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In This Issue
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Easy Street Restaurant & Seafood House
A New England Classic
 More than a few things have changed on Nantucket Island since the early 1970s, but you can still go down to the corner of Easy Street and Steamboat Wharf, enjoy the harbor views, and have a great meal for less than $20! Joseph V. Arno of Easy Street Restaurant and Seafood House has revived the Arno Family tradition of serving high quality food prepared simply and prepared well.
Easy Street, as the locals call it, has the comfortable ambiance of a classic New England seaside café—it’s a relaxing enclave in a very busy section of Town. There are five different seating options in this spacious eatery.
With the warm summer weather we’ve enjoyed this month, seats outside on the patio are in high demand. The blue awning decorated with hanging plants shelters guests from the sun and even from a passing summer shower.
Inside, guests can choose a table in the spacious main dining room, where large parties can be easily accommodated, or a table along the cozier Easy Street side of the restaurant. You can perch at the wrap-around bar, or you can have a seat in one of the second floor dining rooms that have terrific views of Nantucket’s scenic harbor area. The rooms upstairs are ideal for private celebrations, and the staff at Easy Street is happy to help you plan.
Fresh fish and shellfish dominate the menu at Easy Street Restaurant and Seafood House. Mussels, clams, lobster, scrod, scallops, swordfish, salmon, crab, and shrimp—what more could you want from an island restaurant? If it’s meat you prefer, Easy Street features Coleman chicken and certified Angus beef in entrees and sandwiches designed to please “landlubbers.”
Service begins at 11 a.m., perfect timing if you’re heading off on the ferry and want to take lunch along—everything on the menu is available for takeout. Until 12:30, you can also order a modest selection of breakfast foods, including Eggs Any Style, Create Your Own Omelette, French Toast, and a Breakfast Sandwich.
From a simple Grilled Cheese Sandwich to a variety of seafood platters, the lunch menu at Easy Street has more than 30 selections. Their certified Angus Beef Burger starts at just $4, and they serve a Philly Cheese Steak prepared with certified Angus beef for just $8.95. Island favorites include New England Clam Chowder, an impressive Lobster Roll, and Grilled Salmon and Grilled Swordfish Sandwiches.
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If lunch is your main meal of the day, come to Easy Street for their seafood entrees. Scrod-n-Chips ($13.50), Scallops-n-Chips ($14.50), and Whole Belly Clams-n-Chips ($17.95) are made from the freshest of seafood and fried in canola oil. We sampled the Whole Belly Clams and were very impressed by their fresh taste, crisp coating, and tenderness—they were cooked just right! These platters are each served with coleslaw, tartar sauce, and fries. The Whole Belly Clams can also be ordered in appetizer size (shown) and are great for sharing.
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Easy Street’s most popular special is their New England Lobster Boil. Served from 11 a.m to 9 pm., this seafood feast comes complete with 1-1/4 pound lobster (cracked for easy access), Yukon Gold potatoes, and Bartlett Farm sweet corn is a modest $20. During our recent meal at Easy Street Restaurant and Seafood House, nearly everyone seated at the coveted patio tables was ordering the Lobster Boil. |
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Many of the menu items are served all day and evening till 9 p.m., so if you find yourself in need of some late afternoon refreshment, you can stop by Easy Street for a snack and a chilled Spaten (or another of the 15 beers on draft and by the bottle) or a potent libation—we recommend The Easy Street Mojito, E.Z. Bloody Mary, E.Z. Lemonade, and E.Z. Margarita.
Jumbo Buffalo Wings, Chicken Tenders, Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail, and Island Creek Oysters on the Half Shell are all available by the piece, which is ideal if you just want a light appetizer or if you’d like to try a sampling—you can have one of each for less than $5.25!
