The Restaurants Your Grandparents Loved (And You Should Too)

I was recently informed that a new restaurant has opened on the island offering something called "deconstructed clam chowder." I was also informed that it has a three-week waiting list. I have never felt older, or more correct.

Allow me to share what I know about dining on Nantucket.

The Virtue of Consistency

There is a restaurant on this island where I have eaten the same dish—broiled scallops, locally caught, served with rice pilaf and a vegetable medley—every summer since 1974. The recipe has not changed. The preparation has not changed. The portion size has not changed. The only thing that has changed is the price, which I accept as the cost of inflation.

This is not a criticism. This is the highest praise.

When I sit down at that table, I know exactly what I will receive. There are no "unexpected flavor profiles." There are no ingredients I cannot pronounce. There is simply expertly prepared seafood, served on a white plate, by a waiter who understands that I do not wish to hear about his screenplay.

What Makes a Classic Restaurant

The establishments I patronize share certain characteristics:

Longevity. If a restaurant has not survived at least twenty years on this island, it has not proven itself. The seasonal nature of Nantucket commerce is unforgiving. Restaurants that endure have earned their place.

Tablecloths. I do not trust a restaurant without tablecloths. A bare wooden table says "we are casual," but it also says "we may not take your dining experience seriously." Tablecloths indicate investment.

A recognizable menu. If I cannot identify at least 80% of the ingredients listed, the establishment is trying too hard. Lobster is lobster. Chowder is chowder. A restaurant need not reinvent what already works.

Proper service. The waiter should be attentive but not intrusive. He should know when my water needs refilling without being asked. He should not ask if everything is "absolutely fantastic" while I am chewing.

My Recommendations

I shall not name names, for my recommendations are coveted and I have no wish to increase wait times at my preferred establishments. However, I will offer this guidance:

Walk the streets of downtown on a summer evening. Observe which restaurants have patrons who appear to be over fifty. Note which establishments have been in the same location for decades. Consider which have menus that do not require a glossary.

These are the restaurants your grandparents loved. These are the restaurants that understand what Nantucket dining is meant to be.

A Word on "Innovation"

My colleague Mrs. St. Claire has suggested, in these very pages, that I am resistant to change. This is incorrect. I am resistant to unnecessary change.

When a restaurant attempts to "elevate" a dish that was already at its zenith, they are not elevating. They are fiddling. They are adjusting a mechanism that was already functioning perfectly.

The baked stuffed lobster at my preferred establishment has been prepared the same way since before I was born. It is perfect. It does not require truffle oil. It does not require "Asian fusion elements." It requires simply to be left alone.

The Younger Generation

I am occasionally asked by younger family members for restaurant recommendations. They want somewhere "with good vibes" or "Instagrammable plates." I do not know what these terms mean, and I do not wish to know.

I tell them: find a restaurant where the oldest diner is older than you, and eat what they are eating. You will not be disappointed.

The classics endure for a reason. Trust your grandparents. They were right about most things, and they were certainly right about dinner.