In This Issue

Brant Point Grill-
The Perfect Time and Place to Splurge

It’s fun to splurge once in a while, and an afternoon or evening spent at a world-class luxury hotel with its grand service, well manicured lawns and gardens, and elegant interior is the perfect place to do it. 

Those of us with other island accommodation can join the guests the White Elephant Hotel and get a taste of refined luxury by dining at The Brant Point Grill.  Just a few blocks from downtown Nantucket and the Whaling Museum, on the way to Brant Point, the hotel and its restaurant are set a bit apart from the rest of downtown.

A favorite venue for some of the island’s special events and galas, The Brant Point Grill has a sophisticated ambiance where guests can choose from several areas to dine ranging from casually elegant to genteel.

With Brant Point Grill now serving a special $21 two-course lunch, and with Restaurant Week and it’s $45 dinners starting soon, this is the month   to splurge!

The lounge, with it’s polished wood and tall tables has the fun and relaxing ambiance of a seaside bar.  The layout has been changed for this season, giving the room a more casual appeal.  Featured cocktails have whimsical names like Mrs. Churchill’s Manhattan and Colonel Pepper’s Old Fashioned, with amusing stories to explain each moniker.  The Bar Menu features a selection from the Dinner Menu with some pub-style items such as Fried Clams, Bloody Mary Oyster Shooters, and the BPG Burger.  Perch here or at the terrace bar for a fine cognac or port while you listen to live music still offered several evenings a week.

Between the lounge and the Harborside Terrace, the dining room offers gracious service in a refined setting. Trained waitstaff make each guest feel well cared for, whether the visit be for breakfast, Sunday brunch, lunch, or dinner. 

Lunch begins at 11:30, and the Harborside Terrace is the ideal spot for an alfresco feast.  With the elegant hotel on one side and the harbor and Children’s Beach on the other, there is plenty of activity to watch while you relax in the autumn sunshine.  Should the weather be less than picture-perfect, you’ll be sheltered by an awning and its clear sides as you watch the weather.  While it lasts, the BPG $21 Lunch has some very tempting dishes:  Skillet Roasted Tuckernuck Mussels with pancetta, Autumn Napoleon constructed from apples and butternut squash, Lobster Volevant, Applewood Smoked Duck Potato Skins, and Bartlett Farm Autumn Vegetable Pasta, just to name a few!  Pair them with a Blanco Cosmo, Pink Elephant Lemonade, or an Island Angel for a fun and indulgent afternoon.

At 5:30 p.m. the Brant Point Grill opens its doors to the dinner crowd.  We love the tables by the windows in the dining room.  With a curved wall of glass, every table has a great view of the harbor, but the ones next to the windows have spectacular views.  And September evenings on Nantucket are still warm enough for outdoor dining (the awning has heaters set into it to fend off any evening chill).

The Dinner Menu at Brant Point Grill features a range of offerings wider than you’d expect at a restaurant known for lobster and steak.  They have a more than respectable Raw Bar, with oysters, clams, shrimp, crab, and tuna tartar.  And their Shellfish Samplers (available in two sizes: small and huge) are tasty ways to feast on a variety of ocean-fresh morsels.

