwiches and hand-squeezed orange juice. New lunch and dinner sandwiches this year include a chipotle chicken club sandwich with grilled chicken, bacon and avocado, as well as a Cuban with turkey, spiral ham, pickles, mayo, mustard and fresh cranberry sauce. The chocolate chip cookies here are perfect for sharing; each is a half-pound. 18 Dock St., Edgartown, 914-400-6424.
Port Hunter
The reclaimed-wood tables at Port Hunter fit well with the brick space and the comfort food. The people-watching is as good as the menu at this indoor-outdoor spot in the thick of Edgartown’s buzz. Pastas are hand-rolled and made in-house, and the chef opts for local produce whenever possible. The beers on tap are interesting and pair well with the raw-bar offerings as well as the savory blue-cheese flatbread. For dessert, try the zeppoles. 55 Main St., Edgartown, 508-627-7747, theporthunter.com
Quarterdeck
The waterfront Sea Shanty serves fried seafood plates and frozen cocktails, but we prefer their streetside take-out window, the Quarterdeck. Prices seem high for their fried clams, shrimp cocktail, chowders, and French fries, but the fresh fare — and perfectly tender crust on the fried options — makes it worth it. 29 Dock St., Edgartown, 508-627-5346.
Art Cliff Diner
If there is one meal people line up for on the Vineyard, it’s breakfast at the Art Cliff Diner. The lines are as legendary as the creative breakfast fare – eggs Oscar, almond-crusted Challah bread French toast, broiled grapefruit, chicken hash, lemon and sugar crepes, codfish cakes with eggs, arugula and spicy hollandaise sauce. It feels like a country diner with its counter and stools as well as tables, and that’s how everyone likes it. In the evenings, the restaurant’s food truck dishes out burgers and dogs and pulled pork sandwiches in the restaurant’s sandy lot. 39 Beach Rd., 508-693-1224
The Black Dog Tavern
Ironically, the restaurant that launched the popular Island-born brand might now be lesser known than the iconic The Black Dog tee shirts, but that doesn’t mean it’s an also-ran. The best pancakes on island can be had at The Black Dog Tavern – raspberry and chocolate chip or banana and blueberry are perennial hits. Order the home fries with broccoli, bacon and cheese. At lunch, try the perfectly golden fish and chips, the Black Dog Club sandwich, or the spicy pulled pork. For dessert, order their famous Blackout cake. 20 Beach Street Extension, 508-693-9223, theblackdog.com
The Copper Wok
The Copper Wok is a newcomer to Vineyard Haven that replaces the old Zephyrus within the Mansion House hotel, and its menu is quite a departure from its predecessor’s. While it has an all-star list of familiar Asian dishes – egg rolls, pho, General Gao’s chicken, beef and broccoli—the most exciting offerings are the extensive menu of sushi and maki rolls, something surprisingly hard to find on the island. 9 Main St., 508-693-3416, copperwokmv.com
NANTUCKET
Bartlett’s Farm
Seven generations of Bartletts have been working at Bartlett’s Farm since the early 1800s, and they have adapted to the times, converting an old dairy barn into a commercial kitchen. With so much fresh air to enjoy on the island, the market at Bartlett’s Farm sells a superb variety of prepared foods, including soups, salads, sandwiches and meals on the go. 33 Bartlett Farm Road, 508-228-9403, bartlettsfarm.com.
The Bean
The Bean has sandwiches, pastries and other “light bites’’ to go along with the impressive array of caffeinated beverages, beginning with espresso-based drinks, that lure a steady stream of islanders and visitors alike into the Bean. 4 India St., 508-228-6215, facebook.com/pages/The-Bean.
Black Eyed Susan’s
Wedge yourself into a seat at the counter of Black-Eyed Susan’s, a wood-paneled breakfast eatery that also serves BYOB dinners. For breakfast, try the Thai curry scramble; for dinner, maybe the mustard-soy marinated Atlantic salmon. Make a reservation. 10 India St., 508-325-0308, black-eyedsusans.com.
Brotherhood of Thieves
Brotherhood of Thieves opened in 1972 to recall a whaling bar from the 1840s. The Brotherhood today features a beer garden and an upstairs dining area. Committed to conviviality, it has plenty of specialty cocktails and an extensive draft beer selection. 23 Broad St., 508-228-2551, brotherhoodofthieves.com.
The Chicken Box
More than 50 years ago, Kentucky newcomer Willie House converted an old shack in a remote part of the island into a fried chicken business. He and his successor, known as “Cap’n Seaweed,’’ booked blues and reggae bands. A group led by former employees bought the place in 2000, and The Chicken Box preserves its good-time heritage. 16 Dave St., 508-228-9717, thechickenbox.com.
Company of the Cauldron
With candlelit tables and a menu that changes weekly, Company of the Cauldron is romance defined. Owners All and Andrea Kovalencik have received the highest Zagat’s rating of all Cape and islands restaurants on multiple occasions, and it’s easy to understand why. Plan ahead for the single-seating “Lobster Mondays.’’ 5 India St., 508-228-4016,www.companyofthecauldron.com.
Downyflake
Originally famous as an in-town donut shop, the Downyflake relocated mid-island years ago. The gray-shingle joint was once featured in Travel + Leisure as the home of some of America’s best pancakes. 18 Sparks Ave., 508-228-4533,thedownyflake.com
Fog Island Cafe
Fog Island Cafe is open for breakfast and lunch. Owners Mark and Anne Dawson met at the Culinary Institute of America; they see no reason the first meals of the day shouldn’t be as satisfying as the last. After two decades in business, they recently opened the Fog Island Grille nearby. 7 South Water St., 508-228-1818, fogisland.com
Island Kitchen
“Approachable and relaxed’’ were Island Kitchen chef Patrick Ridge’s intentions in opening his own place after running the kitchens at Le Languedoc and Pronto. Traditional breakfast opens at 7; the dinner menu features “bar standards,’’ grilled tofu and weinerschnitzel. 1 Chins Way, 508-228-2639, nantucketislandkitchen.com.
Millie’s
Millie’s — named for “Madaket Millie’’ Jewett, an island legend who sold ice cream and minded the coastline — opened in 2010 with a Baja-style menu featuring fish tacos and po’ boys. There’s a lunchtime takeout window and a food truck that can often be found parked at the Cisco Brewery. 326 Madaket Rd., 508-228-8435, milliesnantucket.com.
Oran Mor Bistro
Taking the name from the Gaelic for “the big melody of life,’’ Oran Mor chef Chris Freeman and his wife, Heather, provide a rich dining experience in a historic Nantucket home, up a flight of copper stairs. Artisanal cocktails and a superb wine list complement an outstanding menu, from roasted lamb loin and grilled sausage to cream-filled brioche doughnuts for dessert. 2 South Beach St., 508-228-8655, oranmorbistro.com.
Queeueg’s
Queequeg’s, named for Melville’s harpooner, is an understated fine-dining establishment that gets consistently good reviews for hitting the target. Outdoor seats offset the smallish interior; either way, it’s a cozy setting that rewards repeat visits. 6 Oak St., 508-325-0992, queequegsnantucket.com.
Straight Warf
Noted as one of the “Top Seafood Restaurants in America’’ in Travel + Leisure, Straight Wharf has been gracing Nantucket with culinary delights for nearly 40 years. Star chef Gabriel Frasca and partner Amanda Lydon are part of the management team. 6 Harbor Square, 508-228-4499, straightwharfrestaurant.com.
