Vanessa Noel Hotel :

VNH is an 1840’s building lovingly restored with the original footprint preserved during the recent renovation. Located in the charming and historically preserved town of Nantucket, the Vanessa Noel Hotel (VNH) is an elegant, refined and luxurious choice for lodging. Its elegant minimalist décor is “Nantucket chic” and is the creation of luxury shoe and lifestyle designer Vanessa Noel. Vanessa’s finely tuned artistic eye is evident at the VNH.

We stayed in room #1 and it had the largest floor plan. Every inch of it was designed in an elegant, functional way. The refined Armani Casi furniture gracefully defines and enlightens the room and defines the “Nantucket chic” ambiance. Wrapping the full size cashmere blanket around myself made settling into the room delightful. The 300 thread count custom-made Frette sheets and duvets felt like the middle of a coveted chocolate truffle. The Frette bathrobe felt like sips from a divine glass of silky champagne. The Hermes bath products were a lavish touch. The beauty of the subtle, pale light blue ceiling  completely relaxes the soul, and guided us into a deep, restful and restorative sleep.

The staff was warm and welcoming. Housekeeping was precise and impeccable. The highly refined taste of Vanessa Noel is evident everywhere. Vanessa’s philosophy is, “A house is like a cupcake-and I am all about the icing.” The VNH is a stone’s throw from all Nantucket’s shops, restaurant’s and galleries. It’s a short stroll into the heart of the downtown Nantucket experience. Rooms range from $330-$545 per night.

Vanessa Noel Hotel
5 Chestnut Street
Nantucket, MA 02554
508-228-5300
www.vanessanoelhotel.com

VENTUNO
Ventuno, which is Italian for the number 21, has successfully embarked on the relaxed and rustic theme of the Italian countryside. Under the same ownership of Straight Wharf, the creative culinary direction has happily landed at the iconic address of 21 Federal. Many regular's will fondly remember the more formal incarnation of 21 Federal. No one will be disappointed with the revised focus of a rustic Italian gourmet menu. The tables are dressed with white linen and colorful table runners.  The small flower vase artfully contains fresh picked wild flowers. If we had an Italian Grandmother, we would have expected to see her turn the corner and cheerfully welcome us with open arms to Ventuno. We have a simple rule - when on Nantucket, and one finds local scallops on the menu, order them!  We began with Capersante, consisting of local scallops, Bartlett Farm corn, heirloom cherry tomatoes, zucchini and basil -$34. The scallops were perfectly seared ivory pillows of tender, succulent, fresh shellfish. Bartlett Farm's produce is always outstanding. The local corn and cherry tomatoes, zucchini and basil played a symphony of supreme harmony.

We intentionally kept the dinner selection light in order to enjoy dessert. The star of the dessert line-up is the Bomboloncini. We’d go to Ventuno every night just for this dessert. It is pure heaven for all the senses. The dessert consisted of a bittersweet chocolate trio of doughnuts, with a generous scoop of mint chocolate chip gelato with a warm, rich and creamy chocolate sauce. The doughnuts are house made daily and simply nothing else compares. The contrast of the sweet, soft, puffy doughnut with the sharp, bright mint gelato next to a pool of rich and creamy chocolate is the BOMB. Bring a hearty appetite to Ventuno and savor all the many directions this menu and glorious experience takes you. Ventuno will bring you to the Italian countryside for an outstanding and memorable evening. We’ll certainly be back!  Open 5:30-10:00 Tuesday-Sunday eve in June. Nightly in July and August.

Ventuno
21 Federal Street
Phone: 508-228-4242
www.ventunorestaurant.com

STRAIGHT WHARF
On our morning walk around downtown Nantucket, we noticed a Bartlett Farm truck parked at Straight Wharf. Two bags full of fresh produce were being delivered to the restaurant. Witnessing a delivery of “farm-to-table” produce was a true delight and the stage was set for what was about to be experienced for dinner. Straight Wharf has always been one of our favorite restaurants on Nantucket. It’s casual, comfortable and sophisticated. The rustic exposed wood beams make for a warm and inviting atmosphere. The staff is always professional and courteous. The menu is well rounded and reflects the abundance of the local farming season. For starters we ordered the "Island Lettuces" salad, ($9) which was literally just picked from the farm. Nirvana! The crisp romaine lettuce was a brilliant shade of green. It was lightly dressed with buttermilk ranch house dressing. The shaved fennel and radish added a surprising layer of spice. The subtle garden herbs added a tremendously fresh and flavorful dimension.

Our entrée choice was broiled Nantucket Fluke served with island vegetables, chanterelles and sauce gribiche ($32)- The menu deeply reflects the local, seasonal and ....