There aren’t many eateries on Nantucket who could serve a hot dog as an appetizer and still have lines down the street every evening. But at Black-Eyed Susan’s this comes as no surprise. Patrons of this eatery on India Street are used to being presented with unexpected items, in fact, they look forward to it! What draws them (and us) back to this restaurant and what has made it an island favorite for well over a decade is its unique cuisine. And we do mean unique: there are dishes we’ve had here that we’ve not had anywhere else, ever. It’s the perfect antidote to a jaded palate.
There are usually just seven entrees and eight appetizers on each menu created by Executive Chef Jeff Worster—when every dish is a winner, there's no need for more. The Black-Eyed Susan's menu is modified seasonally, so by the time you’ve tried each of the new entrees and apps, they’ve changed again. It’s not unheard of for a dish to be significantly tweaked for the better in between menu changes. It was one of those tweaks that resulted in our favorite dish of the evening last week.
Black-Eyed Susan’s opens every morning to serve breakfast from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. You’re more likely to find a favorite dish at breakfast and stick with it (we know someone who looks forwarding to ordering the Spicy Thai Scramble each visit). Their Eggs Benedict is perfect every time (and just $9.50). Their Corned Beef Hash is superb, and their Sourdough French Toast with Orange Jack Daniels Butter and Cinnamon Pecans is a delicious way to start the day. Their orange juice is fresh and—possibly the most important thing in the morning—their bottomless coffee is delicious!
At 1 p.m. they close their doors and start on dinner prep. A few hours later, tantalizing aromas start wafting down India Street. By the time they open for dinner at 6 p.m., the guests for first seating are more than ready to be seated and place their orders.
Reservations here are recommended. As we slide toward the off-season you might be lucky enough to score a few seats at the long counter where you can watch the chefs at work or perhaps they’ll be an unclaimed table, but why chance it? During October and November, Black-Eyed Susan’s packs in the locals who want to get their fill before they face a long, cold winter without Chef Worster’s culinary delights. In addition to the indoor tables and the counter seats, there are two tables on the outdoor patio—for these you definitely want to make a reservation.
When we arrived last week, the menu had just been changed for Fall, so nearly everything offered was new. There are a few dishes that appear on a regular basis: the Caesar Salad, the Capellini with Tomatoes, Basil, & Garlic, and the Linguini with Local Quahogs and White Sauce. All three can be ordered in half or full portions and are ideal choices if one of your companions is less than adventurous.
We always approach the Black-Eyed Susan’s menu with great confidence that whatever we order will be good. We weren’t disappointed! At our recent meal, the kitchen hit a grand slam: every single plate of food left us purring with delight.
We started with a very satisfying Blue Hubbard Squash & Ginger Bisque that warmed our souls as it warmed our stomachs. Squash and ginger marry well in this, with the ginger really just a backup to the squash adding flavor and a spark of heat. A bit more heat comes from the tracing of wasabi cream on top. The bisque is served with a pair of king oyster mushrooms, fried tempura style. Much more than just a garnish, these salty, crisp morsels are sensational when dipped into the soup.
Also very good is the beautifully composed Baby Beet & Asian Pear Salad. The combination of the earthy-sweet red beets and the juicy pears that have a slight crispness is even better with the chunks of creamy Saga Blue cheese and the buttery crunch of macadamia nuts dusted with 5-spice powder. Even though it’s a salad, the tender leaves of mache and the blackberry vinaigrette dressing are there to enhance the beets, cheese, and pears.
There’s drama in the color, shapes, and varied flavors of the rustic Plate of Sliced Porcetta. Thin slices of milk-fed piglet forms the base. On top the Black-Eyed Susan chefs arrange a generous slice of clean and creamy Midnight Moonlight goat cheese, triangular slices of sweet and spicy piquillo peppers, cubes of sweet quince jelly, and juicy chunks of grilled peaches. Droplets of balsamic glaze are the finishing touch. We adored this different take on the too-common charcuterie plate. It was delicious fun to customize our approach: a savory mouthful of pork with just the pepper and cheese, then a sweet mouthful with pork, quince jelly, and peach.
Now for the hot dog. Yes, we were serious. There is a Kobe Beef Hotdog included among the Fall appetizers at Black-Eyed Susan’s, and, yes, we would order it again. Large enough for a few good bites, but small enough not to spoil your dinner, this is a sophisticated picnic treat. The firm and juicy dog is cooked in a tom yum broth (citrusy and a bit spicy) and served on a buttery brioche roll. It’s topped with a cool, crisp mango-jalapeno slaw and served next to a smear of sweet and spicy Thai style ketchup.
With both the appetizers and the entrees, every element of every preparation is included for a reason—these chefs use no gratuitous garnish—here you’ll clean your plate.
If you’re the sort who likes breakfast for dinner, the Black-Eyed Susan’s Fall menu has just the entree for you: Zahtar Spiced Flattened Chicken. The spice blend works magic on chicken, adding an earthy-rich flavor. The flattened breast is moist and juicy and served over what the chefs call “rustic mashed potatoes” that are very much like a grilled potato pancake. Overtop the chicken is a fried egg, sunny side up, and a pool of hollandaise flavored with blood orange and rosemary. It’s like breakfast for dinner in the most delectable combination of flavors.
Typical of Black-Eyed Susan’s, the next entree we tried was very different from the first. Bo Luc Lac Black Angus Tenderloin is an interpretation of a popular Vietnamese dish. “Bo luc lac” is translated as “shaking beef,” referring to the motion of wok cooking. For this entree, the chefs marinate the tenderloin in sesame oil, oyster sauce, fish sauce, and sweet soy, sear it, and toss it with perfectly cooked rice noodles, rapini, fried garlic, and tomatoes. The result is a dish full of complimentary flavors: sweet, rich, tangy, and robust.
Fish, when perfectly seasoned, perfectly cooked, perfectly sauced, and perfectly presented is heaven on a plate, and that is what you get at Black-Eyed Susan’s!
Their Pretzel Crusted Cod is an unexpected and very good version of this common New England fish. It’s lightly coated with crushed pretzel, just enough to give it a nice crunch, not enough to make you reach for the mustard. It’s served over a risotto of smoked chorizo, corn, and kale that has just the right mix of smokiness and creaminess with sweet pops of flavor from the corn kernels. A cilantro-pinenut pesto tops the fish, and it’s served in a puddle of madeira demi-glace.
The table favorite of the evening was the Salmon Tikka Masala. In an inspired last-minute change, chefs spiced the salmon with a tandoori blend which gave the fish with warm, slightly smoky flavors. It’s served with on grilled na’an bread with a chickpea and sweet potato curry sauce with pickled green cauliflower and a drizzle of banana yogurt. The salmon holds its own with the Indian spices and the combination of flavors and temperatures is sensational. We hope they make this change permanent.
Add a bit of adventure to your Nantucket visit with a dinner at Black-Eyed Susan’s. You’ll be very glad you did!
Black-Eyed Susan’s
www.black-eyedsusans.com
open through early December at 10 India Street
stop by or call 508-325-0308 for reservations
Breakfast served from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Dinner served Mon.-Sat. from 6 to 10 p.m.
Seatings are at 6 p.m., 7:30 p.m., and 9 p.m. and
advance reservations available for all seatings during the fall
entree prices range from $24 to $29
BYOB • Cash or checks only, no credit cards
Photos by Nathan Coe
