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Nantucket 21 Federal One of Nantucket’s larger and higher-profile restaurants, 21 Federal occupies a handsome sand-colored house with white trim, designated by a brass plaque and elegantly decorated in the Williamsburg style. It is the icon where founding chef Robert Kinkead got his start before being dispatched to open a second 21 Federal in 1987 in Washington, D.C. That consistently won high ratings until it closed in 1993 and reopened to rave reviews as Kinkead’s in a new location. With executive chef Russell Jaehnig at the helm since his graduation from the Culinary Institute of America, 21 Federal continues to be known for new American grill cuisine. The 1847 Greek Revival structure offers six intimate dining rooms – some with their white-linened tables rather close together – on two floors of museum-quality, Federal period decor. In summer, lunch is served on a nifty outdoor courtyard ringed with impatiens, where the white linens on the tables are topped by herbs in clay pots and classical music wafts across the scene. Our latest produced a smashing pasta – spaghettini with two sauces, one thyme-saffron and one smoked tomato, topped with crabmeat-stuffed shrimp – and a grilled shrimp salad with Greek olives, feta cheese, pinenuts and spinach. Calvados ice cream and an intense pineapple-mint sorbet served with wonderful small coconut and lemon squares topped off a flavorful meal. The short dinner menu changes weekly. You might start with lobster and corn bisque bearing a toasted brioche and ossetra caviar, seared sea scallops and foie gras with a sage-grape chutney, beef tartare with roasted vegetables and tarragon aioli or a tuna, crab and avocado napoleon with cilantro vinaigrette. Entrées could be sautéed halibut with foie gras butter and lobster risotto cakes, chipotle-glazed yellowfin tuna with a sweet potato-goat cheese gratin and anaheim chile pepper ragoût, roast pork loin with smoked fig jam and, from the grill, aged sirloin steak or veal loin chop with potato-leek gratin. The 21 Federal version of surf and turf might yield half a grilled lobster and braised beef short rib, served with succotash and fontina and white truffle polenta. Dessert could be warm chocolate lava cake with kahlua caramel, blueberry-montrachet tart with whipped cream or one of the great homemade ice creams and sorbets with fresh berries. This is Nantucket dining at its best, not as pretentious or as pricey as some and more exciting than some of the others. (508) 228-2121. www.21federal.net. Entrées, $23 to $38. Lunch, Monday-Saturday in summer, 11:30 to 2:30. Dinner, Monday-Saturday 6 to 9:30. Closed mid-December to mid-May
The Boarding House provided our first great meal on Nantucket during its inaugural summer of 1973. It since has moved around the corner to considerably larger quarters, and several owners (and chefs) have come and gone. These days it's better than ever, having been taken over by Seth and Angela Raynor, he a former sous chef at 21 Federal and both having worked at the Chanticleer. In 1999, they expanded upstairs with their crowning fillip, a showy, aquatic-look, designer restaurant called The Pearl, specializing in high-style coastal cuisine. Billed as a separate restaurant for more leisurely dining, “it’s like two siblings in a family,” said Angela. The original Boarding House is a beauty, its
cathedral-ceilinged Victorian lounge with small faux-marble tables on a
flagstone floor opening into a sunken “Wine Cellar Dining Room.” The
latter is striking in rich cream and pink, with a curved banquette at
the far end in front of a mural of Vernazzia, a culinary destination
featured in Gourmet magazine the month after the mural went up. The
Raynors own the originals but sell lithographs of the exclusive Upstairs, The Pearl is ever so cool in white and blue, with an aquarium at the entrance and a scrim curtain giving the illusion of floating at sea. Indeed, facing the leather-like banquette against the fish tank, you might feel as if you’re diving beneath the sea. An onyx bar lit from beneath contributes to a surreal look that catches the eye of restaurant design magazine editors. Off a large new custom-designed kitchen is a chef’s table for eight on an outside deck overlooking fountains and gardens. Equal to the dramatic settings is the cooking of
Seth, who was one of 30 chefs chosen to appear on the “Great Chefs of
the East” public television series only nine months after taking over
the Boarding House. We certainly liked our dinner here. Starters were
mellow sautéed crab cakes with scallion crème fraîche and crispy
fried oysters with rémoulade sauce. Main dishes were pan-roasted salmon
