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Volume 37 Issue 16 • August 10-16, 2007 now in our 37th season

	In This Issue
	Features • Nantucket: for the Birds • Man Behind the Music • Banking Under the Stars • Limerick Challenge Events • Tour of Historic House • What's New & Happening Island Cooking • The Holidays Island Essay • Island in Winter Featured Restaurant Island Science

TOPPER'S - An Elegant Evening Out

For some, going out to eat is a prelude to the evening entertainment; for others it is the evening entertainment.  If you fall into the latter category, then TOPPER’S is the restaurant for you.

TOPPER’S is a place to dine rather than to eat.  Located at the far northern tip of the island in The Wauwinet, Nantucket’s only Relais & Chateaux inn, this acclaimed restaurant combines comfort and luxury with an ambiance that defines upscale Nantucket.

There are two approaches to TOPPER’S:  you can drive out to the village of Wauwinet, past the Trustees of the Reservations gatehouse, and into the enclave of inn, restaurant, cottages, dock, private beach, and spa that comprises The Wauwinet; or you can cruise out over the water via the Wauwinet Lady, past the huge yachts, Brant Point Lighthouse, and the natural beauty of Coatue.  The Wauwinet Lady departs from Straight Wharf at 11 am and at 5 pm, and the roundtrip cruise is complimentary for those who honor reservations for lunch or dinner.  Reservations for the cruise must be made when lunch or dinner reservations are arranged.

When we arrived one recent evening, the village of Wauwinet was enveloped in a thick summer fog, yet TOPPER’S sheltered deck, lined with bright hibiscus and appointed with cushioned black wicker seating around linen-covered tables, was still inviting.   The menu served on the Bayview Terrace is different from the one served in the dining room.  Innkeeper Bettina Landt describes it as “more playful…more of a series of dishes, not set courses.”  A glance at the offerings reveals nine different categories such as “Odd Things,” “Indulgence,” “Sous Vide,” and “Wild Caught.” Many of the tempting selections are offered in two sizes to encourage tastings.

Inside, the main dining room and adjacent sun room are exquisitely decorated in blue and cream, the walls adorned with large paintings of country images, including a portrait of the owners’ Welch terrier, for whom the restaurant was named.  Tables are set with crystal, linen, and exquisite custom-made French porcelain with a seaside pattern.  Fresh flowers add a touch of bright color.  Every detail adds to the effect.

The elegance of TOPPER’S is complimented by polished service.  Staff is professional but not stiff; they’re well-trained and move about the dining room with quiet assurance, anticipating the needs of their guests. 

Cellar Master Craig Hanna is everpresent and happy to consult on wine choices from the nearly 1500 selections in his extensive, award-winning cellar.  Wines at TOPPER’S range from moderately priced to Grand Award winners.  The emphasis is on French Burgundies, with a very good showing of Rhone Valley and American.  With prices starting at $25 a bottle, Hanna proves that quality is not always synonymous with expensive.

Now in his second season at TOPPER’S, Executive Chef David Daniels has  made the kitchen his own.  His unerring sense for food pairings, seemingly inexhaustible creativity, and uncompromising standards are why dinner here is consistently top-notch.  It is astounding how much flavor a fine chef can coax from fresh ingredients if he has the skill and experience, which Chef Daniels clearly has. He uses restraint in sauces and accompaniments, and though these have well-defined flavor, they all enhance and heighten the taste of the main element rather than masking it.  When you order scallops, you taste scallops.

