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Best of the Vineyard 2008

2008 Winners

The designation “close runner-up” indicates the runner-up received one to five votes less than the winner. While votes were courtesy of our readers, reporting is by HJ Bernstein, Linda Black, Alexandra Bullen, Susan Catling, Tom Dunlop, Kim Heath, Jim Miller, Nicki Miller, Julia Rappaport, and Joyce Wagner. Photographs are by Ron Hall, unless otherwise noted.

On the water

Best Place to Kayak: Sengekontacket Pond

Runner-up: Lagoon Pond

Kayakers get to meet the neighbors on Sengekontacket – oystercatchers, cormorants, egrets, and herons – or paddle over to State Beach. Lagoon Pond can provide nice protection on a windy day and has some little beaches where you can pull up for lunch.

Best Fishing Spot: Wasque

Close Runner-up: Menemsha

Wasque: wild, desolate, hard to get to, tough to fish because of the surf and tide. Menemsha: easy to get to, easy to fish, with jetties, sheltered beach – yet no less productive. What puts Wasque over the top? No distractions. You’re not there to watch the sunset, to get gas, to eat – you’re there to fish.

Best Bait and Tackle Shop: Coop’s Bait and Tackle

147 Edgartown–West Tisbury Road, Edgartown, 508-627-3909.

Runner-up: Dick’s Bait and Tackle

108 New York Avenue, Oak Bluffs, 508-693-7669.

Whether you’re going offshore for tuna, bait fishing off the beaches, bottom fishing for fluke, fly fishing – or even clamming, water fowling, or deer hunting – you can find what you need at Coop’s. Plus valuable and patient advice. At the longtime-family-owned Dick’s, owner, Islander, and two-time Derby winner Steve Morris makes custom surf and trolling rods.

Best Fishing Charter Boat: The Skipper

On the bulkhead across from the Island Queen, Oak Bluffs, 508-693-1238.

Runner-up: Wayfarer ChartersTown Finger Piers, Edgartown, 508-326-2031.

A trip out with the Skipper is as much a social affair as a fishing trip; newbies will learn the basics to catch a little (or big!) something outside of Oak Bluffs harbor. Wayfarer Charters is in its third year since retired Edgartown School principal Ed Jerome turned a passion for fishing into a business.

Best Sailing Charter Boat: Mad Max Sailing Adventures

25 Dock Street, Edgartown, 508-627-7500, www.madmaxmarina.com.

Runner-up: Arabella Sail Charters

Menemsha, 508-645-3511, www.outermostinn.com/htboat.htm.

Owning a sailboat isn’t necessarily all it’s cracked up to be. You may be better off letting someone else do the work and enjoying the waters aboard the catamarans Mad Max or Arabella. Mad Max leaves from Edgartown and heads east, Arabella leaves from Menemsha and heads west. Either way, you win.

The active life

Best Bike Rental: Martha’s Bike Rentals

Five Corners, 4 Lagoon Pond Road, Vineyard Haven, 508-693-6593.

Close runner-up: Anderson’s Bike Rentals

23 Circuit Avenue Extension, Oak Bluffs, 508-693-9346.

Look at the faces of the people on the bike paths: They’re all smiling (while moped riders usually look frightened). You’ll smile too when you walk off the ferry in Vineyard Haven or Oak Bluffs and walk into these friendly shops to rent fun and freedom for a day or a week.

Best Place to Fly a Kite: Ocean Park, Oak Bluffs

Best Fitness Center: Vineyard Tennis Center, Workout and Spa

22 Airport Road, West Tisbury, 508-696-8000.

Runner-up: Mansion House Health Club, Spa and Pool

9 Main Street, Vineyard Haven, 508-693-7400.

With belly-dancing and Zumba classes, cycling on Keiser bikes, a boxing center, and the Island’s only indoor tennis courts, Vineyard Tennis Center is about as comprehensive as a fitness center can be. Though the Mansion House is the only one that can boast an indoor pool.

Best Nature Walk: Cedar Tree Neck

Off Indian Hill Road, West Tisbury, www.sheriffsmeadow.org.

Runner-up: Menemsha Hills

North Road, Chilmark, www.thetrustees.org.

Maybe there are some things you can’t do at Cedar Tree Neck (sunbathing, swimming) and Menemsha Hills (dog walking, biking), but if you’re looking for a beautiful walk along the Island’s dramatic (and almost totally private) north shore, these are the places to go.

Best Yoga Class: Megan Grennan

Teaches at a variety of locations; her main studio is Santosha Yoga Studio at Vineyard Complementary Medicine, 489 State Road, West Tisbury, 508-696-3884.

Close runner-up: Sherry Sidoti of Fitness*Life*Yoga: FLY

Classes are in Vineyard Haven and West Tisbury, 774-238-0176.