with Thai curried cream and crispy rice noodles, and a spicy Asian
seafood stew with lobster, shrimp and scallops. Accompanying was a
powerful Caymus sauvignon blanc from a well-chosen wine selection with
less than the normal With the opening of The Pearl, the Boarding House is billed more as a bistro with a cocktail bar and a covered outdoor terrace, appealing for a bistro lunch and drinks. We've also found it a felicitous setting for an after-dinner liqueur while watching the late-night parade pass by. While chef de cuisine Erin Zircher oversees the Boarding House, Seth directs the larger Pearl, a spectacular showcase for leisurely, seafood-oriented dinners. Typical starters here are an island-style seafood platter featuring Nantucket oysters, sashimi of striped bass, a martini of yellowfin tuna and steamed ginger shrimp dumplings. Main courses might marry sautéed local flounder with seared New York State foie gras or dish up wok-seared lobster with vegetable lo mein, Asian barbecue sauce and grilled lime. The chef’s Zen-like courtyard garden tasting table provides gourmands with both a multi-course culinary adventure and a bird’s-eye view into the state-of-the-art kitchen. Boarding House, (508) 228-9622.
www.boardinghouse-pearl.com. Entrées $26 to $34. Patio lunch in summer,
Wednesday-Sunday The American Seasons This innovative, off-the-beaten-path establishment is a find for those who want distinguished, ever-changing cuisine defined by season and region. Chef Michael La Scola, who started working in the restaurant as a teenager and now is the owner, retained the concept and decor launched by the restaurant’s founders. Whimsical decor characterizes the square 50-seat
dining room in which high-backed banquettes serve as room dividers. A
local artist hand-painted the table tops to resemble game boards and
added a stunning wall mural of a vine-covered As our meal unfolded, we discovered why people had said that the presentations were so striking and that every plate was different. It turned out it wasn’t the plates (most are white) but the decorative garnishes on the rims that made them look different. Interestingly, the menu is categorized by regions
– We shared a dessert of raspberry-mango shortcake with raspberry coulis, presented artistically with fresh fruit on a square plate decorated with squiggles of chocolate and crème anglaise. Other choices might be ginger crème brûlée, banana and spiced rum cake with coconut ice cream, blackberry and anise bombe, and a “chocolate lover’s sampler” yielding white chocolate sorbet, mint truffles, and a hazelnut and chocolate pyramid. The all-American wine list has been honored by Wine Spectator. (508) 228-7111. www.americanseasons.com. Entrées,
$26 to $34. Dinner nightly in summer, Cinco A two-ton bronze sculpture of a horse outside the entrance sets the stage for things to come in this new Latin-Spanish restaurant and bar on the outskirts of town. So do the splashy artworks – a flamenco dance in bold reds and yellows, surreal fish paintings and Picasso-like abstracts – hung on the walls variously painted mango, pistachio and chocolate inside. It’s an arty backdrop for one of the hottest
culinary scenes on the island, as rendered by proprietor Michael
Sturgis, who after 24 years as And so he does, with a considerable assist from his executive chef, Jason Carroll. Their menu reflects the creative and fun spirit of the decor. Though Cinco offers a handful of compelling entrées, it is the three dozen or so tidbits and tapas that are the focus – any assortment of which would make a memorable meal. Start with assorted canapés – perhaps the
house-marinated olives, fish tacos with tomatillo sauce and lettuce
chiffonade or poached shrimp with Thai peanut sauce – as you peruse
the menu. How about a bowl of lobster gazpacho or black bean soup with
roasted poblano crème fraîche followed by citrusy shrimp seviche with
habañero sauce and spice-rubbed pork tenderloin with cilantro pesto and
caramelized Cinco’s paella – loaded with chicken, chorizo, calamari, mussels, shrimp and lobster on saffron bomba rice – is a must-have among large plates (two-person minimum, $26 each). But you might also go for the seared native fluke, the quail stuffed with spinach, raisins, pinenuts and chayote, or the grilled lamb chops with oregano, garlic and lime mojo. A pitcher of first-rate sangria - made with red
wine, citrus juices, brandy and cava, the sparkling wine of Desserts are equally enticing, among them the signature Mexican chocolate silk torte with kahlua-caramel sauce, pumpkin-ginger flan with caramel sauce or grilled pineapple with coconut-rum sauce and coconut sorbet. (508) 325-5151. www.cinco5.com. Entrées, $17 to
$32. Dinner nightly, 6 to 10:30.
