Martha’s Vineyard has been known to be a destination location for celebrating special occasions. While you may not be able to book a table at your favorite restaurant at the moment, you can get takeout — and take it to the next level. You may be surprised just how special your night can be. We’re highlighting local businesses and the Vineyard lifestyle in our new support-the-island drive we’re calling We Love MV. Today, it’s We Love MV: Celebrating A Special Occasion With Takeout Food On Martha’s Vineyard.
My husband and I celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary on May 27th. We had great plans for this milestone in our lives, but as with many, plans changed. Just because we were not able to travel or go out to dinner, did not mean we were throwing in the towel.
WE LOVE MV: Celebrating A Special Occasion With Takeout Food From Bettini
We have been doing a lot with takeout these days to support our local restaurants and because I LOVE to eat out. You may have noticed that over the years. With takeout being our only option (I was not cooking), we wanted to take it up a notch.
So, we called up Bettini at the Harbor View Hotel to order dinner. The new Culinary Director, Hart Lowry, has created a menu that is perfect for takeout –casual, yet gourmet and approachable.
We packed our beach table, picnic basket, and chairs, and headed to Edgartown. When we arrived, our food was brought down to us. It was quite lovely to have this for curbside pick-up. Added bonus, my husband surprised me by adding a bottle of Moët. I do love my bubbles.
Before heading down the path to the Edgartown Lighthouse, we asked for a photo or two to memorialize the moment. Of course, with masks, and one without (more than 6 feet apart).
WE LOVE MV: Celebrating A Special Occasion With Takeout Food – It’s Not Just Dinner It’s An Experience
We set up wares, and began to unpack our food. The first thing we noticed were the stickers on the containers. Each container was labeled with not only what the item was, but what the ingredients were. It was a nice touch.
We started with our appetizers. We ordered the Seared Local Diver Scallops with summer corn, pancetta, tarragon and smoked chile. These were delicious of course — scallops and pancetta are a great combination.
Then we moved on to our salad. We got the Arugula Salad with Parmesan, shaved fennel, orange and lemon vinaigrette. The dressing on this was just perfect for the summer – light and bright!
For our main courses, my husband got the Rigatoni Bolognese. He was very pleased with his meal. This is one of his favorite dishes to order and he enjoyed it very much. He also got the Chilled Farro and Quinoa Salad which was really good. I see this as a great grab and go for lunch!
I ordered the Truffled Mushroom Flatbread. I couldn’t believe how good this flatbread was and how big it was! This was AMAZING! I loved every bite, and for only $18, I will be getting this pizza often. The Lemon Garlic Chicken might be on my list to try too.
The meal ends with Roxy’s Rainbow Cookies – a Harbor View Hotel signature treat. We also had a petite anniversary cake to round out the meal.
WE LOVE MV: Celebrating A Special Occasion With Takeout Food Plus A Magical MV Beach Location
What made it special? Well, the presentation from Bettini for takeout. Though competitively priced for most things, they delivered on experience. Also, dining out by the Edgartown Lighthouse is pretty amazing, even when it’s not sunny.
As people walked by while we were dining, they were commenting on how “we were doing it right.” I guess that means it looked like a fun dinner out. I am not sure if it was the food, the surroundings or because it was an important day, but we both agreed that is was the best date night we’ve had in a long time.
Takeout doesn’t have to be ordinary. It can easily become a memorable experience when taken somewhere special. Also, having a good picnic set up makes it even more special.
Whether it’s a lobster roll from Larsen’s or a burger from Offshore or the pork belly from Sweet Life Cafe, it can become a memorable dining experience. There are so many great restaurants offering takeout options!
I myself was surprised at how lovely and fancy it all felt. We definitely enjoyed our anniversary dinner. A little effort, a great dinner, and we made it special.
We Love MV: Celebrating Special Occasions On Martha’s Vineyard – NOT CANCELED!
We hope that you will have wonderful takeout experiences – from the most casual to the elevated. If you’re on the Vineyard, we hope you’re enjoying being on the island, and if not, we hope to see you soon.
Summer will be here before you know it. It promises to be a summer of new experiences, finding new favorites — enjoying the Vineyard unscripted. Reimagined.
We hope you are staying safe during these times. Please don’t forget to “Like” Point B Realty on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter, Linked In, Pinterest, Youtube and Instagram.
Author’s Note: You can create more memories from your special night by adding a professional photographer. My husband surprised me by hiring Nicole Friedler for anniversary pictures.