A new category has two standouts: Megan’s classes vary depending on what her students need; she assists them in class so that they can balance themselves outside class, growing stronger physically and emotionally. Sherry, through her Fitness*Life*Yoga, holds prenatal classes and classes for moms and their babies, as well as high-energy (and temperature) classes – all to help her students FLY.

On the town

Best Bar/Pub: The Newes from America

23 Kelly Street, Edgartown, 508-627-4397.

Runner-up: Offshore Ale Company

30 Kennebec Avenue, Oak Bluffs, 508-693-2626.

There’s more to a great bar than four walls, taps, bottles, and glasses. A great bar is a refuge, a sanctuary that exudes a comforting sense that one is welcome to relax by the fire, have a pint and a sandwich, and shake off the chill of the world. The Newes and Offshore Ale are two such places.

Best Place for Cocktails: Alchemy

71 Main Street, Edgartown, 508-627-9999.

Runner-up: Sharky’s Cantina

31 Circuit Avenue, Oak Bluffs, 508-693-7501.

266 Upper Main Street, Edgartown, 508-627-6565.

Cocktails are a social event, a place to see and be seen. Alchemy, with its chic atmosphere and clientele, fills the bill perfectly for downtown Edgartown. Sharky’s, more casual and lively, has been the perfect Oak Bluffs answer and recently opened a second location in Edgartown.

Best Place to Hear Live Music: Outerland

17 Airport Road, Edgartown, 508-693-1137.

Runner-up: Offshore Ale Company

30 Kennebec Avenue, Oak Bluffs, 508-693-2626.

Outerland boasts the biggest dance floor on the Island, and the building has a long history of being our hottest music spot. Enjoy everything from intimate poetry slams to all-out-rock-out/shake-it-up dancing tempered by a balmy summer breeze in the courtyard. For a more up-close and personal experience, get your music from Offshore – it’s funky, chic, and relaxing.

Best Live Band or Musicians: Vineyard Sound

866-VIN-SOUND, www.vineyardsound.org.

Runner-up: Johnny Hoy and the Bluefish

www.johnnyhoyandthebluefish.com.

See our feature story on page 50 about the Vineyard Sound, the college a cappella group that wins this category for the first time this year. The veteran blues ensemble Johnny Hoy and the Bluefish flew to Norway this spring to play at the Lillehammer Blues festival; check out Film Noir Angel, the group’s most recent album.

Best Movie Theater, Festival, or Series: Edgartown Cinemas

65 Main Street, Edgartown, 508-627-8008.

Runner-up: Capawock Movie Theater

Main Street, Vineyard Haven, 508-627-6689.

Bob LaSala, general manager of Edgartown Cinemas since it opened in 1997, has been a movie buff from boyhood; his apartment adjacent to the theater sports a full-sized poster of Raiders of the Lost Ark. At the Capawock, Benjamin Hall Sr. is using a new digital projector to screen acclaimed independent films such as Paranoid Park, The Band’s Visit, and The Counterfeiters.

Best Charity Event: Martha’s Vineyard Community Services Possible Dreams Auction

at Outerland, 17 Airport Road, Edgartown, 508-693-7900.

Runner-up: Martha’s Vineyard Preservation Trust’s A Taste of the Vineyard

Old Whaling Church Lawn and Dr. Daniel Fisher House Lawn, Main Street, Edgartown, 508-627-4440.

The Possible Dreams Auction continues to shine as favorite charity event. The quintessential garden party – where winning bidders buy dreams like dinner with a best-selling novelist – relocates this year to Outerland (August 4). The emporium of fine dining at A Taste of the Vineyard gets us out of our winter frocks into summer’s finest with forks at the ready (June).

Best Summer Event: Oak Bluffs Fireworks

Ocean Park, Oak Bluffs.

Close runner-up: Martha’s Vineyard Agricultural Society Livestock Show and Fair

State Road, West Tisbury.

Thousands fill Ocean Park for the fireworks extravaganza sponsored by the Oak Bluffs Firemen’s Association as summer draws to a close (August 22). In West Tisbury, it’s the fourteenth summer the Ag Fair has been held on the grounds of a transplanted New Hampshire barn. It’s beginning to feel like its lifelong 147-year-old home (August 21–24).

Best Off-Season Event: Christmas in Edgartown

Various locations, www.edgartownboardoftrade.com.

Runner-up: MVY Radio Big Chili Contest

Portuguese-American Club, 137 Vineyard Avenue, Oak Bluffs.

Tour the inns; see and hear medieval plays and caroling; make and buy crafts – you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better Christmas weekend than in the old seaside village (December 12–14). The annual Big Chili Contest is another winter event that will warm your insides – and benefit the Red Stocking Fund to help needy families (January 24, 2009).

Best Place to Take Kids: Flying Horses Carousel

15 Oak Bluffs Avenue at the beginning of Circuit Avenue, Oak Bluffs, 508-693-9481.

Runner-up: The Beach

Does any kid tire of the carousel? There’s the quest for the brass ring – on the outside, and inside for smaller arms – to win a ride, and should kids actually weary of the round and round, the game room offers challenges, trinkets, and even a photo booth. It must be popular, to beat out the glorious Vineyard beaches.

