Our Guide to Nantucket

Our Guide to Nantucket

At night head to Cisco Brewers—a brewery that has expanded to include wine and a distillery that makes a 15-year single-malt whiskey. Expect food trucks, a gift shop, and live music to go with your tasting flight. For more of the outdoors, book a tee time at Miacomet Golf Club, wander along Sconset Bluff Walk, or cycle Madaket Road Path. (Rentals can be found in town, a short ride away from the start of the path, such as at Nantucket Bike Shop.)

What to eat on Nantucket

If you’re in Massachusetts, Nantucket included, you’re eating seafood. The oysters at Cru (open for the season in May) are well-known. Book far ahead and order some Champagne to pair with their oysters on the waterfront. For something upscale, head to nearby Dune for Atlantic halibut with coconut-lemongrass broth and chili-rubbed shrimp tostadas. For a good old fashioned Nantucket clam bake—replete with the essentials like steamers, mussels, clam chowder, lobster, corn on the cob, potatoes, butter, and broth—look no further than Sayle’s Seafood. Starting at $42 per person, the bake can be made to-go or catered; add-ons include shrimp cocktail, oysters on the half shell, and cheese platters.

For something more casual, Nantucket is also home to killer sandwiches. The Straight Wharf Fish Store, where locals pick up fresh catches to cook at home, also serves prepared foods like lobster rolls, chowder, and a fried swordfish sandwich. Find another one of the island’s best sandwiches at Something Natural. The BLT, on home-baked Portuguese bread is beach fare at its best; while the avocado, chutney, and cheddar is salty-sweet perfection. The famous Terry Terrific, which comes with turkey, herb bread stuffing, and cranberry sauce, is another hit.

For ice cream, everyone goes to Juice Bar. An oversize scoop of chocolate oreo ice cream in a fresh, buttery waffle cone is what you need in your life. There’s usually a line outside, but don’t let it deter you—you’ll need the wait to choose among their dozens of flavors.

For lighter fare, grab a charcuterie plate at the Proprietors (open for the season in April), margaritas in Madaket at Millie’s (open for the season in May), or peanut-crusted halibut at Sconset Café.

Where to stay in Nantucket

The hotel landscape on Nantucket is distinguished by plenty of posh stays and bed-and-breakfasts alike. The Nantucket Hotel (from $295 per night), which bills itself as the island’s only year-round stay, is a shingle mansion with a spacious wraparound porch, and has a past life as the 1891 Point Breeze hotel. Besides the hotel’s history, its homemade popovers, plush bathrobes, and complimentary ferry pick-up and drop-off service contribute to a feeling of home. (Though the two outdoor swimming pools are unlike home for most.) White Elephant (from $205 per night), a previous winner of Condé Nast Traveler’s Readers’ Choice Awards, is a luxe waterfront resort with a hotel, an inn, several cottages, and a couple lofts a walk away downtown, an excellent choice for families or groups of friends who want a space of their own. The Wauwinet (from $205 per night), a Relais & Chateaux hotel, a sister to the White Elephant, and Nantucket’s grande dame, is located on the more remote northeastern tip of the island. Wauwinet guests are often couples or families, content to be in a quiet area. It’s fancy and romantic. Life House (from $999 per night), which opened last summer, has all the appeal of a bed-and-breakfast, but with modern digs, a daily complimentary happy hour, and a beautifully designed patio where locals and hotel guests mingle.

Published at Wed, 31 Mar 2021 16:25:33 +0000