One of the oldest restaurants on the Vineyard, The Aquinnah Shop offers great food and great views for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
By Diane Alter
A laid-back island with a reputation for its low-key atmosphere, Martha’s Vineyard has an abundance of dining spots that make you sit up and take notice. A stand-out among these restaurants is The Aquinnah Shop that sits atop the cliffs with breathtaking views from its expansive decks.
Located up island, far from down island’s maddening summer crowds, The Aquinnah Shop is well worth the trip. The journey alone to this excellent eatery is a remarkable experience. Perched literally on the storied Gay Head Cliffs, the Aquinnah Shop’s views from decks of the Vineyard Sound, the Elizabeth Islands, and Nomans land are unrivaled.
No matter where you sit, the restaurant provides spectacular views to accompany its spectacular dishes. Guests who opt to sit inside will not miss a thing thanks to floor to ceiling glass windows. The windows allow sunlight to shine through and provide unobstructed views of the sapphire ocean and the stunning cliffs
Still, it is the food that brings scores of people to this one-of-a-kind island restaurant for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Morning meal items include a number of omelets and breakfast sandwiches. But go for the luscious Lobster Newburg, made with an abundance of fresh lobster meat and a homemade sauce, and the Tomahawk Special, made two codfish cakes topped with poached eggs and covered with salsa and melted cheddar cheese. Both are enough to turn breakfast skippers into regulars.
Lunch offerings include original fresh and hearty salads. Fish & chips, fried scallops, fried clams, and fried shrimp, all served with golden French fries, are other options. A requisite lobster roll—fresh and filling–and an outstanding salmon BLT are other optimal lunch choices.
Landlubbers and burger aficionados take heart. The Aquinnah Shop does a variety of burgers right.
Indeed, cooked to order veggie, fish, tuna, swordfish, and beef burgers are available. The lobster cheeseburger, a grilled burger with lobster in a thousand island dressing, top with melted American cheese, and garnished with lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickles, is a two-fisted, pile of napkins burger that makes every other burger you have ever eaten wilt with shame.
For dinner, opt for the Seafood Stew. Made with mussels, littlenecks, shrimp, scallops, and lobster simmered in a tomato broth, this rich dish is served with grilled bread. Or try the Aquinnah by Sea, loaded with shrimp, scallops, lobster, cherry tomatoes, and asparagus tossed in a creamy wine sauce and served over linguini. Even those who come for the fish will be tempted by the 8oz Filet Mignon with mashed potatoes, asparagus, red wine shallot sauce.
Moments of perfection often come toward the end of something, and that could easily be said at the end of a meal at The Aquinnah Shop. That’s because desserts here, including the banana cream and chocolate cream pies, are the perfect ending to a perfect meal.
Fantastic food and first-rate service are reasons enough to make the trip up-island to enjoy a marvelous meal at The Aquinnah Shop. Another is having the unique opportunity to sit so close to the sea that it almost feels like you are sailing into the sunset.
Additional information on times and menus can be found at www.theaquinnahshop.com