Best Rainy Day Activity: Movies

Runner-up: Flying Horses Carousel

15 Oak Bluffs Avenue at the beginning of Circuit Avenue, Oak Bluffs, 508-693-9481.

When it’s raining, have no regrets! The Island’s movie houses scramble to keep people happy with extra last-minute shows. But you don’t need a rainy day to love the Flying Horses: The organ music, the old carousel, and the look on the kids’ faces are tops.

Shopping

Best Antiques Store: Past and Presents

37 Main Street, Edgartown, 508-627-3992.

42 Main Street, Edgartown, 508-627-6686.

Runner-up: Tisbury Antiques

339 State Road, Vineyard Haven, 508-693-8333.

Too much for one store, Past and Presents boasts twin shops on opposite sides of Main Street in Edgartown. Heirlooms from Island homes and truckloads of antiques from England nestle among new items. And they have a gift registry. Tisbury Antiques, last year’s winner, is worth the trip for its eclectic collection of exotic and unique items.

Best Art Gallery: The Granary Gallery

636 Old County Road, West Tisbury, 508-693-0455.

Runner-up: Alison Shaw Gallery

88 Dukes County Avenue, Oak Bluffs, 508-696-7429.

You could spend a whole day inside the Granary Gallery viewing the high-end artwork, beautifully lit and displayed, and ranging from the achingly lovely to the downright funny. The Alison Shaw Gallery resides in the old Firehouse Gallery building in the heart of the Oak Bluffs Arts District. Alison’s studio is right upstairs.

Best Bookstore: Bunch of Grapes

44 Main Street, Vineyard Haven, 508-693-2291.

Runner-up: Edgartown Books

44 Main Street, Edgartown, 508-627-8463.

Whatever your category is, there’s something for you at the Bunch of Grapes. This independent bookstore offers a large selection of Island-related material, good fiction, nonfiction, children’s books, and more – our own mini Barnes and Noble. Another indie store, Edgartown Books, is in an old, restored, whaling captain’s home.

Best Gift Shop: Rainy Day

66 Main Street, Vineyard Haven, 508-693-1830.

Runner-up: The Lazy Frog

3 South Water Street, Edgartown, 508-939-9005.

This favored gift store, celebrating its thirty-fifth anniversary, has a marketplace feel that leads you from every nook to every cranny for home goods, whimsical toys, artisan jewelry, cards, and more. At The Lazy Frog, collectibles and clothing feature an Island-shaped frog. The store’s mascots, Martha and Marvin, are a hit with the kids; they grew from tadpoles into frogs right at the shop.

Best Jeweler: CB Stark Jewelers

53A Main Street, Vineyard Haven, 508-693-2284.

27 North Water Street, Edgartown, 508-627-1260.

Runner-up: Claudia

51 Main Street, Edgartown, 508-627-8306.

34 Main Street, Vineyard Haven, 508-693-5465.

Consistently taking first place in Best of the Vineyard, partners C.B. (Cheryl Barbara) Stark and Margery Meltzer have made this forty-two-year-old concern an Island institution. Their jewelry, mostly Island-themed, accompanies many a tourist and half-time Islander onto the boat. Claudia has been here almost as long: both on the Island – thirty-eight years – and on our list.

Best Package Store: Our Market

One East Chop Drive, Oak Bluffs, 508-693-3000.

Runner-up: Al’s Package Store

258 Upper Main Street, Edgartown, 508-627-4347.

Known for its good selection of wines, Our Market also has a plentiful cache of other drinks and snacks. The name says it all. When you find yourself in need of spirits, your car sort of finds its way there, doesn’t it? Unless of course, you’re closer to Edgartown, in which case you find yourself in front of Al’s.

Best Place to Rent Movies: Hollywood Video

244 Edgartown–Vineyard Haven Road, Edgartown, 508-627-3533.

Runner-up: Island Entertainment

395 State Road, Vineyard Haven, 508-693-7441.

This year, the new-release walls, multiple copies, and many tasty treats of the Edgartown chain store beat out the indie caché and cult classic selection of Island Entertainment. Both stores promise a healthy selection of quality films to fill a rainy day or quiet evening.

Clothing

Best Store for Children’s Clothing: Kiddo’s

Tisbury Marketplace, 79 Beach Road, Vineyard Haven, 508-693-5437.

Runner-up: Basics

22 Circuit Avenue, Oak Bluffs, 508-693-8819.

Just two years old, Kiddo’s has managed to garner this prize for a second year. A unique kids’ store, serving “little grown-ups” from those newly born through age six, the shop stocks tons of designer merchandise. Step to the rear of Basics’ shop in Oak Bluffs for kid essentials by Roxy, Billabong, Quicksilver, Health-Tex, and more faves.

