advertisement

Taste of Travel: Two trendy summer stops: Martha's Vineyard and The Berkshires

Indulge in an extended weekend at one of these two Massachusetts spots worthy of packing in plenty of fun and sun during a short visit. Each destination is a place to see or be seen, and where the chance of spotting celebrities is in your favor.

Martha's Vineyard

Hipsters are welcome on this laid back yet sophisticated island in Massachusetts. You can get to Oak Bluffs or Vineyard Haven in 45 minutes by ferry from Woods Hole on Cape Cod. The cost to travel is $8 each way per person and $13 a day to park your car at the Steamship Authority's lot.

Once landed on the island, however, the pricing rises to the luxury range, beginning with a one-way cab ride that will cost about $25 from Oak Bluffs to Edgartown. It might be a better plan to bring your car and pay that fee, but be prepared to drive in heavy traffic. And I mean heavy.

Dining options on the island are plenty, but the newest and most trendy place to stop for a cappuccino, lunch or small plates for dinner is Beetlebung, located at 53 Circuit Ave. in Oak Bluffs, where the historic A & P Building was once housed. Vineyard husband and wife team John and Renee Molinari recently unveiled this third and largest location on the island.

As homage to the former A & P, you can order the same name as a crafted cocktail. In fact, Beetlebung is Martha's Vineyard's first craft cocktail lounge with specialties that include phuket punch of vodka, Thai basil, fresh watermelon, fresh lemon juice, simply syrup and house-made beer. Nationally renowned mixologist Jonathan Pogash, also known as the "Cocktail Guru," created a long list of libations to enjoy. If you want your drink frozen, there's a list to choose from that includes strawberry banana bliss, made with banana rum, Old Ipswich spiced rum, strawberry puree and vanilla ice cream. Dessert drinks include a thin mint, or you have the option to select a beer or glass of wine from a world-wine list.

A stop inside this trendy upscale coffee house for breakfast will be worthwhile to enjoy smoked bluefish on a bagel with a cup of cappuccino made in the Italian La Marzocco espresso system. If not breakfast, why not lunch of gluten-free lobster sliders, or dinner concocted by Thai spice master and executive chef, Jerry Marano, who cooks the best scallop ever to touch my lips. Using a blend of champion ingredients, Chef Marano grills these small bites perfectly, adding a bit of sweet chili, crème fraiche, watercress and a tiny parsnip chip. Small plates are a way to taste many dishes here, so order a plate of grilled pork belly sushi for something unique and decadent in taste, served on sticky rice with grape chutney and micro Thai basil. The Eastern soup tasting plate is served in three bowls with Malaysian coconut laska, Thai lobster bisque and Indian dahl, all finished with hand ground spices from the chef who studied under a master Thai chef.

Another great stop is Water Street in the Harbor View Hotel, located at 131 N. Water St. in Edgartown. Chef Nathan Gould heads this fine dining restaurant where he treats each of his patrons with preferential treatment. You will feel special dining here, if not for the incredible service, but for the delightful dishes. Start with the briney, local and fresh caught honeysuckle oysters paired with a 2008 Carneros chardonnay to which you can breathe in the character, let alone taste it. Know that this is only the beginning.

Everything on the Water Street menu is non-GMO, so go ahead and order the coddled egg with lamb bacon and arugula pesto served in a small mason jar. Or how about a plate of baby kale with fried goat cheese? The freshest island produce, meats and poultry from established island farms are purchased from Good Farm & Cleveland Farms, Thimble Farm, FARM Institute, The Grey Barn, Anson Mills, Honeysuckle Oysters, North Tabor, Slip Away, Chef's Garden & Mermaid Farm & Dairy.

Walk off those calories through Edgartown and be on the lookout for celebrity sightings (residents include Meg Ryan, Bill Murray and many visitors from Hollywood) and places to shop. Be sure to stop in a few art galleries and take a ride on the Flying Horses Carousel, and enjoy lunch of lobster rolls on the rooftop deck of the Sea Shanty. Before dinner, head to Oak Bluffs for a walk along the path of colorful gingerbread houses, and after dinner, grab an ice cream cone at Mad Martha's. In between, sign up for one of many tours to view the island and learn about its history, fish on Chappaquiddick Island, bird watch or beach it on one of many sandy choices, or you can choose to do nothing but sit on your porch or deck and watch the action while sipping on a cool beverage.

The best place to stay in Edgartown is at Harbor View Hotel because it's spacious and only a short walk to the beach and downtown. If I were about to be a bride, I'd want to marry here and walk down the floral path, escorted down the white picket fence to the blooming arbor. There are three choices on site, starting with the Captain's Cottages overlooking the compound, with views of the ocean peeking out beyond the trees. The two-floor cottages here accommodate year round visitors, with fireplaces and full kitchens. There is also an option to stay in a standard hotel room, which works best for families and those attending corporate events, but if money isn't an issue, book a stay in one of the ocean view rooms with a balcony.

