Our favorite ways to relax and enjoy Nantucket usually include the beach, cocktails at sunset, and fine dining. And our favorite place to combine all three is Galley Beach.
Perched in the sand between where Jefferson Avenue ends and the Atlantic begins, this restaurant—with its beach bar, outdoor lounge, barista bar, and chic open-air dining room and it’s expansive views of azure sky, rolling ocean with gentle surf, and white sand—is the perfect location to savor the casual sophistication of Nantucket.
On Saturdays and Sundays, you can begin your day at Galley Beach with a brunch that features more than two dozen different dishes including Eggs Benedict, Shrimp Cocktail, Salmon Crepes, Croque Monsieur, Confit of Duck Salad, and their famous Cliffside Lobster Roll or Galley Cobb Salad.
During lunch service, the Galley’s exclusive stretch of private and pristine white sand beach is dotted with a few colorful beach umbrellas. The calm sounds of the surf are often punctuated by the distant laughter of children.
Afternoon refreshment is available in the form of sixteen different specialty cocktails: their Mango Mohito has revived many a weary vacationer. Order your favorite libation to sip in their outdoor lounge while you slip off your shoes and soothe your toes in the warm sand. The Galley Beach is a prime spot to gather for after-work cocktails and celebrations.
Come 6 pm, the view shifts to boats sailing home, a gorgeous sunset that often deserves (and gets) a round of applause, followed by wide starry sky. Galley Beach is the ideal restaurant to spark romance or to enjoy an evening with friends and family. There’s no more coveted table on Nantucket Island on the Fourth of July than a table at Galley Beach!
Every aspect of Galley Beach lives up to the promise of its stellar location. Owners David and Geoffrey Silva are always present to greet their guests and see that all runs smoothly. The third generation to operate their restaurant, they recently managed an impressive floor-to-ceiling renovation that preserved the unique charm of the Galley’s 1920s roots while bringing the restaurant up to the highest modern standards of elegance.
Service is polished without being stiff—waitstaff are professional and glide about the dining room with assurance, anticipating every need. Wine Director Frank Hersey (who provided the pairings in this article) is happy to share his broad knowlege and expertise.
Chef W. Scott Osif’s culinary style is a perfect match to this idyllic beach ambiance. His menus showcase the freshest of the harvests from land and from sea in dishes that range from simple and simply delicious to masterful compositions of flavor and texture. No matter which of Chef Osif’s dishes you select, the quality of ingredients is impeccable, the preparation is inspired, and the presentation is impressive. He just gets better every season!
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Different every time it is served, Chef Osif’s Spring Vegetable Tasting is a brilliant way to begin a summer meal. We savored a beautifully arranged, crisp and colorful assortment that included fresh garden peas, grilled brussels sprouts, beets, asparagus, baby beta carrot. Uni, a salty treat from the sea, adorned the top. (Suggested pairing: Cliff Lede Sauvignon Blanc 2008)
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With the Roasted Beet Salad, Chef Osif concentrates his talents on just one vegetable. Golden and red beets in substantial slices are drizzled with a sweet and floral olive oil vinaigrette scented with cardamon. Tender mache, salsify, and a delightfully crunchy salted sunflower seed crisp finish the salad. (Suggested pairing: Sancerre "le Chene" Lucien Crochet 2007) |
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For a very different cool and summery light start, we also recommend the Nantucket Fluke Sashimi. The thinly sliced, bracingly fresh fish is anointed with ponzu sauce and sprinkled with chives. Juicy wedges of pink grapefruit and a salad of crunchy chopped napa cabbage add color and texture to the appetizer. (Suggested pairing: Alsace Domaine Zind Humbrecht Riesling) |