Best Store for Men’s Clothing: Sundog

41 Main Street, Edgartown, 508-627-5254.

Runner-up: The Green Room

71 Main Street, Vineyard Haven, 508-693-6888.

A longtime first-place win- ner in this category, Sundog is open year-round for fans of Nautica, Barbour, Izod, and other spiffy men’s labels. The Green Room began life in 1994 as a tiny shop catering to Island sports buffs, but in 2003, owner Elaine Barse bought and moved into the former LeRoux Clothing, and now it’s an award-winning clothing emporium.

Best Store for Women’s Clothing: The Green Room

71 Main Street, Vineyard Haven, 508-693-6888.

Runner-up: Alley Cat

38 Main Street, Vineyard Haven, 508-693-6970.

Whether designer jeans call your name or a simple Michael Stars tee is on your must-have list, The Green Room is the place to buy loungewear or an outfit to see and be seen in. The clothing lines rival those of any mainland boutique, and the friendly staff sparkles in duds pulled right off the rack. Alley Cat generates its own gravitational pull with those fabulous window creations displaying the style within.

Best Store for Shoes: Brickman’s

8 Main Street, Vineyard Haven, 508-693-0047.

The Green Room

71 Main Street, Vineyard Haven, 508-693-6888.

Brickman’s, on the corner of Main Street, is the longtime standby for quality footwear on the Island. From sneakers and flip-flops to boots and peep-toe sandals, the store has a great selection of shoes for any occasion. The Green Room carries shoes and boots from the likes of Kenneth Cole, Mia, Clarks, and Dansko.

Best T-shirt: The Black Dog

Some locations: 11 Water Street, Vineyard Haven, 508-693-7381.

37 Circuit Avenue, Oak Bluffs, 508-696-9826.

11 Main Street, Edgartown, 508-627-6412.

Runner-up: Beetlebung Dry Goods

9 Main Street, Vineyard Haven, 508-696-0006.

The Black Dog T-shirt has clearly become a classic: You can find someone wearing one wherever in the world you may go, from Copenhagen to Chile, Boise to Bali. Newcomer Beetlebung Dry Goods (which opened just last year) has a groovy bent to its tees, which are also sold at the Beetlebung Coffee House.

The best eats

Best Place to Get Breakfast: ArtCliff Diner

39 Beach Road, Vineyard Haven, 508-693-1224.

Runner-up: Linda Jean’s Restaurant

25 Circuit Avenue, Oak Bluffs, 508-693-4093.

The ArtCliff is worth the trip for the crepes alone, but owner/chef Gina Stanley makes everything good (and even added a porch roof for those waiting for a coveted table). Linda Jean’s – which lines ’em up as well – will have you asking, “Why don’t we come here more often?”

Best Place to Get Lunch: Slice of Life

50 Circuit Avenue, Oak Bluffs, 508-693-3838.

Runner-up: Humphreys

455 State Road, at Woodland Market, Tisbury, 508-693-6518.

1 Lake Avenue, Oak Bluffs, 508-696-6890.

32 Winter Street, Edgartown, 508-627-7029.

If you’re looking for a different take on lunch, Slice is a good bet. There are fried green tomato BLTs, turkey reubens, paninis, and the flavorful Asian salmon salad, but also the basics of deli sandwiches and pizza. Whatever you choose, you won’t be sorry. Humphreys has those Island-classic turkey gobblers and pressed Cubans – as well as three locations.

Best Dinner Restaurant: Sweet Life Café

63 Circuit Avenue, Oak Bluffs, 508-696-0200.

Close runner-up: Détente

15 Winter Street, Edgartown, 508-627-8810.

Three in a row for Sweet Life Café, but a first for Pierre and Susan Guérin, who bought the fine dining hot spot last spring, hoping to keep standards high. Kudos to them and to Chef Scott Ehrlich. At Détente, Chef Kevin Crowell and wife Suzanna have an epicurean dedication to an eclectic wine list and a menu inspired by local produce and catches.

Best Family Dining: Linda Jean’s Restaurant

25 Circuit Avenue, Oak Bluffs, 508-693-4093.

Runner-up: The Wharf Pub and Restaurant

Lower Main Street, Edgartown, 508-627-9966.

Families looking for good food and a welcoming atmosphere for youngsters of all ages know Linda Jean’s is not just a restaurant, it’s an institution. This diner hang is one of the best places to rub shoulders with Island regulars. The welcome mat at The Wharf is an honest invite; the staff is so nice you’ll be back many times.

Best Outdoor Dining: Nancy’s Snack Bar

27 Lake Avenue, Oak Bluffs, 508-693-0006.

Runner-up: Sweet Life Café

63 Circuit Avenue, Oak Bluffs, 508-696-0200.

If there’s one reason to be on an island, it’s to sit and eat a lobster roll while sipping a frozen “Dirty Banana” outdoors under a thatched roof, watching the boats and people go by. Nancy’s is the place. The Sweet Life offers a completely different experience: a quiet garden setting for romantic al fresco fine dining.

