Hidden Gems of the Grey Lady - part 1

So this past week, I had the pleasure of accompanying James to Nantucket while he was attending a finance equity conference... life's tough, right? I have since decided to write a mini-series travel edition to highlight some of the amazing foodie finds I encountered during my stay.

Now this was my first trip to Nantucket and I must say, we did encounter our fair share of overpriced busts throughout the week from just not knowing better. The island isn't exactly friendly to a budget vacationer's wallet so trial and error here can get a touch pricey. Luckily, the first "gem" I'd like to share with you all came with zero risk. Unlike me, this was not James' first trip to the island (in fact, he worked on the ferry all through high school and college so he made several trips there on a daily basis). Our first (and last) stop was to The Straight Warf Fish Store, located right next to the ferry dock, for their filet of fish sandwiches.

I was forewarned of the simplicity of this sandwich as to not be put off by it's lack of ingredients. I'm typically a fan of interesting flavor combinations, but I've definitely learned that there are somethings that you just don't need to mess with. This sandwich was a prime example... two slices of day boat fluke on a toasted roll, served with a lemon wedge, house-made tartar sauce and a bag of Cape Cod chips, all for less than $10. This may be the freshest fish I've ever eaten... as in, it was swimming approximately 4 hours before I ate it. The fish is pan seared at extremely high temperatures so it gets a crispy edge without any breading. Again, playing into the simplicity of this meal.

As funny as it sounds, the tartar sauce may have been the best I've ever had. Yes, I'm raving about tartar sauce.  This was no haphazard mixture of jar mayonnaise and pickle relish, this was a velvety, blended-from-scratch sauce with a subtle zip from the pickle that complimented the fish perfectly without overpowering it.  It was kind of amazing.

Also noteworthy is the abundant seafood selection available at the Straight Warf, as well as the immaculate cleanliness of the establishment.  I wish we had packed a cooler and brought back some Wellfleet Oysters or Littlenecks with us.

Post sandwich, take a stop by The Gazebo bar next door and try a Nico's Cream Soda... 888 Vanilla Vodka and ginger ale.  Yes, it continues my rave about simplicity but sometimes, you just shouldn't mess with a good thing!

Check back for Hidden Gems of the Grey Lady - part 2: See What's Brewing (and distilling) on Nantucket!