Red Cat Kitchen @ Ken'n'Beck | Oak Bluffs

Our night on Martha's Vineyard celebrating Alex's 30th Birthday was one for the books. The Red Cat Kitchen at Ken'n'Beck came highly recommended for dinner. We decided to partake in the Chef's Whim Tasting - which is strictly for folks with zero food aversions or food allergies. The entire table must agree to participate and decide on a number of courses (we chose four). Chef-owner Ben Deforest calls it The Wild Ride.

Lobster Bisque | the late great Stew Rounsville's recipe

Island Smoked Bluefish | baby heirloom tomato salad with grilled bread, preserved lemon and extra virgin olive oil

Tempura Salmon | sweet corn risotto, watermelon, cucumber & feta salad

Grilled Porterhouse | fennel ver jus, whipped sweet potatoes & grilled asparagus

Cocktails: Basil Gimlet and Sazeracs

This was unanimously one of the best meals we've had in a long time. And that was perhaps some of the best lobster bisque I've had, ever. Every course was special - well thought out, creative and perfectly executed. The vibe of this tiny spot with low lighting, chill music, and eclectic artwork from local artists can't be beat! 

Red Cat Kitchen

14 Kennebec Ave

Oak Bluffs, MA 02557

Oak Bluffs | Martha's Vineyard

Stay: The Dockside Inn is a boutique seaside retreat located a few steps from the Oak Bluffs ferry terminal. A dapper Victorian revival style home with wide wraparound porches features 21 rooms where a contemporary design meets nautical décor. The hotel is complimented by a well maintained back yard: here you will find a hot tub, an outdoor shower, and a beach gear room stocked with an ice chest, coolers, towels, beach chairs and sand toys. An adjoining snack room offers complimentary treats - coffee and fresh pastries in the morning, Cape Cod potato chips, pretzels and ice cream to hold you over before dinner. There is even a 1956 Rolls Royce on hand to take you for a spin around the island (or a one way destination trip.)

The Dockside makes it easy to unwind and relax. How refreshing to show up to the island and get so much more than just a place to rest your head! 

The Dockside Inn

9 Circuit Avenue Extension
Oak Bluffs, MA 02557

Last Summer: Harbor View Hotel, Edgartown

Eat: The Red Cat Kitchen at Ken'n'Beck - we had a phenomenal four course chefs whim which will be showcased in a separate post. The Lookout Tavern - that sushi, I mean!! The fish tacos and bloody marys were also great. The Seafood Shanty - Lobster Roll for the win! 

Last Summer: Edgartown Round up (all the good eats + more!)

Memorial Day Weekend | Newport, RI

Newport is a coastal Rhode Island city filled with bustling harborfront wharfs and stunning seaside mansions. I have visited a handful times over the years and realized it has somehow never made the blog! It makes for an easy getaway from Boston. Memorial Day Weekend was too cold for the beach, but perfect weather for biking throughout the mansion filled drives and taking in the panoramic waterfront vistas. 

Pictured:

The quaint neighborhood and house we stayed at

Rosé at Castle Hill Inn

Biking along Ocean Shore Drive

Dirty Martinis at Clarke Cooke House on Bannister Wharf

Select Oyster Bar

One of the foods I can truly say I eat the most of (this time of year, especially) is oysters. I never seem to tire of these pristine specimens, and Boston does them oh-so-well. Take the recently opened Select Oyster Bar where an irreproachable selection is matched by stunning crudi and inventive fruits de mer. 

what we ate:

raw oysters ($2.75) | wellfleet, marthas vineyard, kumamoto

dressed maine lobster ($29) | fine herbs + lemon

faroe island salmon crudo ($14) | togarashi, pistachio oil, lime

flash seared hamachi ($19) | sweet corn salad, whipped avocado, lime slaw

spanish octopus ($18) | roasted tomatillo, chimichurri, blistered snap peas, serrano chili

and drank:

Ulacia txakolina rose ($15/glass)

hemingway daquiri ($13.5) | privateer rum, maraschino, fresh citrus

green issac's special ($13.5) | cap rock gin, coconut water, bitters, lime

Gramona Imperial cava ($65/bottle)

While I will admit that I can hardly keep up with Boston's booming restaurant scene, I was so happy that the ladies and I made it a point to visit Select in its infant state. Tucked neatly into a small, narrow space on Gloucester Street in the Back Bay - this bright, cheerful oyster bar with a charming back patio is a welcome addition to the seafood scene. 

Read Meghan's recap of our evening on Travel Wine Dine here.

Select Oyster Bar

50 Gloucester St

Boston, MA 02115