Dining out in a seaside town can be a mixed bag. On the one hand, you have access to the freshest seafood around; on the other, nearly anyone can put up a sign like “Best Lobster Rolls!” and tourists won’t be any the wiser.
Fortunately, Martha’s Vineyard has a large year-round population of about 15,000, slightly larger than Nantucket and more than enough to sustain a restaurant that wants to go above and beyond tourist fare. And many summer people, like our generous hosts, captains of the S.S. Sapphire, have been coming to this idyllic spot for decades. Word gets around fast when there’s a good restaurant in town – or when something new is not worth the hype.
Alchemy in Edgartown is a French-style bistro in traditional New England clothing – muted colors, wainscoting, ivy topiaries. The only thing old-school about the food, however, is the local ingredients like scallops, peas, and oysters, which are just the starting point for the culinary wizardry that ensues.
The standard menu is expensive, with many entrees clocking in at over $35, but it was on the less expensive bar menu (available throughout the restaurant) that we found the most impressive dish of the night. Alchemy’s fried oysters ($18) come in a plain paper bag (much like traditional fried polenta) and though the name may sound heavy, one bite and you’ll find they’re delicate and light as air. Sweet and pillowy, flash fried and dusted with fine salt, these fried oysters could make a meal – if only everything else on the menu weren’t so tempting.
Asparagus and Jonah crab salad ($17) was a mix of fabulous ingredients – the only fault we found was that the tiny slaw-like cut detracted from the crunch, though we may be alone in our anti-slaw sensibilities. (Does anyone serve just a piece of lettuce on burgers now?)
We lucked out with the specials, which that night included scallops with a delicious, buttery, sweet and nearly raw corn succotash. The scallops were the best we had on the island, because for the most part the kitchen left them alone, seasoning them only the scantest amount and quickly pan searing them.
Another good dish that appears on the menu nightly is the pan crisp halibut ($36). One of the best things about it was the insanely decadent, buttery mashed potatoes and sweet peas. Baby artichokes added an interesting counter twist to the dish, though the halibut itself was a little overcooked and a little dry that night. (The grilled pork chops with black bean and red onion salsa ($28) also came recommended, if you’re in the mood for meat.)
Even a frozen yogurt dish for dessert, which could have just rested on its laurels, went above and beyond. Tangy, only slightly sweet Lebanese frozen yogurt had notes of cardamom and came served with fresh blackberries glazed in honey.
The service was excellent and seemed calibrated to the table – was it a coincidence that our table of women got a very cute and flirtatious male server, while a table of men across the way got a very cute female server? It may be sleight of hand, but at Alchemy, the results were still pretty magical.
Alchemy
71 Main Street at Church Street
Edgartown, Martha’s Vineyard
508-627-9999
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bellastraniera
a.k.a. Marcy Swingle - obsessed with food and fashion.
Alchemy in Edgartown, MA is indeed a chic restaurant and the food was spot on. But the total dining experience was almost ruined by our surly waiter. He couldn’t be bothered to refill our wine glasses fortunately for us he plopped the bottle on the middle of the table so that we cold help ourselves and it was also an imposition apparently, for him to refill our water glasses. Needless to say, his poor service was reflected in the tip!
The dinner was very nice. Thank you so much for sending my blue Nike hat back to me. I received it Fed-Ex. When I am on Martha’s Vineyard again, I will be sure to eat at Alchemy !