	Even the bread here deserves high praise:  all house-made, the basket (lightship, of course) filled with thin and salty breadsticks, crusty and hearty multi-grain bread, and brown bread, moist and full of molasses distracted us from studying the menu. After making our selections, an amuse bouche was brought to the table in the form of a sweet and savory Fig Foie Gras Creme Bruleé.  Two bites and it was gone, but the memory lingers.
Dinner guests at TOPPER’S can choose between the Tasting Menu, which must be ordered by the entire table, and the Three-Course Prix Fixe.  The prix fixe has a dozen choices for appetizers and nine for entrees — every one a stunning example of culinary artistry. The haute cuisine influence shows especially in the starters.  Our appetizers arrived and conversation stopped:  they were simply gorgeous, dramatic presentations of color and shapes.  We gazed at them from different angles as though they were in a gallery before we picked up our forks and discovered they taste just as good as they look.
	The Sashimi Quality Tuna is a perfect starter, the sort of dish that is so good it makes you yearn for more, yet light enough that it won't eclipse what is to come.  Diced small and anointed with aged soy and Asian spices, the tuna is shaped into a triangle and topped with a deliciously contrasting crunchy tempura shrimp, wakame, and bright blossoms.  Tracings of wasabi sauce adorn the plate. (Suggested wine pairing: N. Feuillate “Premier Cru” Brut Rose Champagne)
	We were amazed at just how buttery the segments of crab leg are in Chef Daniel’s Butter-Basted Alaskan King Crab Marus.  “Butter-Infused” would more accurately describe this luscious crab.  This is a very simple presentation:  four lengths of crab leg are neatly stacked and topped with a fondue of sea lettuce that has a pleasant salty tang and small pieces of crisp shaved asparagus.  The plate is garnished with a smear of truffled hollandaise.   (Suggested wine pairing: 2001 Petaluma “Tiers” Chardonnay)
	We don’t often order Nantucket Bay Scallops this time of year, but then we’ve never tasted them as good as they are in Chef Daniel’s preparation.  The tiny morsels arrived at table two to a shell, “meuniere basted” with tiny bits of smoky bacon and a parmesan emulsion tucked underneath.  When we ate them, we experienced a delicate explosion of scallop flavor — despite the heavy sounding accompaniments, the taste of the shellfish shines through.  We must admit that the seductive flavors compelled us to bring the shells to our lips and drink in every drop. (Suggested wine pairing: 2003 Lispida Tocai Frialano “Amphora”)
	The only non-seafood starter we sampled is the Torchon of Hudson Valley Foie Gras.  This carries a $12 supplement, and is well worth it.  Again the classic pairing of savory foie and sweet fig, this time given a modern twist.  The torchon has a creamy richness that fills your mouth then melts away; the fig gastrique and jam adds a fruity sweetness.  Replacing the usual toast is macadamia nut French toast cut into sugary-sweet rectangles.   (Suggested wine pairing: 1987 Domaine Baumard “Quarts de Chaume”)
	Every one of the nine entrees on the dinner menu features an unusual pairing or uncommon preparation, and all sound very appealing.  The Roasted Tenderloin Wellington is the most familiar of the entrees, but even this carries Chef Daniels’ mark.  The tenderloin is cooked  perfectly to temperature and arrives topped with caramelized onion and portabella, the whole package enrobed in a flaky pastry.  Underneath is a platform of sous vide brisket, tender and full of concentrated flavor.  Garnishing the top are crunchy tempura romaine leaves and the plate is painted with summer pea puree and cassia madeira jus.   (Suggested wine pairing: 2000 Lamborghini “Campoleone”)
	The emphasis of the Veal Veal Veal entree is no suprise—what is suprising is how different the three preparations of the same meat can be.  Succulent veal cheek, firm veal porterhouse, and a single ravioli of short rib with marscarpone, truffle, and lemon zest are the trio, united by a puree of boniato and bordelaise froth.  (Suggested wine pairing: 2001 R. Rostaing Cote-Rotie “La Landonne”)
The standout entree on the summer menu is Chef Daniels inspired Surf & Turf of butter-basted lobster (like the crab, the butter seems infused into the sweet and tender lobster meat) and dim sum of foie and kobe.  Accompaniments include and earthy fricassee of exotic mushrooms and a vibrant carrot yuzu nage.  The first bite rendered us speechless and no one spoke again until the plate was clean. (Suggested wine pairing: 2002 Blain-Gagnard Criots Batard Montrachet)
	Also very good are Chef Daniels’ fish dishes.  His Olive Oil Poached Wild Salmon is fragrant and moist, with silky texture and full salmon flavor (no heavy fish taste).  The salmon is presented on wilted arugula and surrounded by tender parsnip gnocchi and tiny bits of smoky bacon.  A lovely white pear emulsion smooths out the bitter bite of the arugula with sweet notes.  The entire entree is delightfully well-balanced—a fantastic presentation of salmon. (Suggested wine pairing: 2000 Gros Freres Clos Vougeot “Musigni”)
	The Pan-Roasted Native Striped Bass is even better.  A local favorite, this bass is deliciously crusted on the top, its interior moist with great flake.  The summer leek fondue tucked underneath gives a delightful crunch, as do the fried clams overtop.  Surrounding the bass is what the menu calls “bouillabaisse flavors” and what we would call “essence of bouillabaisse,” all the flavors of a bouillabaisse distilled as a garnish for this perfectly cooked bass. (Suggested wine pairing: 2003 Poderi Colla “Campo Romano” Pino Nero)
	The array of desserts prepared at TOPPER’S by Pastry Chef Jennifer Hooper is beautifully matched to Chef Daniels’ menu.  There is, of course, an Artisan Cheese Collection that would make a gorgeous finish with a heavenly 1995 P. Bea Sagrantino “Passito.”  Chocolate lovers will be impressed by the perfect Chocolate Pudding Souffle with meyer lemon ice cream—a pairing we initally thought odd but quickly realized was inspired.
	If you’re not in the mood for chocolate, but still have a sweet tooth to satisfy, then it’s the rich and buttery Cashew Nut Financiere you want to order—the pineapple sauce and coconut sorbet add a tropical flair.
	Recapture childhood with the Peanut Butter Ice Cream Bar, which will be, by far, the best ice cream treat you’ve ever tasted.
	For something completely different, the Rhubarb Consommé with creme fraiche panna cotta is a pleasingly light and refreshing dessert to follow such complex fare.