Is Sustainable Really Sustainable?

Two Island restaurants have taken farm to table—and sea to table—to heart. So, is it worth it?

These days you hear a lot more about living locally, eating close to the land and sustainable living than you did just five years ago. Here on the Island, these are hardly new concepts. Folks here have been living off the land and sea forever—and have been feeding visitors in this manner for just as long.  However, a restaurant that strictly serves locally sourced food as part of its mission—or selling point—is a relatively new concep, one borne out of both the public’s newly peaked interest in living locally and restaurateurs who take this concept seriously and want to serve the freshest possible food. Two restaurants, one new and one old, went into the 2011 summer season with exactly that in mind. 7a Foods in West Tisbury is a new “farm …

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Vineyard Chefs Go Wild

Local Food on the “Challenge” Menu Sunday

Know what sea beans are? Billy Manson does. The native grasses found in our tidal mud flats are one of the oft-hidden local food delicacies the 42-year-old native New Zealander knows about. “They make great beer food ( think watching the Pats game). They're crunchy and tangy. I couldn't stop eating them,” he said yesterday, taking a break from snacking to put the finishing event touches on the second Local Wild Food Challenge held at the Rod and Gun Club on the Boulevard at Sengekontacket Pond in Edgartown. The Island is in good company with an Everyman-designed challenge requiring an entree, including at least one wild ingredient from land or sea, that is presented for judging by 6 p.m. This is the sixth Challenge presented by the …

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Patch Passport

Dining Around the World

Did you know Martha's Vineyard offers places to sample all the tastes of the world? The Saturday Patch Passport is a complete list of places to eat organized by international flavor.

Do you want to get out of the kitchen, but are bored of the same old places you always go to? Want some fresh ideas for tasty meals? Then the Patch Passport can help. We have assembled a list of local places with international flavors. Try one out and let us know what you think. Bon Appetit!   ASIAN China House O-Sun Hibachi & Asian Kitchen Sai Mai Restaurant Bangkok Thai Cuisine   FRENCH Le Grenier The Sweet Life Cafe Detente Restaurant   ITALIAN Jimmy Sea’s Pan Pasta Lattanzi’s Restaurant Il Tesoro at the Terrace Chesca's Restaurant Giordano's Restaurant & Clam Bar CARRIBEAN Irie Bites Deon's Restaurant   BRAZILIAN Tropical Restaurant

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Boston Crowns the Vineyard's Best

Seven local gems are featured in Boston Magazine's 2011 Best of Boston list.

First there was Martha’s Vineyard Magazine’s Best of the Vineyard list. Now there’s Boston Magazine’s Best of Boston awards . . . featuring the island. The following local gems scored prizes in the annual round-up of all things good, trendy and enviable in the Hub an beyond. The issue is on newstands now.   Best Bar: Offshore Ale Company Best Clam Shack: The Bite Best Brunch: The Artcliff Diner Best Boutique Hotel: Hob Knob Best Resort Hotel: Harbor View Hotel and Resort Best Bistro Restaurant: Park Corner Bistro Best General Excellence Restaurant: Detente

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Hungry Native

9:05 am on Thursday, July 28, 2011

We certainly agree with the choice of Detente!   more ›

From Jamaica to Martha's Vineyard

Jamaican food truck arrives on the Island.

Noticed a new smell or sound on Main Street, Vineyard Haven as of late? You should! There’s a new jerk in town.  A jerk truck, that is. Photographer Peter Simon has teamed up with his son Willie and Melody Cunningham, the former wife of reggae giant Peter Tosh, to present Irie Bites, a Jamaican food truck specializing in jerk chicken. It all started with a vacation to Jamaica with his son Willie went they discovered tiny food carts selling jerk chicken.  "He [Willie] flipped out about this kind of chicken," Simonr said. "Fast forward to last summer . . . I approached [Melody] and said, 'Do you think we should start a food truck?' And she was thinking the exact same thing." The food truck is parked next to the Capawock Theatre. It features …

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