Best Place to Get a Vegetarian Meal: Scottish Bakehouse

977 State Road, Tisbury, 508-693-6633.

Runner-up: Slice of Life

50 Circuit Avenue, Oak Bluffs, 508-693-3838.

Now here’s a pair that go beyond the hummus sandwich or the iceberg salad. The Scottish Bakehouse takes foods like kale, beets, quinoa, and tofu to creative, wonderful places. Owner Daniele Dominick is invested in the movement to eat local, which can only help the vegetarian cause. At Slice, try the portabella sandwich or vegetarian dagwood.

Best Year-Round Restaurant:

Sharky’s Cantina

31 Circuit Avenue,

Oak Bluffs,

508-693-7501.

266 Upper Main Street, Edgartown, 508-627-6565.

Runner-up: Slice of Life

50 Circuit Avenue, Oak Bluffs, 508-693-3838.

Sharky’s has a dual personality: It’s a family restaurant and one of the most popular eateries and bars on the Island. (Recommendation: the steak super burrito and a $3 pint of Dos Equis.) We hope the new Edgartown location will stay open all year too. At Slice, leave room for one of the more compelling arrays of desserts on Martha’s Vineyard.

Best Burger: Offshore Ale Company

30 Kennebec Avenue, Oak Bluffs, 508-693-2626.

Close runner-up: The Newes from America

23 Kelly Street, Edgartown, 508-627-4397.

From an open kitchen at the back of the popular Kennebec Avenue brewhouse and eatery, the chefs at Offshore Ale handcraft each half-pound burger they put on the grill. The beef is ground fresh each day and the burger is served with hand-cut french fries. The result is delicious! The Newes makes another Island-favorite burger that’s often on this list.

Best Pizza: Giordano’s Restaurant

107 Circuit Avenue, Oak Bluffs, 508-693-0184.

Runner-up: Lattanzi’s Pizzeria

19 Church Street, Edgartown, 508-627-9084.

At Gio’s, you can get a quick slice and head down to the water, or you can relax in the old-fashioned dining room, but it’s the Island’s top pizza in both places. Lattanzi’s offers a high-end, thin-crust pie that rivals any other coming out of a wood-fired oven.

Best Place to Get Coffee: Mocha Mott’s

10 Circuit Avenue, Oak Bluffs, 508-696-1922.

15 Main Street, Vineyard Haven, 508-693-3155.

Runner-up: Beetlebung Coffee House

32 Beach Street, Vineyard Haven, 508-696-7122.

There’s a kind of funky vibe that goes with Mocha Mott’s, which includes the simple space garnished with art on the walls. In addition to the many variations of coffee, try the awesome breakfast burrito. Beetlebung, with its mochas, fresh lemonade, and paninis, has a gourmet edge to its drink and food menus.

Best Place to Get Picnic Food: Soigné

190 Upper Main Street, Edgartown, 508-627-8489.

Close runner-up: Humphreys

455 State Road, at Woodland Market, Tisbury, 508-693-6518.

1 Lake Avenue, Oak Bluffs, 508-696-6890.

32 Winter Street, Edgartown, 508-627-7029.

Dress up your picnic basket with gourmet dips and delicious prepared salads from Soigné, a cozy shop and upscale deli offering international goods and mouth-watering treats. Purists may prefer a super-sized sandwich from Humphreys – perfect after a day of beach volleyball.

Best Takeout: The Net Result

Tisbury Marketplace, 79 Beach Road, Vineyard Haven, 508-693-6071.

Runner-up: The Bite

29 Basin Road, Menemsha, 508-645-9239.

You may drive around dreaming of The Net Result’s chipotle shrimp roll-up, but when you get there, you won’t be able to decide among the sushi menu, the fish and chips, the huge crab salad, and more. For up-Island take-out, it’s The Bite, a fried-food shack, that will steal your heart and keep the whole family smiling.

Best Caterer: Fella Caters

508-693-1572, www.fellacaters.com.

Runner-up: V. Jaime Hamlin and Sons

508-693-6313, www.vhamlincatering.com.

It’s a mom and pop success story due, Jane Cecilio believes, to the personal attention she and husband Fella give: “Whether it’s a picnic by the sea orwhite-glove wedding, we’re working right alongside the customer.” It’s not surprising that V. Jaime Hamlin and Sons is runner-up – as these two caterers have been trading Best and Runner-up spots for years.

Seafood picks

Best Chowder: The Net Result

Tisbury Marketplace, 79 Beach Road, Vineyard Haven, 508-693-6071.

Runner-up: The Bite

29 Basin Road, Menemsha, 508-645-9239.

On a summer day, The Net Result sells forty gallons of its winning chowder. When people find out they can buy it by the bag, owner Louis Larsen says they’ll get “two or three or four bags before they get on the boat.” The Bite has perfected its version of the classic New England chowder; it’s perfect for sunset at Menemsha Beach.