	The Samplers are impressive, but our favorite raw treat at Brant Point Grill is the Ahi Tuna Martini.  Superbly fresh and clean-tasting, the tuna is diced and marinated in a soy-lime vinaigrette that adds a refreshing backdrop of flavor without overpowering the delicate tuna.  The tartar is set on a bed of wakame salad that adds a pleasant crunch, and topped with wasabi marscarpone, a delightful avocado creme fraiche, fried tortilla strips, and microgreens.  A dollop of caviar adds intense “pops” of salty flavor.
	Also very refreshing is the Heirloom Tomato Salad.  Fresh from the garden rather than the sea, the salad is prepared with local produce.  The mixed greens are tossed in a tangy chardonnay vinaigrette and topped with bite-sized marinated “mozzarella pearls.”  Nestled close to the salad are thick slices of Green Zebra and Purple Cherokee tomatoes, also from Bartlett Farm.  Drizzles of balsamic reduction finish off the dish.
	If you want to start with something hot, the Spring Pea Soup will warm your soul.  Prepared from a blend of three varieties—spring peas, soy peas, and English peas—the flavor is bold.  Chopped toasted hazlenuts and mint garnish the soup and a single, large, plump tempura shrimp is a tasty accent.
	It’s easy to understand why the Nantucket Crab Cake is a house specialty—prepared with both lobster and crab, the glorious cake is moist and sweet and intensely flavorful.  Only a few tiny flecks of celery and onion are added to the crabmeat and chunks of lobster.  A light panko breading gives it a gold brown crunch top and bottom.  The cake is served topped with a mini wedge of crisp iceberg lettuce in a mustard vinaigrette and surrounded by a vibrant red-pepper aioli.  A sweet-sour lemon chip adds the final touch.
	The Crisp Fried Calamari also comes highly recommended! A different take on a steakhouse favorite, at Brant Point Grill, the calamari is served tossed with red and green slices of hot cherry peppers that wake up the flavor of the dish with sparks of heat.  Even the dipping sauce is something special:  an assertive fried garlic mayonnaise.
	Entrees at Brant Point Grill are not overly fancy—Chef Ben Reed takes full advantage of the high-quality meats and seafood fresh from the docks and prepares them so that their natural flavors shine.  Everything is served a la carte, with half a dozen side dishes that guests may choose from to accompany their meals.  We are particularly fond of the satiny garlic mashed potatoes, the garlicky soy peas (edamame), and the butter poached baby zucchini.  These side dishes come in generous portions, so consider sharing.
Every cut of meat served at The Brant Point Grill deserves high praise.  The Charcoal Grilled Filet Mignon is meltingly tender…the prime New York Strip is deeply flavorful…the Grilled Colorado Lamb Chops are moist and meaty.  We adored the Veal T-Bone.  A handsome bone-in cut, appropriately seasoned with sea salt and freshly ground pepper, this steak is seared and then finished perfectly to temperature in the oven.  Don’t be surprised if you find yourself finishing off every morsel of this 14-ounce cut.  From the sauces offered to accompany the meats, we most enjoyed the expertly prepared bearnaise and Chef Ben’s own recipe Steak Sauce.
	We were sorely tempted to order the Two-and-a-Half-Pound Lobster, grilled, from the Fish and Shellfish selection: we’d had this before and know just how delicious it can be!  But we decided to try the Fluke with Lemon Caper Fondue instead and were pleased we did.  Oven roasting brings out the flavor of this mild whitefish, and the creamy lemon caper sauce served alongside adds just the right amount of citrusy pucker.
	A trio of entrees called “Creativities” showcase the chef’s talents with special dishes featuring chicken, pork, and lobster.  The Honey Glazed Pork Belly is sweet and sinfully good.  Cooked sous vide, then pan-seared, then glazed with honey and finished with red wine sauce, the layers of meat and fat are sensuous in texture and flavor. The luscious glazes runs over the lentils tucked underneath, making them something special. Don’t ignore the pickled onion that is served alongside:  it’s more than just a garnish.  When eaten with the pork belly, it cuts the sweetness and adds a new dimension of flavor.
	Lobster is in abundance in the Free Form Lobster Ravioli.  “Free form” is an apt description:  the filling of parsnip puree is folded in unsealed sheets of tender pasta swimming in a rich cream sauce accented with a sprightly gremolata.  Large chunks of buttery lobster meat are tucked in and two beautifully curled halves of the tail form the crowning glory of the dish.
	Desserts at Brant Point Grill do not come out of a box.  Since this is one of the few island restaurants still preparing their own desserts, you don’t want to skip this final course. Chocolate fans will be in ecstacy over the Valrhona Molten Chocolate Cake.  This has just the right proportion of cake to molten chocolate, and the banana puree, whipped cream, drizzles of chocolate sauce, and sweet and toasty almond clusters make this the best “sundae” you’ve ever had.  .
	Another showstopper is the Strawberry Rhubarb Crepes—a classic dessert with an old-time flavor.
	The Brown Sugar Creme Brulee and the Profiteroles are patron favorites at Brant Point Grill.  Perfectly prepared, these desserts are light and sweet: the ideal finish.