I sometimes think of Martha’s Vineyard as an emerald surrounded by gold, placed on a bed of sapphire silk. The beauty of the place astonished me when I first came here from arid southwest Colorado in the spring of 1955, and my delight has never left me.
During the many years when I was a summer person, living with my family in an old shack that had once been a fishing and hunting camp, I would have said that the best things about the Vineyard were, first, that amazing beauty which my wife and I increasingly discovered as we walked its roads and trails and drove along its far beaches, and,
second, that it was surrounded by water wherein I could fish and shellfish and swim and upon which I could sail.
When I retired and moved here full time in 1999, it was with the expectation that my reasons for loving the Island would not change. But they did. The beauty of the land and the spell of the eternal sea hold me in thrall as always, but now that I’m here in the winter too, I’ve become enamored with aspects of the Vineyard that I’d known less well while busy being a summer gink. Principal among these are the works of the extraordinary artists who live here.
Is there another small place that is so rich with such excellent craftsmen and -women, painters, sculptors, photographers, writers, musicians, dancers, filmmakers, and stage and street performers? I doubt it. Although it’s probably impossible to say which of these Vineyard artists are the best in their fields, we have a vast selection of talents from which to choose, and we all have our own favorites.
My own most enjoyable artistic experience – my personal, private best of the best – is as a member of the Island Community Chorus, a hundred voices molded by director Peter Boak into a wonderful choral society. Every year the chorus gives three concerts, and for every concert at least one song totally bamboozles me throughout weeks of rehearsals. But then, because Peter and my fellow tenors refuse to give up on me, I manage to warble acceptably during the performance, and I am once again in total agreement with my wife (another member of the chorus) who says that singing is the most fun you can have in public.
Whether you’re an artist or a member of the audience or neither, the following pages include this year’s selection of the best the Vineyard has to offer. Enjoy.
What would you do if you ever had a summer day off?
I’d drive to Lambert’s Cove Beach for a quick swim. Saltwater fix satisfied, my next stop would be John’s Fish Market in Tisbury to purchase lobsters, as I’m entertaining friends this evening. I’d stop by Bunch of Grapes to pick up a collection of Island books to have on my coffee table – topics of conversation when my friends arrive for dinner. There’d be plenty to choose from. In thirty years of ownership, this year takes the prize in the number of books about the Island or by Islanders: 1776, by David McCullough; Vineyard Harvest, by Tina Miller with Christie Matheson and photographs by Alison Shaw; the republication of Zeb, by Polly Burroughs; two mysteries, one by Phil Craig and one by Cynthia Riggs; Finding Martha’s Vineyard, by Jill Nelson – to mention a few. Arms loaded, I arrive home in anticipation of an evening spent with friends. A great sunset puts the finishing touch on my perfect day.
– Ann Nelson, owner, Bunch of Grapes Bookstore
My perfect Island day would start by sleeping in as late as possible, followed by breakfast at my friend Gina Stanley’s restaurant, the ArtCliff in Vineyard Haven. Then I would pack a lunch from Slice of Life – salads, cheese, rosemary bread, and a bottle of champagne – and head for Great Rock Bight beach in Chilmark with my beautiful wife. I’d take along a newspaper just to catch up on everything I’d missed in the previous two or three months, especially the baseball news.
– Jackson Kenworth, co-owner with his wife Mary, Slice of Life
To me, the best nights are when I’m in the lobby and I hear people enjoying themselves while the movie is showing. Sometimes, after the end of the second show, the staff stays and we run the film just for us. Those are some pretty great times. I know we’ll do that this summer for some of the big films, like War of the Worlds.
-Bob La Sala, manager, Edgartown Entertainment Cinemas
Roll out of bed at 10 a.m. Stroll into Humphreys in Oak Bluffs or Edgartown and pick up a cup of freshly ground coffee and a Belly Bomb for yourself, and an oversized jelly donut for . . . oh, hell, also for yourself.