On Sundays, head to the back door located by the pool and get a fresh, homemade donut — one flavor is showcased each week, and you can bet it'll be tasty. I tasted a triple berry that was filled throughout, and enjoyed each sinful bite that may also be devoured as part of the Sunday brunch offering at the resort's Water Street restaurant.

***

The Berkshires

A drive to the Berkshires is a pleasure unto itself, leading to an area most known for Tanglewood, a series of musical concerts on the lawn held throughout summer. It's also the area where some of the world's most top-rated spa resorts are located (Canyon Ranch and Cranwell resorts in Lenox). Take a drive around here in the autumn and the foliage will stun your senses.

But, first things first. You must be hungry for a five-star dinner, so head to Old Inn on the Green, located at 134 Hartsville-New Marlborough Road, Route 57, Village Green, in New Marlborough.

Like a diamond in the rough, inside this old inn located just below North Barrington lies a restaurant that rates number three on Open Table that lists the most romantic New England spots to dine. Chef-owner Peter Platt invents dishes that can only be described as sophisticated elegance, a paradox to the inn's historic charm. At first walk-in during daylight hours, the inn shows its history as a stagecoach stop. But at night, everything switches to romance, with the entire restaurant candlelit, and each dish worthy of five stars, beginning with an amuse bouche of roasted red beet tarte tatin of warm caramelized beets with goat cheese. Now that the culinary stage has been set, count on more delectables that include olive and mashed potatoes with saffron, lamb, duck, trout, short rib and more. On Saturdays, a prix fixe menu is on the table for a total of $75, or you can choose dishes a la carte.

If you decide to stay at Old Inn on the Green, you'll get a complimentary continental breakfast of croissants and more pastries, seasonal fruits, cold eggs, yogurt, stewed apricots — all served with a pot of French-pressed coffee.

Aside from Tanglewood concerts, a stop at the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge is where you'll be able to take in hundreds of the artist's Saturday Evening Post works displayed downstairs in the museum. Before you peruse the pictures, however, be sure to sit and watch the video that explains Rockwell's inspiration and life. Once you've had your fill, head outside to enjoy a gaze out at the 36 acres of panoramic views from the museum grounds, and have a snack or lunch on the terrace café.

Another option for an overnight stay is at Devonfield Inn, located at 85 Stockbridge Road in Lee, where a stay here is like visiting grandma. In fact, Franklin D. Roosevelt once slept here in the former Westinghouse home that remains old world and squeaky floorboards, yet new technology. Knickknacks, Hummel figurines, a Victrola, piano, antique tables and wingback leather chairs are the décor inside, but all else has been updated and renovated with use of space in mind. There's an outdoor patio to enjoy breakfast of scrambled eggs, mushrooms and cheese with kielbasa, a pool and tennis court. And inside are suites have canopy covered four-poster beds, working fireplaces and flat-screen televisions.

Late-night arrivals can squeak and sneak to the kitchen for some homemade chocolate chip cookies and a glass of port, complimentary.

Charlene Peters is editor special features at GateHouse Media New England. She can be reached at cpeters@wickedlocal.com.

***

Roasted Red Beet Tarte Tatin

- Courtesy of The Old Inn on the Green

1 cup white sugar

1/4 lb. unsalted butter

2 beets

1 package puff pastry

12 small aluminum tart pans

1 cup chevre mixed with chopped herbs (chives and parsley) and a little olive oil

To cook beets:

1) Trim tops off fresh average sized beets, wash and wrap individually in foil.

2) Place beets on a cookie sheet in a 350-degree oven and cook until easily pierced with a knife, about 1 to 1-1/2 hours.

3) Allow beets to cool until warm enough to handle and peel off skins.

To make caramel:

1) Combine sugar and butter in a medium saucepan over low heat and stir with a whisk occasionally until caramel becomes emulsified and turns a light brown color. Caramel is extremely hot and dangerous; handle carefully.

2) Pour hot caramel into a 2- to 4-cup Pyrex measuring cup to make it easier to pour into tart shells. It also stops the caramel from continuing to darken.

Assemble:

1) Pour hot caramel into tart pans to just cover bottom. Caramel will harden, which is fine. (This can be done up to a day in advance.)

2) Slice beets about a half-inch thick and use a round cookie cutter to cut the beets the same diameter as the bottom of the tart shells.

3) Cover with a round of puff pastry that is the same diameter as the top of the tart pan.

4) Bake in a 425-degree oven until pastry is brown and the caramel is bubbling, about 10 minutes.

5) Turn out beet tarts onto plates while still hot. This can be a little messy and dangerous because caramel is liquid and hot.

Garnish beet with a quenelle of herbed chevre and serve immediately.