Nantucket Island, 30 miles from Massachusetts’s mainland, is a summer oasis of grey-shingled cottages surrounded by blue hydrangeas and pink roses. Sailboats bob in the harbor and sea birds soar overhead. The leisurely pace is a simple mix of bike rides and beach days. But the summer fashions are lively with splashes of nautical stripes, the iconic pink known as Nantucket red and Lily Pulitzer’s eye-popping prints.
Happily, the island’s summer menus are as lively as the landscape and the lifestyle. Pineapple salsa and jalapeno cilantro slaw brighten up the fish tacos at the White Elephant’s Brant Point Grill. Dinner al fresco on the ocean view deck at Topper’s in the elegant Wauwinet Inn features an appetizer of marinated Jonah crab with pickled cucumbers, lemon drop melon, fresh dill and edible nasturtium flowers.
"My favorite thing about food on Nantucket is that local chefs embrace the local farmers," said registered dietitian Liz Weiss who is a family nutrition expert and co-founder of www.mealmakeovermoms.com. "The fish are locally caught and chefs pair dishes with farm fresh produce and herbs." Weiss and her family, who live in Boston, have a summer home on Nantucket so it was great to visit with and share a meal with my friend and dietitian colleague while on vacation. At Topper's, I enjoyed a pristine piece of halibut served with squash, roasted eggplant, and Nicoise olive vinaigrette.
Weiss chose blue fin tuna with artichokes, basil and Bartlett’s Farm tomato preserve. She said, “There are so many farms here and I think local produce really brings out the best in seafood. It’s just more fun to eat.”
So what does a seafood-loving dietitian say about New England’s on-just-about-every-menu lobster rolls? “Well, there’s usually a lot of mayo in the dressing and butter on the toasted roll, but I say it’s OK to splurge on vacation,” said Weiss. “You can always go on a longer bike ride.”
A lighter version is available on the menu at the Brant Point Grill. You can skip the roll and enjoy the succulent lobster salad splurge with a big green salad.
In the pink
Rose wines, more popular than ever, are perfectly paired with seafood. “The dry roses of France are light and crisp and compliment the richness of lobster,” said Nantucket fan Liz McDermott, an Atlanta-based interior designer. The pale coral pink of Whispering Angel rose from Provence — which filled the majority of wine glasses at sunset — was also a perfect match for the Nantucket red clothes worn by summer visitors to the island.
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