Nantucket 2025 – Part Two

This is the second installment of our 2025 week-long visit to Nantucket (click here for part one).

After resting up from giving Amazing Grace a thorough cleaning, we headed off to the Brotherhood of Thieves for dinner.

This was our third visit and each time we’ve been served in a different dining area. On Wednesday, we were seated in a bar (I think they have more than one).

I think it’s my preferred dining venue at The Brotherhood. Brigit provided our service and she did an incredible job!

They had two IPAs and Brigit offered to let me taste them to see which one I wanted.

It was close, but I went with the Cisco Wandering Haze…

I think this was the first time I’ve had Wandering Haze on draft in a chilled glass. It was delightful.

One of the things I love about all Steve Silverstein restaurants (The Servedwell Hospitality Group) is the consistently high-quality food.

I also love their menu and the ability to order authentic sushi along with classic New England fare.

Peter went full sushi…

Mrs. Horne ordered her regular…

I had to have the GOLD STANDARD of Boom Boom…

And of course, we had to have fries for the table!

The sun was setting as we made our evening stroll home.

Wednesday

With most of the work behind us, it was biking day. We planned to leave around 10:00 AM, but we wanted to greet Jon, Joan, and Jean when they arrived from Mattapoisett.

I took one look at the BuoyCast data from the mouth of Buzzards Bay and suspected we wouldn’t see them on Thursday.

Steady wind speeds over 20 knots means nothing but trouble in Buzzards Bay and Vineyard Sound.

Sure enough, around 8:30 Joan texted me and said they bailed into Vineyard Haven for the night!

Biking to Madeket

We like to get 20 miles in when we bike and I know the round trip to Madeket is only 12, so I plotted a few additional tracks.

I was using the Ride GPS app for navigation and it got us lost around the rotary. I probably won’t use it again.

We did log 12 miles getting to Madeket.

I’m happy to report that erosion hasn’t taken away any of the beach, but the waves on Wednesday were the biggest I’ve ever seen there!

Last year, we discovered the Galley Beach Restaurant. It’s associated with the Cliffside Beach Club, where the basic room starts at $1,000/night, and suites can go for $3,000.

The food is excellent, but what makes this place so special is the views. If you didn’t know better, you’d swear you were in Maui.

At this point, we’d ridden 18 miles and we had a bit of an appetite.

The menu is short but sweet. As you might expect with a beachfront restaurant at an expensive resort, the food isn’t cheap.

Gotta love those White Anchovies!

Knowing the sandwiches were huge, I recruited Peter to split the Reuben Special

If you’re on Nantucket, you absolutely must try lunch at the Galley, it’s quite special.

The crew was beat after the bike ride and lunch, but I needed to pick up a few things for the cocktail party Friday night so I went to town.

No afternoon on Nantucket is complete without an iced coffee at The Hub.

Dinner at Straight Wharf

We enjoyed our first dinner at Straight Wharf in 2021. Is Prix Fixe format and certainly not cheap, but after several incredible meals, I have to say it’s close to culinary perfection.

We met Tom and Terry who are currently between boats.

That came over on the New Bedford Ferry and are staying in a cottage at The Boat Basin.

This was the first time we sat on the oceanfront patio and it was magnificent! While the bartender was fixing our martinis, the server brought over a smoked bluefish paté and incredible homemade crisps.

The way the Prix Fixe menu works in you pick an appetizer course and an entrée course. A few items have an upcharge and dessert or extra sides are options.

First Course

Peter ordered the carpaccio.

I admit that I haven’t had a lot of carpaccio, but Peter shared a bite and it was an absolute flavor bomb. I will likely order this the next time.

Mrs. Horne ordered the patê.

I snuck a few smears and I loved it!

I decided to order the wildest thing on the menu.

Wonderful flavors (mild buffalo sauce). The texture and moisture of the monkfish was very special – like lobster, but less fibrous.

The Second Course

Mrs. Horne ordered the scallops.

She only got four, so I didn’t mooch any. I will look at this photo before I serve my next scallops.

Our server said the swordfish was their best seller. Peter, Tom, and Terry all ordered it.

Peter shared a bite. I’m not a swordfish fan, but it was very good – moist with a tasty citrus forward sauce.

I decided to test the chef, and order the dish that’s the most difficult to prepare perfectly – pork chops.

I’m happy to report that the chef passed with flying colors. About 10 minutes in it was still moist and flavorful.

Probably the best pork chop I’ve ever been served.

We looked at the dessert menu, but we were full!

Friday

Friday began as the third bluebird day in a row.

Our annual cocktail party was at 4:00, so we headed out to Sankaty and then Siasconset for lunch. Tom and Terry rented bikes at Young’s and all five of us headed out around 10:30.

We then went west to Siasconset for lunch at Claudette’s. We arrived at 11:30 which was a little early for lunch, so we checked out the Siasconset Market.

Claudettes was packed at 11:45, but it must have been an early crowd.

Our sandwiches came out immediately. Their sandwiches are massive and more than big enough to share.

Tom and Terry shared the Roast Beef and it was even more massive!

Terry lost a chain on the way home, but Tom and Peter came to the rescue.

The Cocktail Party

I think we started a tradition of hosting a cocktail party on Friday night back at the Boat Basin back in 2019. Some names are the same every year, but every year we happily greet new guests.

It’s always such an incredible night, but I guess that’s true of all great traditions!

Next Up: Rainy Saturdays and Part Three…