Best Clambake: Bill Smith’s Martha’s Vineyard Clambake Co.

508-627-8809, www.mvclambake.com.

Runner-up: Fella Caters

508-693-1572, www.fellacaters.com.

For a formal banquet, barefoot beach picnic, or just-add-water clambake kit, Bill Smith’s Martha’s Vineyard Clambake Co. has long been an Island favorite. And while many know Fella’s Take Out as a stop for fresh morning coffee, Fella Caters, the full-service catering counterpart that’s been around since 1984, is another popular choice for clambakes on-site. (Added bonus: The coffee’s included!)

Best Fish and Chips: The Net Result

Tisbury Marketplace, 79 Beach Road, Vineyard Haven, 508-693-6071.

Runner-up: Sandy’s Fish and Chips at John’s Market

191 State Road, Vineyard Haven, 508-693-1220.

Owner Louis Larsen says approval for The Net Result’s lightly battered fresh-from-the-sea haddock and crispy golden fries is appreciated, “especially because it’s our customers who vote.” At Sandy’s takeout counter at John’s Fish Market, the amply portioned fish-and-chips combo pleases the palate. Get a vanilla frappe with that, and forget about dessert!

Best Fish Market: The Net Result

Tisbury Marketplace, 79 Beach Road, Vineyard Haven, 508-693-6071.

Runner-up: Larsen’s Fish Market

56 Basin Road, Menemsha, 508-645-2680.

Time and again, the hands-down winner, The Net Result, offers everything from soup to shucks and sushi too! The trademark of Larsen’s, the up-Island sister act, is service with a big smile. Fresher fish you’d have to catch yourself.

Best Fried Clams: The Bite

29 Basin Road, Menemsha, 508-645-9239.

Close runner-up: Giordano’s Restaurant

107 Circuit Avenue, Oak Bluffs, 508-693-0184.

If you take your fried clams with a side of the Vineyard’s most spectacular sunset, grab a blanket and head over to Menemsha, where you’ll find The Bite, an old-time clam shack tucked in just before Dutcher Dock. In town, a line forms quickly at Giordano’s, where all agree that the fully stocked clam bar is worth the wait.

Best Lobster Roll: Grace Episcopal Church

36 Woodlawn Avenue, Tisbury, 508-693-0332. (Fridays, 4:30–7:30 p.m.)

Runner-up: The Net Result

Tisbury Marketplace, 79 Beach Road, Vineyard Haven, 508-693-6071.

Considered by some to be the Holy Grail of lobster rolls, Grace Episcopal Church serves up authentic, no-frills rolls packed to capacity with juicy lobster meat and just-a-little-mayo. The rolls at The Net Result are always fresh and over-stuffed – a convenient choice for take-out before or after the beach.

Best Seafood Restaurant: Home Port Restaurant

512 North Road, Menemsha, 508-645-2679.

Runner-up: The Seafood Shanty

31 Dock Street, Edgartown, 508-627-8622.

The Home Port hasn’t changed its menu since the beginning, but it stays busy. Must be the chic khakis on the college kids who work there. Fresh-fresh-fresh fish, plain and simple – complete with sunset view, and that “at-ease” Menemsha feeling. Plus, the Home Port and runner-up Seafood Shanty are two of the few restaurants that offer a water view.

Sweet treats

Best Bakery: The Black Dog

11 Water Street, Vineyard Haven, 508-693-4786.

509 State Road, Tisbury, 508-696-8190.

Runner-up: Scottish Bakehouse

977 State Road, Tisbury, 508-693-6633.

Whether it’s the pastry at the Water Street location before boarding a ferry, or the Chocolate Majesty Cake from State Road for a birthday, you’ll want to savor every Black Dog bite. As for the Scottish Bakehouse, owner Daniele Dominick sells much in the way of sweet treats and hearty breads, but also hot lunches and picnic basket delights.

Best Ice Cream Shop: Mad Martha’s

20 Union Street, Vineyard Haven, 508-693-5883.

12 Circuit Avenue, Oak Bluffs, 508-693-9151.

7 North Water Street, Edgartown, 508-627-8761.

Runner-up: Ben and Bill’s Chocolate Emporium

20A Circuit Avenue, Oak Bluffs, 508-696-0008.

A favorite haunt of Island celebs (think former president Bill Clinton and Food Network mainstay Rachel Ray), Mad Martha’s has been voted best ice cream in town for years. The July Fourth red, white, and blueberry is top-notch. For more offbeat flavors – lobster ice cream, perhaps? – and the biggest servings in town, head to Ben and Bill’s.

