The Summer House :

Todd English is a busy man. Being a celebrity chef, restauranteur, author, entrepreneur, and television personality isn’t as easy as you’d think. How does a guy like Todd ever find time to smell the roses? At The Summer House of course.The picture perfect rose covered cottages and casual elegance of The Summer House is the place to take a deep breath, relax and unwind on Nantucket.

English has been a regular here since becoming best friends with proprietor Danielle de Benedictis when he opened his first restaurant in Charlestown, MA. These two have chemistry. Their amazing energy is the catalyst of an exciting renaissance movement taking place at The Summer House.

So are you ready to break some bread with Todd English? Can you take a little time to smell the roses with us?  Let’s settle into Francesca cottage for an unforgettable stay at The Summer House. Come on. You’re invited too!

The Beachside Bistro
We’re invited to lunch with Todd, Patty Arcuni (Todd’s Mother) and Danielle at The Summer House’s Beachside Bistro. The restaurant overlooks a spectacular sandy beach and the Atlantic Ocean. It’s a casual place. The seating is al fresco. The bar serves up specialty drinks such as the ‘Summer House Cocktail’ and ‘D’s Bloody Mary’ and, if you’d like, you can order from the full menu as well.

English got his culinary start at an early age. His grandmother, who lived in the Bronx made pasta by hand and laid it out to dry on her mattress. "It was Todd’s first memory of food. He was four years old. He loved watching his grandmother make Italian pasta,” Patty said. 

English’s latest passion is using local farm-to-table produce and seasonal seafood to create his menus and there’s no better place than Nantucket to showcase this healthy lifestyle approach to fine dining. “The oysters are from Wellfleet on Cape Cod and the produce was hand picked today at Bartlett Farms. The Fluke was caught in Nantucket waters too. It’s all about using the freshest ingredients,” English said. We did a tasting menu for lunch and sampled some truly incredible dishes including:

The Grilled Fish Taco - $22.00 
This was everyone’s favorite, hands down. The taco was made with fresh pan seared Fluke, Napa Cabbage Slaw, Bistro Hot Sauce and Cilantro. The wheat tortilla was delicate and soft and it held everything together as it should. The portion size was generous. Todd loves this dish so much that he asked me to share mine. 

The Nantucket Cuban - $21.00
Prepared with Pulled Pork, Applewood Bacon, Mustard Dressing, and Cornichons.

Lobster Roll - $26.00
These rolls are to die for. Generous portion of Maine Lobster, Brioche Roll, Lemon Aioli, Crème Fraiche and Cape Cod Chips.

Dozen Oysters on the Half Shell – Market price
The oysters were served with Blood Orange Sherry Mignonette and a Tequila Cocktail Sauce. We also sampled the Sweetneck Oysters. 
They are an additional $3.50 /each.

The Beachside Bistro
17 Ocean Avenue
Siasconset, MA 02564
Reservations - 508-257-4542

The Summer House Cottages
If you are lucky enough to stay in one of the quaint rose cover cottages, you’ll think about returning to recharge your batteries time and time again.

What’s special about The Summer House is its authenticity. If you’re expecting a big, blue-chip luxury hotel expereince to feed your ego you'd best leave it at home and open your heart to a property that has a soul. Refresh. Relax. Rejuvenate.

The casual elegance and ambience is a respite from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Many famous people have stayed at The Summer House to get away from it all. James Cagney used to be a frequent guest before he bought a house on island. The two-bedroom cottage that bares his name is the first one on the right as you walk up the white seashell covered entryway.

We stayed in the rose covered ‘Francesca’ cottage. It’s really adorable. The cottage has a little teak deck with window boxes, Adirondack chairs and a small cocktail table. The deck is perfect for chilling and people watching. The complimentary Wifi worked great and you can plug your laptop into the outlet located just inside.

The cottage has a very simple layout. The footprint measures approximately 36’ x 13’ It was a fishing cabin back in the day and was located down on the beach before being moved to it’s current location after the main house burned down on the bluff in the early 1900’s. The ceiling is lofted with pine white washed exposed beams and the floors are cherry. The walls, faux painted in a chintzy floral pattern, frame the cottage. These simple treatments add to its rustic charm.

Francesca has been decorated and furnished sensibly. It has a full sized bed with two small nightstands, pine dresser drawers, small writing desk, and a convenient walk-in closet with an efficiency fridge. There is also an armoire that houses the television. The bathroom is marble with a Jacuzzi and shower setup. The cottage is cooled by a small yet powerful window air conditioner. During the fall she is warmed by electric heat. Francesca has great energy and if you’re looking to have a romantic getaway or spend some relaxing time at the ....