– Donna Diaz, co-owner with her husband Mike, Humphreys
I’d do what I do every week on my day off: Go fishing at Chappy, either at Wasque or East Beach or sometimes Cape Pogue. Then I’d come back to The Newes from America, where I’d have a rare burger and an Anchor Porter.
– Joanne Hoffey, manager, The Newes from America
We head for Aquinnah, sarongs, hats, snacks, and drawing materials in hand. The beach is not too crowded, the waves are rolling in evenly, the water is crystal clear. We fling off our clothes and run naked into the salty sea. We have lots of time to soak up the sun, draw, and explore the tidal pools filled with starfish and mussels.
– Ann Schwenk, owner, Laughing Bear
I’d sleep late – to about 9 a.m. I’d head over to the ArtCliff and have a spinach and feta omelet. Then I’d go to Lucy Vincent Beach with a lunch packed by
The Net Result – lobster rolls and sushi. I’d spend the day there, maybe swim a little, then head home for a shower. If it were the perfect day, I’d be taken to L’étoile or Atria for dinner. And then I’d go over to the Hot Tin Roof. And either Kate Taylor or Peter Frampton or the Average White Band would be playing. May not be hip, but that’s who it would be.
– Beth Larsen, co-owner with her husband Louis, The Net Result
The sitter would arrive in the late afternoon, so my husband and I could come up to The Granary, where the unhurried, welcoming, good-humored people here would greet us. They would show us a brand new painting that had come in by my favorite artist – no, I am not telling you which one! We would decide we had to have it and buy it. Then we would drive up to Menemsha in our convertible and toast with some champagne to our new beautiful painting.
– Robin Nagle, manager (with Kevin and Alex), The Granary Gallery
After a few hours of weeding and watering, I’m ready to pack a lunch, head to my favorite beach with my sweetie, and absorb the healing effects of the ocean air, salt water, and sunshine. Ah, such bliss! But wait – there’s more! I’m anticipating the restorative Roses All Over body treatment I’m about to receive at An Island Touch; it’s specifically designed to nourish and re-hydrate my sun-baked body, as well as ease me into even deeper relaxation. In an adjoining room my boyfriend is enjoying a well-deserved deep-tissue massage, combined with the ancient ritual of foot reflexology. As this ideal day draws to a close, we’re off to Menemsha to enjoy a spectacular sunset, a delicious seafood dinner, and – the final indulgence – a soft-serve ice cream cone from the Galley.
– Nelia Hoffman, owner, an Island Touch
I’d put together a simple picnic – perhaps pan bagnat, ice-cold cherries, and fresh limeade. Gathering up the beach chairs and an umbrella, we’d head up-Island to Quansoo, where I’d spend the whole day lying in the sun, swimming in the ocean, and reading – what else? – food magazines. Of course I would be plagued the entire time by a nagging feeling that I’d forgotten some hapless bride’s big day – I never have Saturdays off!
– V. Jaime Hamlin, owner, V. Jaime Hamlin and Sons
I’d wake up early in Room 301, a water-view suite at the Harbor View, to watch the sun rise. I’d go down to the lobby to get a coffee to go and drive to Farm Neck for a seven o’clock tee time. I’d play eighteen holes of fabulous golf. I’d be back at the hotel at 11:30 to pick up my wife and a picnic lunch to go. We’d go to South Beach for the afternoon, and I’d spend the day there with Grand Slam, the new book about Bobby Jones. We’d head back to the hotel for a shower, then enjoy dinner at The Coach House at the hotel. I’d start with tuna tartare, followed by grilled striped bass as an entrée. We’d enjoy a bottle of Saintsbury pinot noir, Brown Ranch, with dinner. We’d wrap up the evening in rockers on the front porch, and then head back up to our suite with a bottle of Veuve Clicquot ‘La Grande Dame.’