Easy Street Restaurant serves five different salads which can be ordered as prepared or with grilled jumbo shrimp or chicken. We watched as each person at the table next to ours ordered the Wedge Lettuce Salad—a large wedge of crisp baby iceberg, tomato, crumbled bacon, and blue cheese dressing. It was the perfect prelude to...you guessed it...the New England Lobster Boil. |
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We started our meal with the Caprese Salad ($8.50) and were well pleased with the plate of thick and juicy tomato slices alternated with satiny fresh mozzarella. Drizzles of fruity olive oil and puckery balsamic reduction and a sprinkling of chopped basil were the tasty final touches. |
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For just a few pennies more, you can start your meal with a simple and simply delicious bowl of Mussels ($8.95). These tasty morsels are steamed and served in white wine and garlic with chopped tomato and spinach leaves. The broth is good, but the very fresh and very tender mussels really are the star of this dish. Toasted garlic bread is served alongside. |
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Another sensational starter is the Lump Crab Cake ($9.95). Moist and thick, the large crab cake is rolled in panko breading and sauteed to a delectable golden brown top and bottom. The ancho chili ranch dressing that is traced overtop adds just enough spice to be exciting without interfering with the delicate flavor of the crabmeat. |
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The only non-seafood appetizer we sampled is not actually listed under appetizers, but the Chicken Quesadilla ($9.95) is easily shared and makes a very satisfying starter. For this, a large flour tortilla is lightly grilled and stuffed full of sliced chicken breast, red and green pepper, and onion. Cilantro adds a fresh citrusy flavor and the same ancho chili ranch dressing we liked on the crab cake makes another appearance here to add a bit of heat. Sour cream and salsa are served alongside. |
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At 4 p.m. dinner entrees are added to the selection at Easy Street Restaurant and Seafood House—all but two featuring fresh fish and shellfish. One of these meat selections is a superb Chicken Marsala ($12.50). Prepared with all natural Coleman chicken breast, the bite size chunks of chicken are tender and flavorful. Fresh sliced mushrooms are sauteed and tossed into the mix with a sauce of marsala wine and shallots. Mashed Yukon Gold potatoes served alongside are just the thing to mop up this tantalizing sauce. |
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The other non-seafood entree is a Grilled Filet Mignon indulgently served with herb butter melting over the top. We were tempted but opted instead for Easy Street’s Surf and Turf ($20, shown), which showcases a slightly smaller version of the Black Angus Filet served with a split lobster tail, mashed Yukon Gold potatoes, and fresh asparagus. The filet was fork-tender with a nice char and the lobster tail was so sweet and delicious that we ignored the drawn butter served alongside. |
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Our favorite among the fish entrees is the Baked Scrod ($13.50). It’s easy to forget just how good this local fish can be when cooked correctly—one forkful of the moist and flaky scrod served at Easy Street is all it will take to remind you! The scrod is served with a “bouillabaisse sauce” which is a flavorful mix of tomato, leek, onion, garlic, and seasonings and adds a delicious depth of flavor to the scrod. |
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Also very good and one of owner Joseph Arno’s favorites is the Baked Scallops ($14.50) entree. It’s hard to believe that any dish featuring fresh scallops can be had on Nantucket for under $15, let alone one this nicely done. The tender sea scallops are topped with white wine, butter, and a dusting of crumbs and broiled just till they’re translucent. Fresh scallops need a light hand when it comes to cooking, and the kitchen at Easy Street knows just how to handle them. |
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Desserts at Easy Street Restaurant and Seafood House are homemade by an island pastry chef. With the large portions served here, you may have little room for dessert, so if you only choose one to share make it the Key Lime Pie. This sweet and tangy, cool and creamy treat goes down all too easily! |
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Chocolate lovers will adore the Chocolate Lava Cake, which truly does have a molten chocolate center. |
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Our favorites desserts are the moist and flavorful Tiramisu and . . . |
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. . . the fresh Blueberry Pie with flaky crust and a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. A cup of freshly brewed coffee (perhaps with a splash of Bailey’s) is the perfect ending to a fantastic meal. |
Easy Street Restaurant and Seafood House
31 Easy Street, corner of Easy Street & Steamboat Wharf
508-228-5031 • www.easystreetnantucket.com
Breakfast served from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. from $4.25
Sandwiches, Appetizers, Salads from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. from $3.50
Lunch entrees 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dinner entrees 4 to 9 p.m.
Full Bar • Indoor & Outdoor Dining
Families Welcomed • All menu items available for take-out
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