With Summer winding down, there are thoughts of up-Island adventures running through my mind. With that is the desire to have some more memorable times with friends and family before the warm weather slips away. Always on the lookout for something new, I recently stumbled upon Beach Plum Bites at the The Beach Plum Restaurant.
Ah, the lovely Beach Plum Inn, nestled behind a winding driveway in Menemsha. I, like many others, think of it as a place to go for a special occasion, but that is no longer the case. There are plenty of delicious reasons to go any day of the week.
Owner, Sarah Nixon, Chef Teddy Diggs and the rest of the team have come up with the fabulous idea of Beach Plum Bites. Beach Plum Bites features a selection of amazing nibbles, perfect for a light lunch or a snack from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Wednesday – Sunday. Why is this so exciting? Well, you can enjoy these delectable morsels on the Beach Plum’s amazing patio overlooking Menemsha.
A Perfect, Unexpected Way to Savor the Flavors of MV
Let me set the scene for you. It’s late morning and you decide you want to head up-Island with your friends. Instead of the usual beach excursion, you want something a little different. So, bottle of wine in hand or perhaps a cooler of selected bevys, you drive to The Beach Plum.
Drive down that little road to the inn, walk through the door, and take in that million dollar view. Grab a seat on the lounge furniture on the deck, get comfy, soak up the sunshine and the smell of the ocean, open that wine, and order a selection of Beach Plum Bites. Seriously – don’t you already feel a bit more relaxed just thinking about it?
Now that you’re enjoying all of these things, it’s time to talk about the bites which will make your day even more wonderful. With Chef Teddy Diggs at the helm, we’ve got a lot of fresh, local food to enjoy, including homemade whipped feta with local vegetables, Katama Bay or Menemsha oysters on the half shell with homemade creme fraiche.
I had Katama Bays which were delicious of course and a different take on oysters for me. It was my first time having anything else on oysters, besides cocktail sauce. There’s also heirloom tomatoes (from Beach Plum’s own garden) with fresh ricotta, local pickled, deviled eggs with bacon bread crumbs, yummy, a cheese plate, warm olives served with amazing flatbread and more.
If all that food and sun leaves you requiring a little pick-me-up before heading out, Beach Plum offers espresso and of course, Chilmark Coffee Company, including its Cold Brew (seriously good cold coffee). Beach Plum even has its own Chilmark Coffee blend, Beach Plum Buzz which has notes citrus, walnut, and chocolate – smooth and tasty.
I really like the idea of the “out of dining experience” with Beach Plum Bites at someplace that has been long thought of as a special occasion place to dine. Though it is indeed beautiful and makes you feel like you’re on vacation, you can and should go anytime (until Columbus Day) and make an ordinary day a little extraodinary. After all, isn’t everyday on the Vineyard special in some way?
Perhaps You Want More than Just Bites
If a midday romp up to the Beach Plum is out of the question for you, head up for dinner. I know that I myself had not been there in years. I always think of it as a place that’s too fancy for me now that I have kids which is far from true.
It was a perfect place to grab dinner with my family. There’s even a barn with chickens and an Alpaca that you can take the kids to see after dinner, a good bribing tool to help the kids behave and eat their food. A true added bonus.
I was really impressed with the dinner menu. Again, lots of local foods, including Vineyard Sole, with sweet corn, crispy ham, and pickled shallots and roasted bluefish, with summer legumes, baby bok choy, pickled mustard seeds, charred oranges and arugula.
I had the sole and my husband had the bluefish, both of which were absolutely delicious, fresh, and light. Looking over the waters where the fish were caught made me appreciate and enjoy my dinner even more. After apps, the fish, wine and the view, we were completely satiated and happy as could be.
Ready to head home to the big city, Oak Bluffs, with no more room to spare for dessert, Chef Teddy tempted us with Beach Plum’s homemade, warm ricotta doughnuts from the breakfast menu. Being a sucker for fresh doughnuts, we have certainly had our fill this summer from Backdoor Doughnuts, we could not resist.
It really was the perfect way to end the meal. They were soft and warm and had just enough sweetness to them. I love that all three menus, breakfast, Beach Plum Bites, and dinner offer so many homemade foods. The freshness comes through in the flavor, and makes everything that much more tasty.
So, if you’re ready to try something new today, or revisit an old fav in a new way, head on up to The Beach Plum Inn for Beach Plum Bites, and be prepared for a great experience. I feel a little guilty telling people about the bites on the patio with that amazing view, like it’s an up-Island secret, and I just blabbed about it. Anyway, just go and enjoy, but remember you only have until Columbus Day weekend.
At the Beach Plum, Beach Plum Bites are available from 11:00 – 4:30pm, dinner from 5:30pm-9:30pm, both Wednesday – Sunday. Also, brunch will start on Sundays, September 16th, and be sure to check out the September Sunset Special – three courses for $38.
Thanks for reading On Point – I hope you enjoyed it. You can find the Beach Plum Inn & Restaurant on Facebook. And speaking of social media, don’t forget to “Like” us on Facebook, on follow us on Twitter, Linked In, Pinterest and YouTube.
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