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If you prefer your fruit de mer served warm, then the Atlantic Salt Cod appetizer is what you want to order. This is a classic French brandad formed into a thick cake and sauteed till golden brown. Stacked on top are pickled onions and kalamata olives for a puckery layer. A dollop of sweet and mellow tomato confit comes next. The appetizer is crowned with a perfect tiny quail egg that spills its liquid gold overtop it all. (Suggested pairing: Chablis, Grand Cru "Fourchaume" Dom. William Fevre) |
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Tied for table favorite appetizer with the cod is the Roasted Squab Breast. Crisp skin with just enough salt covers succulent meat on this half bird. The squab is nestled next to a dried apricot ginger chutney in a pool of luscious foie gras emulsion with a splash of brandy. A peppery mizuna salad with pistachio and matchstick radish is offered alongside to cut the richness. (Suggested pairing: Volnay 1er Cru Darviot Perrin 2005) |
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We went from the rich and delicious Roasted Squab to the rich and delicious Milk-Fed Veal Strip Loin for our next course, and we knew we were in heaven. The tender veal is charred on the outside and moist and pink inside. It’s sliced over a mound of satiny potato pureé, and a deeply flavorful gravy studded with sweet, plump morels is poured liberally overtop. Crisp haricot vert are tucked alongside, and curled pink and buttery crayfish add a final bright pop of flavor. (Suggested pairing: Merry Edwards Pinot Noir Russian River Valley) |
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Also very tasty is the Heritage Breed Duck Breast that the chef features two ways: succulent sliced breast and crisp confit. The handsome duck over duck entree is accompanied by dramatic beta carrots, baby turnips with sweetness heightened by a touch of honey, beautifully roasted fingerling potato slices, and a port wine sauce with hints of star anise. (Suggested pairing: 1990 Spottswoode Cabernet) |
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Chef Osif knows his seafood, and his Pan Roasted Arctic Char is a gorgeous dish — light with no loss of flavor. With very little to distract the diner, the char sings with clean, fresh taste of the sea. Osif leaves the skin on and sears it till it crackles. The roasted fish is perfectly seasoned and cooked through, yet moist with good flake. It’s served overtop a Mediterranean mix of baby artichokes, slow roasted tomatoes, wilted frisee, and and emulsion of tapenade. (Suggested pairing: 2002 Chassagne-Montrachet "Morgeot" Jean-Marc Pillot) |
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Star of the show when it comes to seafood is the sweet and smoky Nantucket Shellfish Stew. Fresh littlenecks and tiny cockles peeking out of their shells surround a pair of sea scallops that have been beautifully seared. Underneath is a marvelous broth flavored with smoked mussels, fennel, crisp bits of double-smoked bacon, and absinthe. It’s the perfect seaside specialty, and we could see this become a signature dish for Galley Beach. (Suggested pairing: Pride Mountain Chardonnay Napa/Sonoma) |
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The final course at Galley Beach is just as impressive as those preceeding it. The Lemon-Lime Tart has the perfect creamy balance of sweet and tart in a flaky pastry shell. . . |
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. . . and the Chocolate Mousse is perfection. |
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The Granny Smith Apple Puff Pastry with a scoop of scoop of sweet dulce de leche ice cream is a Galley Beach classic . . . |
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. . . and make sure someone at your table orders the legendary Warm Chocolate Brownie! |
Go to Galley Beach for cocktails...better yet, go for lunch, follow up with cocktails on the beach, and finish with dinner! A day at Galley Beach is a day in heaven.
Galley Beach
54 Jefferson Avenue
www.GalleyBeach.net • 508-228-9641, reservations suggested
Lunch from 11:30 to 2:30 pm • Mid-Day menu served 2:30 to 4:30 pm
Saturday & Sunday Brunch from 10 am to 2:30 pm
Dinner served from 6 to 10 pm • Beach Bar open all day from 11:30 am
Entree prices range from $26 to $35
Restaurant Week Prix Fixe offerings at lunch and dinner June 7-13
Dress for dinner (sunglasses might be handy for early seatings)
MasterCard, Visa, Amex accepted
