I mostly know Martha’s Vineyard through podcasts. Of course, I’ve heard it mentioned on the news as a place where presidents and hoity-toity people go to vacation.
But the year-round residents are a close-knit community – one that, I learned from This American Life’s annual poultry slam episode, is sometimes plagued by roving bands of wild turkeys.
The most recent podcast to bring Martha’s Vineyard to my attention was The Moth. One of the storytellers is a farmer and chef-owner of a restaurant on the island with food sourced from the area and his neighbors. The menu changes daily and may include ingredients like the mussels his friend grows just off the nearby shore or shiitake mushrooms from a family farm down the street.
The restaurant is called Beach Plum, and they also have an inn and rental cottages. It sounds like a really lovely place to be.
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Photos by Gabriela Herman via Beach Plum Inn.
So weird! I just brought up the Vineyard this week. We used to go for the weekend back in grad school because it was only two hours away. It is pretty, but too crowded in summer.
That is weird! Especially since I wrote it awhile ago without a specific publish date in mind. Must be a sign…I’m not sure of what…maybe that we should go on vacation-?
The Beach Plum sounds lovely! I love the picture of the hammock by the sea especially. When we go to Maine in the summer, there are many local-food restaurants and it just makes so much sense. Fresh, supporting local people, and tasty.
Yes to all those things! I would love to go explore Maine someday! I’ll have to get your recommendations. :)
I grew up in MA, but never visited the Vineyard (not hoity-toity enough – LOL!). I love the idea of eating locally, and try to do it whenever possible.
Ha! I’m definitely not hoity-toity – it just sounded like there’s a more grounded, local community and some good, fresh food. But I haven’t been there, so who knows!
I’m reading Barbara Kingsolver’s food memoir which is all about her family’s year of eating locally. There’s something to be said about knowing where your food comes from.
I agree! It can be hard to trace back to the source sometimes, so it’s nice when you ow exactly where food comes from!