Although the Grennan family offer guest rooms in four buildings, their attractive white building with blue shutters across from the Jared Coffin House complex is noted most for its dining, as it has been since 1975. Downstairs is an intimate café with checkered cloths. Upstairs are four small dining rooms with peach walls and white trim, windows covered with peach draperies and valances, and changing art from a local gallery. Nicely spaced tables bear hurricane chimneys with thick candles and vases, each containing one lovely salmon-hued rose. Lately, the fare has been expanded from its base of
classic French fare to include more contemporary cuisine. The menu
varies seasonally from poached turbot with black trumpet mushrooms and
star anise vinaigrette to seared Our autumn dinner began with an appetizer of smoked Lunch in the garden yields a panoply of French bistro treats from salade niçoise to a lobster and black truffle beignet. (508) 228-2552. www.lelanguedoc.com. Entrées,
$22 to $39. Lunch seasonally, Tuesday-Saturday
Seafood is showcased in this summery restaurant that is the height of chic on the waterfront. The interior is a pristine palette of shiny floors and soaring, shingled walls topped by billowing banners and hung with striking paintings by an island artist. Beyond is a canopied, rib-lit deck overhanging the harbor. The “in” place is the noisy side bar and lounge, with crowds usually spilling outside onto a terrace in front. The same kitchen serves both, with a sophisticated seafood menu in the dining room and deck and more rustic, casual grill fare in the bar. Starters are standouts, among them the signature smoked bluefish pâté with focaccia melba toasts, a rich lobster bisque heavily laced with sherry, seared beef carpaccio with shards of parmigiano-reggiano, white truffle oil and mesclun, and local black bass with a vegetable mignonette. A sauté of halibut with lobster and morels and
grilled rare tuna with white beans, escarole and roasted garlic were
excellent main courses. Choices range from butter-poached The dessert specialty is warm valrhona chocolate tart with orange cardamom gelato, but we usually go for the trio of refreshing fruit sorbets. (508) 228-4499. Entrées, $34 to $39. Dinner by
reservation, Tuesday-Sunday 6 to 10:30. Open Memorial Day to late
September. Grill, $16 to $22, no reservations.
In a dark red Colonial house with ivy-covered windows, this tiny restaurant is full of romance, from the antique wrought-iron baker’s rack laden with flowers at the entry to the copper pots, cauldrons and ship’s models hanging from the stucco walls. A mix of orange and purple floral cloths cover the old wood tables, which are lit only by candles. It’s all very dark and intimate for a dining experience likened to being a guest at a dinner party with a private chef. Owner Allen Kovalencik, a Hungarian from New Jersey who bought the place after serving as its chef since 1987, and his wife Andrea post the night’s prix-fixe, no-choice menu a week in advance. You reserve (early) for the evening’s meal you want and take what’s served, which is produced and served with great finesse. A typical dinner brings a trio of lobster, crab and smoked salmon cakes with individual sauces, an arugula and watercress salad, individual beef wWellington and bourbon pecan pie with vanilla ice cream. The next night you might be served a classic pappardelle Bolognese, a mixed green salad, Atlantic sole and lobster in parchment with champagne beurre blanc, and chocolate soufflé cake with raspberry sauce. Every once in a while you might get the signature vinewood-roasted salmon, wood-grilled châteaubriand over roasted wild mushrooms or the ginger-crusted rack of lamb with sweet plum sauce. The small but select wine list is affordably priced. (508) 228-4016. Prix-fixe, $50 to $55. Dinner
nightly, seatings at 7 (also at 9 on busy nights). Closed Columbus Day
to Memorial Day.
