Cru Oyster Bar :

There’s a changing of the guard on Nantucket's fine dining scene. Old ways are being retired as a young, sophisticated generation of restauranteurs and chefs engage their guests on every sensory level. 

No longer is dining limited to sitting, ordering, eating, and paying. Now it's about creating the perfect ambiance. It’s all about theater. About embarking on a fun, exciting journey and finding yourself transported to another time and place. It’s a serious business. Millions of dollars are at stake. And it takes the right crew to make it a success.

The latest Nantucket restaurant you’ve got to check out is Cru Oyster Bar at Straight Wharf. It's located where the famous Rope Walk used to be for twenty-two years! Be prepared to be transported to a new place and time. We’ll dine on fresh oysters and sample some delicious seafood dishes. The curtain goes up on a Bourbon Kentucky Monk cocktail. The gentle Nantucket breeze blows through the open-air dining room. The mega yachts are anchored off stage right in the marina. Come join us for act one at Cru!

The Cast - Cru's Crew
Carlos Hidalgo has an inviting smile. You can tell he’s good at running restaurants. He’s been in and out of the business and worked with his brother at an Internet startup they founded. “I never thought I’d get back into the restaurant business. I sold Bomboa Restaurant in Boston and then worked with my brother.  Eventually, I came back to Boston to help a friend launch his new place and then came to Nantucket to manage The Boarding House and Pearl Restaurants. I thought to myself, I’m good at this and I love it,” Carlos said. When the lease expired for the Rope Walk, he teamed up with two other Boarding House colleagues Jane Stoddard Director of Operations and Chef Erin Zircher to found Cru.

Strike the Stage. Cru’s Interior Design Shines
The old Rope Walk was tired. When Carlos and his partners got their hands on the space, they quickly realized that it needed to be gutted. “The floors where rotten and a third of the restaurant was cantilevered over the Boat Basin on pilings. It wasn’t safe,” Carlos said.  He pulled out his iPhone to show us several snap shots that depicted how serious an undertaking the renovation was. “We were down to four walls and a dirt floor. A white canvas for us to create a new casual elegant place to dine in on Nantucket”.

Cru is a delightful stroll from Main Street. Head down Straight Wharf and pass by the Hy-Line Ferry and you’ll see their new digs. Walk up the gangplank entry and step inside. You’ll feel like you’re entering a vintage yacht. Gauthier Stacy in Boston, MA designed Cru’s interiors. They used natural materials and fixtures to complement Nantucket’s monochromatic grey shingle signature look. We especially liked the White Oak floors and the use of the reclaimed barn wood. Our favorite fixture is the crystal driftwood chandelier hanging in front of the gas fireplace. The bar is accented with an exotic sapele wood veneer and the stools are made from Bristol condition brass. They’re comfortable too. "All the furniture is custom made," Carlos said.

Cru's floor plan is interesting. It includes a hip patio, two bars and a main dining room. We were seated in the back bar at a semi-circular table that looked as if it was from the famous J-Boat, ‘Ranger’. It’s the best seat in the house. With the French doors opened and the cool Nantucket breeze blowing, you’ll feel like you’re in a bygone era on vintage yacht! We were ready to set sail and enjoy the food.

The Curtain Goes Up - Oysters Rule
To ease into your meal at Cru, why not try Carlos’ original libation creation called the ‘Kentucky Monk’. It’s made with Bulliet Bourbon, Green Chartreuse, Aperol and Benedictine - $15.00. Meant to be savored and be sipped slowly, you’ll have plenty of time to talk and peruse the menu. Perfect! Cru is a serious seafood restaurant and the oysters rule. They’re oyster aficionados here. Finish. Flavors. Length. We’re talking oysters, not wine! It was interesting to learn about the food and how Island Creek Oysters out of Duxbury, MA farmed some of the selections on Cape Cod.

Temperature makes a huge difference in the oyster business. When the water is warmer, the oyster’s cup is deeper. When the temperature is colder the oyster is smaller and much sweeter. Pacific oysters tend to be much smaller than those farmed on the East Coast. We’d recommend a sampling. Here’s the skinny on what we tried:

Salty Ball  - Chatham, Ma