Atria, Martha’s Vineyard

There’s no shortage of fancy restaurants on Martha’s Vineyard – the only problem is choosing just one when you only have a few nights on the island. Alchemy is a perennial favorite, but if you want to get away from the hoi polloi in the center of Edgartown on weekend nights, head to Atria for its patrician atmosphere.

At Atria, whitewashed Adirondack chairs spot the gracious side lawn, where you can settle in for drinks or dinner outside, and inside there’s a dining room hung with antique fish prints and furnished with dark spindle chairs, plus a downstairs pub, Brick House, that serves up burgers, beer on tap and live music. It’s the sort of place you can imagine the Kennedys going (but that may be just because several people in the clubby dining room that night actually looked like Kennedys).

This is Puritan-era Yankee cuisine reimagined for a more cosmopolitan, freewheeling crowd. Plump, creamy macaroni and cheese ($16) gets topped with chunks of fresh lobster meat – a decadent take on traditional comfort food.

In some cases, the kitchen’s experimentation veers further from the path than a traditional Yankee would like. A two-pound lobster ($42) comes “wok-fired,” which turns out to be a fancier way to say “deep fried.” Why not just leave it unadulterated and let the natural quality shine through?

Fortunately this wasn’t the case with a special of shrimp on a pool of creamy polenta dressed with herb-infused oil, a light and summery combination.

Another special of seared cod on fried green tomatoes didn’t have the same flavor punch, but this too came with chunks of lobster – always a welcome addition. A note on ordering in Martha’s Vineyard: most restaurants here do not change their menus daily or even weekly, so by ordering the specials, you’re  getting the seasonal, market-driven cuisine.

You may arrive at Atria thinking you’re in for a restrained but nice night out in this country club-like setting, but chances are, after sampling the rich items on the menu and extensive wine list, you’ll leave feeling rather decadent. Which, when you’re on vacation, isn’t always a bad thing.

Atria
137 Main Street
Edgartown, Martha’s Vineyard
508-627-5850‎
atriamv.com‎