For the home and garden

Best Place to Buy Flowers: Flowers by Donaroma

271 Upper Main Street, Edgartown, 508-627-8595.

Runner-up: Morrice Florist

149 State Road, Vineyard Haven, 508-693-0392.

Beautiful. There’s no other way to describe it. Donaroma’s takes the natural beauty of flowers and creates arrangements Mother Nature would envy. Pick out an arrangement from the cooler, or have one designed for an event of any size. Morrice Florist, family owned since opening in 1940, offers flowers by the stem, custom arrangements, house plants, and a variety of plant accessories.

Best Garden Center/Nursery: Jardin Mahoney

45 Edgartown–Vineyard Haven Road, Oak Bluffs, 508-693-3511.

Runners-up (tie):

Donaroma’s Nursery and Landscape Services

271 Upper Main Street, Edgartown, 508-627-3036.

Vineyard Gardens

484 State Road, West Tisbury, 508-693-8511.

Mahoney’s has all the benefits of meditation, but smells better. On the subject of soothing, according to West Tisbury gardener Diane Hartmann, “Vineyard Gardens is like a little oasis. You can pull off State Road and just sit by their fountain and envision your garden looking like theirs.” Donaroma’s excites the senses with fantastic displays before you enter the premises.

Best Landscape Company: Donaroma’s Nursery and Landscape Services

271 Upper Main Street, Edgartown, 508-627-3036.

Runner-up: Landscope Landscape Construction

Airport Business Park, 6 A Street, Edgartown, 508-696-8812.

These two planting purveyors were neck and neck last year. Both provide exceptional design, building, and maintenance services for your garden, including hardscape (like fences, walls, walkways, and terraces) and softscape (trees, shrubs, and beds). You pick.

Best Hardware Store: Shirley’s Hardware

374 State Road, Vineyard Haven, 508-693-3070.

Runner-up: Edgartown Hardware

47 Main Street, Edgartown, 508-627-4338.

You need it, Shirley’s has it. That sets it apart from hardware stores that seem to have everything you don’t need. Are you a harried police chief looking for supplies to paint signs reading “Beaches Closed per Amity PD”? Look no further than Edgartown Hardware. (They have lots of other stuff too. And they’re really nice.)

Best Contractor or Builder: John Early

13 Breakdown Lane, Vineyard Haven, 508-693-6177.

Runner-up: South Mountain Company

15 Red Arrow Road, West Tisbury, 508-693-4850.

John Early credits the success of his company to “the quality and consistency of our work. It’s the direct result of the skill of the people I have working for me.” The designing and building team of South Mountain is focused on commitment – to its clients, to its owner/ employees, and to the environment.

Best Electrical Contractor: Berube Electric

Edgartown, 508-627-8244.

Close runner-up: David Schwab Electric

Vineyard Haven, 508-693-0156.

Family-run – efficiently! You’ll want to chat with Berube’s electrician over coffee, but it’ll have to wait. His eye is on keeping your house electrically safe. David Schwab, also Island-grown, has been wiring the Island for thirty years.

Best Plumbing Contractor: Hart Company Plumbing and Heating

Vineyard Haven, 508-693-7227.

Runner-up: Walter Smith

Edgartown, 508-627-5661.

Jim Hart has been plumbing on the Island for twenty-two years. He credits the popularity of his company to customer service. “It’s key,” he explains. “There’s someone in the office every day, and we have twenty-four-hour service.” Reliable, professional, and knowledgeable, that’s the guys from Walter Smith, and that’s what makes a great contracting firm.

Best Store for Home Furnishings: Vineyard Decorators

835 Airport Road, Martha’s Vineyard Airport, 508-693-9197.

Runners-up (tie):

Island Home Furnishings

412 State Road, Tisbury, 508-693-6665.

LeRoux at Home

62 Main Street, Vineyard Haven, 508-693-0030.

Could Vineyard Decorators be successful because it’s seven stores in one? Because you can get just about anything for your home? Including someone to put it together? We think it’s all of the above. Runner-up Island Home Furnishings continues to provide indoor and outdoor accoutrements, and LeRoux is first call for kitchen needs from ice cream makers to cheese graters.

Best Real Estate Company: Sandpiper Realty Inc.

60 Winter Street, Edgartown, 508-627-3737.

Runner-up: Coldwell Banker/Landmarks Real Estate

15 Church Street, Vineyard Haven, 508-693-6866.

55 Circuit Avenue, Oak Bluffs, 508-696-8266.

Location. Location. Location. Sandpiper has finally relocated Landmarks to runner-up. After six years of Landmarks sitting pretty at the top, Sandpiper now occupies first place. Both carry a commitment to service and a vast knowledge of Island real estate. It’ll be interesting to see who lands where next year.

Services on-Island

Best Auto Repair Shop: Bink’s Auto

29 Winthrop Avenue, Oak Bluffs, 508-693-2168.

Close runner-up: Courtesy Motors

9 Beach Road, Vineyard Haven, 508-693-5010.

William “Bink” deBettencourt started this general repair shop in 1971, but now his son William and daughter-in-law Susan take care of your car woes. Courtesy Motors owner Larry Conroy lives up to his shop’s name – and hasn’t missed the list since the beginning of this category several years ago.

