I love a reason to go to The Beach Plum Inn. When I heard that island chef John Thurgood was going to offer breakfast at the Inn daily this Summer, I knew I would find my way there.
Soon after, my friend Jessie who works in Chilmark, suggested we go try out breakfast at the Inn. Of course I jumped on the opportunity to spend time with her and finally cross this off my Summer bucket list.
We went on what seems typical for this Summer, beautiful blue sky morning. Jessie being on time, me always late, had scored us a great corner table with the perfect view of Memensha Harbor.
She sipped her coffee, which she said was delicious, and I, on fresh squeezed orange juice. I am not a big OJ drinker, but when it’s fresh like this, I could do some damage. I couldn’t help but think how great it would be with mimosas.
We were slow to order, just taking in the view and the beauty of the property. Chickens walked around (the eggs they use come from their chickens on the farm), kids played in the fields below, and boats were coming in and out of the harbor in the distance. A truly lovely, relaxing, magical way to begin a Summer day.
However, we had to snap back into reality, as we both had work commitments that were looming over us. Usually I get something different from whatever my friend gets, but not this time. Jessie and I both got the fish cakes.
I am not a huge fan typically, but John’s sounded too interesting not to try. His fish cakes feature poached duck egg, hollandaise sauce on top of a bed of North Tabor greens, and get this awesome addition, sea beans.
See why I had to try them? Perhaps next time, try the omelette or asparagus benedict which both sounded really good. The menu is not huge, but has some good breakfast items with John’s twist, like sea greens and duck eggs for fish cakes. He takes classics and creates Up-Island, locally inspired memorable breakfast meals.
Both of us were extremely happy with the fish cakes. As I had hoped, the sea beans were soooooo good with the fish cakes and greens. That salty crunch can be such a great addition. Also, the duck egg, from The Good Farm, was just different enough to make the dish even more interesting. This fish was just picked up at the docks and could only be fresher if I had caught it myself. The dish was so light, yet so filling. It was easy to come close to cleaning my plate.
Enjoying good food that’s a little different, made with local ingredients, while looking out at that view, is truly an experience, and something special, to do at least once over the Summer months.
People might find the dishes to be a little pricey, the fish cakes were $19, the omlette $18, but John is using super local, super fresh ingredients. He goes to the farms to get his veggies. He goes to the Menemsha Fish House to get the fish for breakfast and the pop-up dinners at the Inn.
Meet The Chef
Chef John Thurgood has worked at a number of the best restaurants on Martha’s Vineyard, including the Homeport and the Chilmark Tavern. He’s been on the Island for years, and has really good relationships with the farmers and a good knowledge of Island farms.
Yes, the Beach Plum is doing breakfast everyday, but did you know that there are also Summer pop-up dinners twice a week? This is where John says he really shines. He’s a seafood guy, and he says he whips up some pretty amazing dishes.
The pop-up dinners are twice a week, Wednesday and Sunday. Click here for a full list of themes, menus, guest chefs and more. Featured is a picture from the Beach Plum’s Island Chicken Night.
Summer seems to be going by at the speed of light, but I do hope to make one of these dinners, and enjoy an evening at the Beach Plum.
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Guinevere’s Tip: Don’t forget to wander down a bit onto the grass. To the right, you’ll find Beach Plum’s little farm which is home to their chickens and a couple really cute alpacas.