Sfoglia You have to know about this intimate and true
trattoria, hidden in a former fish market across from the Stop &
Shop supermarket. But ignore the disarming area and facade and enter for
a meal like grandmother used to make – if that grandmother happened to
be from rural A pair of young Culinary Institute of America grads who cooked in cutting-edge Boston and New York restaurants serendipitously chose Nantucket to spawn their solo venture, which would “blow away the competition were it in Boston,” according to a Boston Herald reviewer. Chef Ron Suhanosky named the place for his favorite sheet of uncut pasta. He does the cooking and his wife Colleen bakes focaccia that’s sold across the island and dessert pastries that are to die for. Like their grandmothers’ kitchens, the enamel-topped tables are mismatched and apt to be shared, the all-Italian boutique wines are poured in squat glasses and dining is convivial by candlelight. The meal progresses through simple antipasti, handmade pastas like potato gnocchi with chicken livers and fennel cream, pappardelle alla bolognese and linguini with littlenecks, sausage and chopped rabe. Secondi could be Sicilian orata baked under a soufflé of egg whites and sea salt, chicken crisped under a brick, roasted pork ribs or veal scaloppine. Desserts range from brandied bread pudding with currant-caramel sauce to baba al rhum with clementines and spiced cream, plus biscotti and gelati. Prompted by their success in (508) 325-4500. www.sfogliarestaurant.com.
Entrees, $21 to $26. Dinner, Monday-Saturday 6 to 9. No credit cards.
This quirky place where you may sit on a picnic bench in a back alley while awaiting a table is a local favorite. It’s a small storefront run by partners Susan Handy and chef Jeff Worster, both with long backgrounds in local restaurants. The space was formerly a breakfast bar, said Susan, and “all we had to do was clean it up.” They still serve breakfast, probably a bit more fancy than before, with the likes of sourdough french toast with orange Jack Daniels butter and pecans and a spicy Thai curry scramble with broccoli and new potatoes. Most dishes come with a choice of hash browns or black-eyed peas, and you can add garlic, cilantro and/or salsa to your omelet for 25 cents each. From his open kitchen behind the counter, Jeff, a chef-taught chef with experience in Los Angeles, where he got many of his cross-cultural culinary ideas, offers eclectic dinner fare – a mix of salads, pastas and seafood, poultry and lamb items One spring night’s menu yielded things like Tunisian chickpea soup, Brazilian hearts of palm salad, lime-marinated red snapper, a ragoût of penne with New Zealand lamb and crimini mushrooms, and barbecued pork with szechuan pineapple-fried rice and rapini. Grilled halibut with salsa verde, oyster gumbo and Moroccan lamb stew on minted couscous were a few of the intriguing dishes on his fall dinner menu. The one dessert a night might be a cobbler or bread pudding. There's a social, European café atmosphere, and
singles like to eat at the long bar. The owners only recently got a
telephone, to take reservations for the (508) 325-0308. Entrées, $15 to $26. Breakfast
daily, 7 to 1. Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday 6 to 9. BYOB. No credit cards.
Closed November-March. Material excerpted from Getaways for Gourmets in the Northeast, by Nancy and Richard Woodworth. Copyright 2006. Wood Pond Press E-mail feedback to: Home
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