Crosswinds Restaurant - Go Where the Locals Go
Some of the best advise we’ve heard when it comes to finding a restaurant with great food and great value is “go where the locals go.” Lately, that is Crosswinds Restaurant & Bar.
We’re revealing an “island secret” in sharing this, and we know some Nantucketers who will equate this to telling where the best blueberries can be found or giving out the phone number of the most reliable island babysitter. But there’s room for everyone at Crosswinds! They serve continuously from 5:30 in the morning until 9 at night, have a spacious dining room and patio seating, and there’s plenty of parking (which, we’ve been assured will remain FREE for their guests).
If you remember this restaurant from a couple of years ago, then it’s time o revisit—the management, staff, and kitchen have completely changed and are earning a reputation for good service, great food, and affordable prices.
Crosswinds has indoor and outdoor seating. It’s a bit unusual to dine on a patio that is just a few yards away from the tarmac, but we tried it at breakfast and discovered that the patio is warm, bright, and nowhere near as noisy as you’d think. Most of the planes land and depart a good distance away and are fun to watch. Inside, there is a roomy and comfortable dining room. We watched Crosswinds wait staff seat and serve two parties of ten without missing a beat. Separated from the dining room is a bar with cushy counter seating and a couple of tall tables. We know a number of die-hard fans who say it’s a fun place to watch the game.
The day starts earlier at Crosswinds then at any other island restaurant, and breakfast continues well past lunchtime, so whether you get up early or are on “vacation time,” you can have breakfast most of the day. In fact, Crosswinds even has a section of their dinner menu called “Breakfast at Night” featuring four of their morning favorites.
They serve it all—Buttermilk Pancakes, Bourbon French Toast, and just about every version of eggs you can think of...Frittata, flavorful Portuguese Scramble, Steak & Eggs, Hash & Eggs, Breakfast Burrito, generous Omelettes with nearly 20 fillings, and an absolutely perfect Eggs Benedict.
Their “On the Fly” menu offers a selection of breakfast sandwiches designed for eating on the run.
For a light morning meal, there’s fruit and berries, yogurt and granola, bagel and cream cheese, oatmeal with raisins and brown sugar, and coffee how you like it: American, espresso, cappuccino, latte, mocha latte. From 8 am (11am on Sundays), you can indulge with a Bloody Mary, Mimosa, or Screwdriver from their bar.
Come 11 am, soups, salads, appetizers, sandwiches, and lunch entrees are added to the offerings. In addition to Black Angus Burgers, B.L.T., Tuna Salad, Grilled Cheese, and Grilled Chicken Sandwich, lunch also features a Classic Reuben, Philly Cheese Steak, a “B.E.L.T” (B.L.T. with a fried egg), Chicken Pot Pie with puff pastry lid, Cobb Salad, and a very popular and well done Beer Battered Fish & Chips.
“Classic American comfort food” is how the dinner menu was described to us. We think that doesn’t do them justice. They definitely have the classics, and they prepare them very well, but they also have some international specialty nights: Indian Fusion/Thai Night on Saturdays features brilliant creations by Chef Prashanth Ravi, and Italian Night on Mondays showcases dishes from different regions of Italy (last week it was Tuscan classics). And Chimichurri Grill is just one of their Seasonal Specials.
In addition to the International specials, Tuesday is Prime Rib Night ($12.95 for a 12 oz cut with mashed potatoes and vegetable); Wednesday is Endless Pasta Night ($7.95 for all you can eat Alfredo or Bolognese); Thursday Night is when they serve the Crosswinds Famous BBQ Ribs (half rack with cornbread, potato salad, and coleslaw for $11.95); Friday Night is reserved for $9.95 Fish & Chips and you’ll see half the island there; and Sunday is the Traditional Turkey Dinner with all the fixin’s for just $9.95.
