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Volume 39 Issue 3 • May 8 - 22, 2009
now in our 39th season

	In This Issue

Oran Mor:
Fine Dining in a Comfy Bistro Ambiance

The heart of Nantucket Town has a famous concentration of fine restaurants, but we recommend that you step outside the square, walk just around the corner by the Whaling Museum to 2 South Beach Street, and head up the copper staircase to one of the island’s best: Oran Mor.

Part of this winter was spent sprucing up the interior of the restaurant.  The decor has not been changed, just enhanced.  Polished wood tables are now without cloths, giving the rooms a more casual bistro feel.  The murals and floor-to-ceiling wine rack are still here, and dining rooms walls have been adorned with art and antiques that gives each a warmer and more welcoming ambiance.  All the rooms are appealing, but we particularly like the center dining room (it has the feel of a private library), the bright back dining room, and the front bar area. 

The bar area has some private alcove tables with decorative marble tops.  The bar itself deserves mention as well:  it has been ink-painted to resemble Nantucket scrimshaw, with beautifully reproduced map ornamentation, shell designs, phrases from ships logs, and notable quotes.  The bar top is not the only reason to perch at one of the eight seats — Oran Mor has delicious and potent handcrafted cocktails such as a Ginger Mojito, Velvet Cosmo, and Papaya Mango Pisco Martini.  New for this season, they are also offering a special Small Plates Menu in the bar area that features more than half-a-dozen selected portions from the menu and some additions like Colorado Lamb Sausage Sliders and a Sunchoke and Mussel Chowder.

A number of his core staff have rejoined Chef-Owner Chris Freeman, notably Theo and Olivier, making Oran Mor one of the few island restaurants that can consistently offer the high quality of food and service that residents and visitors eagerly anticipate. 

Everything served at Oran Mor, from bread to dessert, is house-made, emphasizing the freshest ingredients available.  The choices on Chef Freeman’s menus are amazingly varied, with international influences and uncommon pairings.  Chef Freeman possesses an impressive talent for creating colorful dishes with a symphony of flavors, textures, and temperatures that play harmoniously together.  Every part of every dish adds to the flavor and presentation of the whole—nothing is superfluous—you’ll savor every bite and clean every plate!

	For a fresh taste of the seaside, start with an order of Island Creek Oysters*, nestled in their shells on a bed of summery-fresh watercress, radish, cucumber, and horseradish vinaigrette, topped with deliciously salty “pops” of caviar.
	Those who prefer their seafood cooked will love the very summery Sauteed Marinated Prawns appetizer.  A pair of beautifully cooked plump prawns is perched upon a chilled salad of tender mache, crunchy and citrusy fennel, and juicy grapefruit.  A dollop of saffron rouille is provided for dipping, but we actually preferred the shrimp naked and combined the rouille with the salad.
	Grilled Octopus “Nicoise”* brings the backyard grill to fine dining.  The tiny tentacled mollusks have a delightful smoky-charred flavor from the grilling.  Exceptionally tender and not the least bit chewy, they are presented stacked like a many-petaled flower atop a cold salad of sliced potato, fava beans, tomato, and sliced kalamata olive.  This dish is definitely one of the standouts on Chef Freeman’s menu!
	With its gorgeous, flaky crust and blend of smooth assertive flavors, the Warm Wild Mushroom and Caramelized Onion Tart is a top-notch bistro choice to start.  The filling is deep and full of sweet onion flavor punctuated by earthy bits of mushroom.  The perfect counterpoint is a puckery salad of peppery baby arugula tossed in a sherry vinaigrette and topped with smoky crumbled bacon.  Did we mention the crust on the tart is superb?
	Anyone who has ever been to Oran Mor, or who knows someone who has, surely must have heard rave reviews of Chef Freeman’s Hudson Valley Foie Gras*.  We’ll be bold and state that we’ve never had it this good anywhere else—its a little taste of heaven!  Prepared by Chef Freeman  au torchon, this delicacy is extraordinarily rich and satiny smooth.  Lightly toasted tea-sized slices of Portuguese bread are served alongside, but we found ourselves going straight for the foie.  It is topped with a few large salt crystals and a smear of rhubarb-pepper jam is served alongside.  The fabulous first course selections left us with high expectations that Chef Freeman fulfilled with the entrees.
	We’ve not seen monkfish featured on an island menu in quite some time, but after sampling the Soffrito Braised Monkfish here, we wonder why.  It’s a delicious, moist, and meaty fish in Chef Freeman’s skilled hands.  This dish features large chunks of the monkfish, braised, but with edges seared a tasty golden brown.  The fish is served in a vibrant tomatoey sauce with flavorful soffrito base, fava beans, smoked bacon, and tiny littleneck clams.  Lemon zest lifts the flavor even more.  Creamy polenta accompanies and is delicious with the sauce and the fish.  This entree is surprisingly light for having such robust flavors.
	Sauteed Sea Scallops are always a treat:  Chef Freeman makes them absolutely top-notch!  Each of the three large scallops is perfectly caramelized on the ends and only just cooked through the middle.  Atop each one is a cool lobster escabeche that brightens the sweet flesh of the scallops.  Underneath is a gently sweet vidalia onion puree, herb beurre blanc, and fresh peas and hazelnuts.
	Sometimes what you really hunger for is a really good steak.  They’ve got that too, at Oran Mor!  Their Grilled Wolfs Neck Farm Sirloin is cooked to a perfect medium-rare, as ordered, and fork-tender.  The bite of its handsomely charred exterior is smoothed out by a luscious foie gras bearnaise emulsion that bathes the meat in rich, ethereal flavor.  The sirloin is served with sweet roasted cipollini onions, thin spears of asparagus, and crisp-edged roasted fingerling potatoes.
	Pekin Duck* frequently appears on the Oran Mor menu, but always in a different preparation.  We actually look specifically for Chef Freeman’s duck dish because of how beautifully it’s always done, no matter the style.  For this late spring menu, the entree features a roasted breast, moist and succulent, and a leg confit that is meltingly tender with scrumptious crispy skin.  Tucked underneath the duck are tender but firm sweet potato gnocchi, crisp bok choy, and large oyster mushrooms liberally drizzled with a port wine reduction.  (cover photo by Kit Noble)
	We should mention that though this is fine dining, portions at Oran Mor are generous, so you may consider sharing the Selection of Artisanal Cheeses.  The platter showcases three varieties of cheese, fruit, breads, honey, and compote, and is ideal for sharing round the table with a dessert wine.
	We highly recommend the Blackberry Almond Cake — individually-sized, it has a pound-cake texture with a blackberry filling.  Served with it is an intensely flavored black currant sorbet scooped into a crisp tuille, and an exquisite lemon-ricotta cream topped with fresh strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries.
	We also sampled two dessert specials:  a moist and light Rhubarb Financier* studded with fruit and served with a tasty strawberry malted shake...
	... and a Chocolate Trio, designed to illustrate the heavenly versatility of chocolate with a chocolate gelato, chocolate espresso pot de creme, and a chocolate caramel tart. *Photos courtesy of Kit Noble.