State Road: Revisited! (Martha's Vineyard)

A highlight of November's trip to Martha's Vineyard was our meal at State Road, recommended to us by the fabulous couple behind Hungry Native (click to go visit them--I'll wait here!) Our breakfast was jaw-droppingly good and we still talk about it from time to time. On our random, extra trip this April, we absolutely made time for a visit, this time for dinner (and apparently just a day after their opening for the 2012 season!)
Also, we quickly noticed that every single table brought wine with them, as West Tisbury was still a dry town (the vote to approve beer & wine has since passed--cheers!), but considering I was driving us back to Edgartown, it wasn't that big a letdown. We had some Clovis Point Merlot waiting for us at the hotel. ;)

I started with the garlic soup. We had the same server as last time (Caitlin) and she told me the soup had a poached egg (!) from Grey Barn Farms, a chicken broth base, puréed bread crumbs for thickness, and oodles of garlic, plus a ramp-butter crostini. Done and done. I like ramps (some people, especially in NYC, go insane for them), so I figured it was a perfect taste of spring flavors. This was BEYOND good. I have to figure out how to make this! It must have been roasted garlic, because the flavor was slightly sweet and mild, nothing raw or pungent about it. ABF had more than one spoonful of this because it is THAT GOOD. That egg--look at the gorgeous yolk!

ABF sampled the bread basket while I ate my soup--delicious.

ABF ordered the steak dish, which came with sautéed spinach and buttermilk-onion rings. I loved the onions and sneaked a good 2 mouthfuls of the crunchy bits. The steak was super tender and wonderfully seasoned, and the garlic was just right. ABF was hoping for MORE of it, but he did enjoy it. It also came with these fabulous pasta pockets filled with short ribs. Melt-in-your-mouth good!

I went in determined to save room for dinner, so for my entrée, I ordered the Menemsha Lobster Spaghetti, which had pasta made from Grey Barn Farms eggs, roasted tomatoes, local pea greens and asparagus. This was beautiful, but I felt like something was missing and it fell a little flat with me. It was very good, I just didn't fall in love with it like I did with the breakfasts we had last year. Still, a tasty, decent-sized portion that left me with plenty of room for dessert!

And oh, this dessert was worth it. Salted whiskey butterscotch pudding. So many awesome words in that title! YES! It had a great tang of salt, creamy butterscotch flavor, and sublime peanut brittle on top. When did I start liking peanut brittle? Oh right--the SECOND I tried the peanut brittle at State Road.

ABF ordered the flourless chocolate cake, but this didn't win over either one of us. It had a crumbly texture and made me think of more of a semolina cake than the dense, fudgy, richer version we were both picturing. If you want something very light, though, this would be a good pick. I'd rather have more more more of that butterscotch pudding. A lot more!

We saw a final sweet treat arrive with our check--2 delicious, light-as-air macaroons. I don't really care for coconut's texture, but for some reason I love it in macaroon form. These were great!

While the dinner still didn't surpass our remarkable breakfast from last fall, we still highly recommend State Road. Great service, fresh, local food, and love in every bite. Enjoy!

State Road Restaurant
688 State Road
West Tisbury, MA 02575
Phone 508-693-8582

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