Archive 2014

by Shannon Hurley Pops of color and Vineyard pride may have grabbed your attention as you strolled the tourist locales and shops in any of...

Sing Out At The Ritz in Oak Bluffs Sing it loud and sing it proud. Every Monday night at the newly renovated Ritz Café is Karaoke night and the talent is crawling out of the woodworks. This week’s theme is Elvis so bring on the hair gel and your blue suede shoes. Afraid of the spotlight? Ease into the tunes by joining one of the group sing-a-longs. Plus, a little liquid courage from one of the many talented bartenders won’t hurt your cause.

The smell of a fresh pie in the oven perfumes the air inside Rocco’s Pizzeria in Vineyard Haven. A family restaurant, Rocco’s has been serving up top-quality pizza for ages. This Week on Martha’s Vineyard sat down with Chef Chris Pantalones and asked him what he thought on a variety of Pizza-related topics. Here’s what he said

The most fun and coolest sport in ocean sports this summer is Flyboarding. “It’s the biggest thing to happen to water sports since the invention of the Jet Ski” says Mark Clarke, a coast guard licensed captain and the owner of Martha’s Vineyard Ocean Sports. Anyone young and old can experience what it feels like to zoom through the water like a dolphin and soar upward with the full jet propulsion of a jet ski, thanks to Clarke’s expert staff.

On days with fair weather, an odd phenomenon occurs in the pastures and vacant parking lots of the island. The sharp jangle of handmade jewelry and storied antiques creates a kind of music that blends with the soft strumming of the guitar and the voices of shop-owners in the summer heat. In open outdoor markets Island-wide , the episode above repeats itself, week after week throughout the summer.

The Ritz has been a Circuit Avenue hot spot in Oak Bluffs since its grand opening in 1944. Prior, the space was a fish market and then a soda fountain. Changing hands only a handful of times, Larkin and Jackie Stallings are currently working closely with current owner Janet King to become the bar’s official fourth set of owners. Larkin says plans for the renovated Ritz are to highlight the bar’s reputation as a local, funky, dive hangout and add a little Southern charm to it. “It’s all about making it simple and fun,” Larkin said.

Oak Bluffs The Lampost This restaurant/bar combo is the perfect place for a cheap meal and a good time. With a menu full of pub classics...

Saturdays afternoons at our NEW location We're super excited to now be holding our painting classes at The Winnetu Oceanside Resort in Edgartown on Saturdays...

Coop deVille, located harbor side in Oak Bluffs, is home to the island’s finest, most flavorful chicken wings, served there for thirty years. Of course, the restaurant evolved throughout its years on the island, significantly expanding its menu to include seafood dishes and numerous craft beers, and has only grown more popular. The proximity to the picturesque Oak Bluffs Harbor surely doesn’t hurt, as customers are seating only a few feet from the lapping water. Far from only a wing joint, Coop has blossomed into a local favorite for seafood and pub food.

The sign by the front door gives you two options; follow the arrow pointed outside towards the “Real World,” or allow yourself to be pointed in the direction of the “Vineyard.” Choose the latter, and you’ll find yourself immersed in a playground of color, not unlike the blooming hydran-geas that dominate the lawns of nearby vacation homes. From brilliant white and subdued pink to vivid blues, greens, and a signature soft purple, the garden that flourishes inside the familiar Soft as a Grape storefront is a completely unique collection of all things Vineyard. However, you won’t find any flowers here; comfort is the name of the game and their stock of sweatpants, tees, hats, and sweatshirts certainly delivers.