In This Issue

DeMarco
An Oasis of Goodness

Young Don DeMarco planning to take over for his aging father.

Don DeMarco is a man of boundless energy, passion, and creativity.  He paints, he composes, he writes, he cooks.  He’s a father; he’s an entrepreneur; and for three decades, he has run one of Nantucket’s finest dining establishments.

As he states in his philosophical cookbook, Nantucket Taste Memories,  you can “go home again” through food, and he refers to the preparation and consumption of it as “a journey of complex delight.”  Food, says DeMarco, “relieves the burden of the unknown and offers an oasis of goodness every time you sit with people you care about.”

It is abundantly clear that DeMarco practices what he preaches!  From the warm greeting guests receive when they step through the door of his historic home-turned-restaurant to the gracious service by the fresh-faced but well-trained waitstaff, you feel like an honored guest.

With his unfailing cheer, appealingly chatty personality, and his genuine good nature, Don DeMarco is the quintessential host.  He likes nothing better than to briefly visit tables to make sure his guests are comfortable, and his guests love it, too!  Don is very much a part of dining at DeMarco Restaurant.  These days, early diners may be greeted by both Don and his adorable 10-month-old son, who is learning the business at an early age!

Polished wood, exposed beams, and brick fireplaces give a warm feel to the various upstairs and downstairs dining rooms, and striking artwork (some by Don DeMarco himself) adorns the walls.  This is fine dining, relaxed—no attitude here, only the intent to please.

Everything served at DeMarco, from the changing variety of warm bread presented at the start to the dessert course is made in-house.  DeMarco would have it no other way!  “There are no secrets in recipes,” he told us, “only execution.”

Ingredients are very fresh and, whenever possible, very local.  Produce from Bartlett Farm, exotic harvests from Nantucket Mushrooms, and fish fresh from the docks are often in the kitchen.  Dishes are creatively prepared, artistically presented, and absolutely delicious down to the last bite.

DeMarco Restaurant’s extensive Italian and domestic wine list has been repeatedly honored by Wine Spectator Magazine and is notable not only for the selection of bottles but also for the fine selection of wines by the glass.  They have a full bar, and patrons often arrive a little early for a pre-dinner cocktail (try the Donald Collins, a refreshing and citrusy concoction with Grey Goose and fresh lemon juice).

Many of the appetizers served at DeMarco are light and chilled, ideal for summer and the perfect prelude to a Northern Italian meal. 

	The Fried Green and Ugly Tomatoes is a starter you must try!   Thick slices of sun-ripened red tomatoes are layered with golden brown slices of fried green tomatoes, still warm.  Mozzarella balls surround the stack, and shreds of fresh basil and tracings of aged balsamic vinegar and basil oil add freshness and tang.  This sensational contrast of textures and tastes makes this a signature dish that nearly everyone who has ever been to DeMarco will mention.
	DeMarco’s Beet Salad is also superb!  The focus of this is definitely on the earthy-sweet taste of the roasted golden and red beets, cut into tender-firm chunks and mounded on either side of a lightly dressed and peppery-tasting baby arugula.  Broad shavings of pleasantly pungent pecorino cheese top the salad.
	Our favorite starter this summer—after the Fried Green and Ugly Tomatoes, of course—is the Bruschetta.  We find a bruschetta pretty consistently on the menu at DeMarco, but the preparation changes.  This year the toasted bread takes a back seat to the “accompaniments”:  paper-thin slices of parma ham, savory with a whisper of sweetness;  balls of fresh mozzarella; nutty tasting chilled cannellini beans in fruity olive oil with bits of roasted red pepper and herbs.  You can build your own bruschetta.
	Pasta is always a good choice at DeMarco, whether you order it as an entree or in half portion as an appetizer.  For a taste of Nantucket, try the Linguine, which is served with a garlicky white wine sauce, a touch of chili flakes, fresh garden peas, and tiny Nantucket littleneck clams, some chopped and some still in the shell.  The Cappellini with chunky tomato sauce and plump shrimp and the Bolognese with its tomato meat sauce of veal, pork, and beef are classic Italian and make delicious second courses in half-portion.
	The two pasta dishes at DeMarco that we most highly recommend are the Boscaiola and the Going Green. We feel about the Boscaiola the way we feel about the Fried Green and Ugly Tomatoes:  you mustn’t leave Nantucket without trying this entree!  Sheets of “badly cut” fresh pasta are doused with a lusciously heady tomato cream sauce.  Folded in with the tender pasta are chunks of mushrooms and bits of sage and prosciutto.  Aged imported parmesan is grated overtop, melting slightly over the warm pasta.  This dish sounds heavy, but though it is rich, it is surprisingly light.
	Also light and delicious is DeMarco’s new Going Green pasta dish.  This entrée made us think of gazpacho, with its garden-fresh ingredients: peas, tomato, chopped asparagus, yellow bell pepper.  But it’s served warm and over a tangle of whole wheat fettucine.  Each element of this keeps its integrity and tastes of itself, and the tomatoey broth has surprising depth of flavor from the green tea steeped in it. This is a healthy pasta dish you can devour guilt-free!
	DeMarco Restaurant covers a lot taste territory in just seven entrées (not including, of course, the five pasta dishes).  The Atlantic Sea Scallops are cooked perfectly:  their tops and bottoms seared and caramelized to a sweet golden brown, their centers just warm and translucent.  These are served on top of a creamy risotto with garden peas and small pieces of summer squash stirred in.
	We also very much enjoyed the Pan Fried Rainbow Trout, a fish not often seen on island menus.  The trout is moist and flaky and the creamy citrus sauce and citrus supremes served alongside highlight the delicate flavor of the trout.  Tender spears of asparagus are served overtop the fish, and next to it is a tasty artichoke risotto, creamy and toothsome as any good risotto should be.
	Our favorite meat entrée is the Honey Brined Pork Chop.  This single, surprisingly thick chop is cooked through yet remains delightfully moist.  The meat is slightly flavored by the honey brine, and with the herb butter melted over it, the pork is superb! Tucked along one side of the chop is a portion of scalloped potatoes, the potatoes beautifully tender and the top deliciously crusty.  Along the other side is a sauté of locally grown black trumpet mushrooms that are very flavorful with hints of apricot.
	Desserts at DeMarco Restaurant are more than just an afterthought:  the indulgent  Chocolate Molten Cake will put a smile on the face of any chocolate lover, and the Tiramisu, with its espresso-soaked ladyfingers, kahlua sauce, and cinnamon spiked whipped cream, is another exceptional choice.