Best Bank: Martha’s Vineyard Savings Bank

Branches in Chilmark, Edgartown, Oak Bluffs, Vineyard Haven, and West Tisbury, 508-627-4266.

Runner-up: Bank of Martha’s Vineyard

Branches in Chilmark, Edgartown, Oak Bluffs, and Vineyard Haven, 508-696-4400.

They’re both banks with “Martha’s Vineyard” in the name. The first has great service on the Island; the second has lots of branches when you’re off it. The first combined the strengths of two Island banks (M.V. Co-operative Bank and Dukes County Savings Bank, last year’s winner and runner-up); the other is part of a larger bank (Sovereign).

Best Dentist: Hélène Schaeffer of Island Dentistry

823 Airport Road, Edgartown, 508-696-8426.

Runner-up: Sanford Nadelstein of Lagoon Dental Associates

60 Lagoon Pond Road, Vineyard Haven, 508-693-5068.

Hélène Schaeffer opened Island Dentistry about ten years ago in an office by the airport, and if you’re not already a patient, your timing has to be right to call when she’s accepting new ones. Sandy Nadelstein has been all about teeth in Vineyard Haven for fourteen years.

Best Doctor: John Lamb, M.D.

1 Hospital Road, Oak Bluffs, 508-693-3164.

Runner-up: Beth Donnelly, M.D.

1 Hospital Road, Oak Bluffs, 508-696-5700.

Both Dr. Lamb and Dr. Donnelly (formerly Beth MacDonald), who have internal medicine practices at Martha’s Vineyard Hospital, are graduates of SUNY Buffalo, perhaps indicating that doctors can prescribe climate change for their own well-being.

Best Hair Salon: Rosecuts

83 Causeway Road, Vineyard Haven, 508-693-5362.

Runner-up: Bouclé

12 North Water Street, Edgartown, 508-627-3853.

Rosecuts has been in business for twenty-eight years; its owner, Rosemary Gambino, has been hairdressing for forty. According to voter Amy Asadoorian of West Tisbury: “The upbeat, fun atmosphere is a real plus, along with the talent and creativity of the stylists.” The ever-popular Bouclé holds tight to the list, though dropping to second this year.

Best Spa Services: Mansion House Health Club and Spa

9 Main Street, Vineyard Haven, 508-693-7400.

Runner-up: Bouclé

12 North Water Street, Edgartown, 508-627-3853.

The Mansion House serves up some unusual wraps and facials – locally harvested clay known as Moshup’s Mud is combined with Island-grown honey for one wrap, and another uses wine from Chicama Vineyards. Now that’s Vineyardy. Bouclé offers its own intriguing selection of body wraps, facials, and massages, as well as waxing and nail treatments.

Best Taxi Service: AdamCab

Edgartown, 508-627-4462.

Runner-up: Your Taxi

Oak Bluffs, 508-693-0003.

With nine vehicles ranging from minivans to fifteen-passenger vans, AdamCab tends to do a lot of repeat business – 70 percent, estimates dispatcher Leon Thompson. Not all taxi services on-Island answer the phone twenty-four hours a day, but Your Taxi has been doing so for fifteen years, thanks to owners Diane and John Habekost.

Best Veterinarian: Animal Health Care Associates

20 Airport Road, West Tisbury, 508-693-6515.

Close runner-up: Vineyard Veterinary Clinic

276 Edgartown–Vineyard Haven Road, Edgartown, 508-627-5292.

Animal Health Care Associates sees not only dogs, cats, and “exotics” (birds and small house pets), but horses, cows, pigs, and more. With two full-time vets on staff, they offer internal medicine, surgery on-site, and “telemedicine” for off-Island review by specialists. Vineyard Veterinary Clinic specializes in household pets, including exotics.

Where to sleep

Best Bed and Breakfast: Hob Knob

128 Main Street, Edgartown, 508-627-9510.

Runner-up: Lambert’s Cove Inn

Off Lambert’s Cove Road, West Tisbury, 508-693-2298.

The luxurious Hob Knob, with its high-end ambience, attracts guests who seek the convenience of an in-town location, while Lambert’s Cove offers an elegant country retreat.

Best Hotel: Harbor View Hotel

131 North Water Street, Edgartown, 508-627-7000.

Runner-up: Mansion House

9 Main Street, Vineyard Haven, 508-693-2200.

The multi-year and multi-million-dollar renovation at the serene Harbor View includes this year’s unveiling of the newly redone and renamed Water Street Restaurant and Henry’s, a larger and brighter version of the previous pub. The Mansion House continues to reign over Vineyard Haven’s bustling downtown. u

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(Originally published in the July 2008 edition of Martha's Vineyard Magazine)

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