– Dick McAuliffe, general manager, Harbor View Hotel
I’d start with a Biga breakfast sandwich – sausage, spinach, tomato, cheese, and hot sauce – and a large Biga-blend coffee, and I’d finish it off with a biscotti. My wife and I would sneak onto Philbin Beach at Aquinnah, and I’d watch the gulls work the blues offshore, and gaze at Noman’s Land until about 1 p.m. For lunch: back to Biga’s, where I’d get the roast vegetable sandwich with goat cheese. Then I’d walk the Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank property at Waskosim’s Rock, and stop by Lambert’s Cove Beach. Then I’d swing by – oh, might as well be Biga’s – for a mixed green salad with cheese on a ciabatta roll. Then I’d get a bottle of Château Rosemont and go to Menemsha to watch the sun set.
– Douglas Reid, co-owner with wife Beth Kramer, Biga Bakery
Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day, so with my wife Cathy I’d stop by The Coach House on a Sunday morning and have a plate of Katama Bay oysters raised by Jack Blake or Roy Scheffer – as well as a Bloody Mary. After that, we’d open the sunroof on our 4Runner and head out with our dog to some private beach at Gay Head, stopping by the Chilmark Store for some pizza. At the beach, I’d bury a bottle of Pahlmeyer Chardonnay in the sand to keep it cold, and I’d have brought along some of my homemade goat cheese. We’d drink wine and have cheese in front of a bonfire at night.
– Ryan Hardy, executive chef, The Coach House at the Harbor View Hotel
On behalf of the Giordano family, I would like to say how delighted we are to be chosen once again as Best Fried Clams on Martha’s Vineyard. The 2005 season is special for our family. We are proudly celebrating seventy-five years and four generations of service and commitment to the Vineyard. After winning this award for the fifth time in as many years, we know what people want. When they venture to Oak Bluffs, a journey is not complete without a stroll through the Camp Ground, a spin on the Flying Horses carousel, and a trip across the street to Giordano’s for some fried clams.
“However, the ideal setting for fried clams would have to be the night of the annual firemen’s fireworks display at the end of August. Get in line early, and grab a half pint of fried clams, some homemade onion rings, or a lobster roll, and head to Ocean Park. There you can enjoy a concert at the bandstand, the best fireworks display Cape Cod and the Islands have to offer, as well as the best fried clams on Martha’s Vineyard!
– Jason Giordano, Giordano’s
A perfect day away from work? What a proposition! Running Offshore Ale Company is a bit like being a farmer: there simply aren’t days off – you put your pants on in the morning and go to work.
“But assuming the planets were incredibly well-aligned, I would get up at about 6:00 a.m. and spend an hour or so in my garden before heading to work, just to check on things. Then I’d head straight for Chappy with my canoe and some light fishing tackle. I’d put the canoe in at Dike Bridge and paddle the length of the pond and spend the day fishing for bonito.
“All that paddling and futile casting would necessitate some refreshment, so after a glorious day out on the water I would stop at Offshore on the way home for a plate of Sweet Neck oysters and a bottle of our fresh India Pale Ale. I guess I’d have to order a burger too – medium rare on the rare side, sautéed onions and bacon – just to make sure it was still as good as ever.
“Before calling it a day, I might be compelled to tell a few fishing stories. You’ll know it’s me by how wide my arms are spread.
– Robert Skydell, owner, Offshore Ale Co.
I’d wake up at 7:30, and in the morning I’d go out in the inn’s boat (a twenty-seven foot Boston Whaler with twin 200-horsepower Yamaha outboards) to Cape Pogue or Wasque to sun and swim. I’d do a yoga class or have a massage in the afternoon. I’d take a nap, have a lobster dinner at Atria, go to the Hot Tin Roof, where .38 Special would be playing. And then I’d come back to the inn, where I’d have Room 15, the third-floor deluxe room overlooking Tilton Way.
– Vera Thornton, manager, Hob Knob Inn
