After a disappointing dinner during our first night ever in Martha's Vineyard, we were desperately trying to find another restaurant that would satisfy our desire for the nice East Coast dining experience that we missed since we moved to California. Yes, the comfortable informality that most West Coast restaurants employ may be nice for most, but I really miss places where people actually have to dress up for a fine dining experience.
So perhaps ironically, we found Atria. They had no formal dress code, so we came as we are after a walk on Lighthouse Beach, myself in a short-sleeved collared shirt and jeans. We were escorted to the main dining room, which certainly had the flair for any formal occasion. I was relieved to note that at least one other gentleman was also in sneakers.
The menu seemed deceivingly simple, and there is no set menu. Our waitress made recommendations, especially confident about the calamari as "the best ever." Although the boss was skeptical about the boldness of her claim, we went with it, as I am a big calamari fan. We also decided on the pork shoulder and the lobster risotto special, all of which are some of my favorite things.
Although I cannot honestly say that any of the dishes were the best I've ever had, all the dishes were extremely good. The calamari had the spice that we had not experienced with this appetizer, along with an herb with an Asian oil that gave it an unique great flavor. The lobster risotto was savory and satisfying, with no shortage of lump lobster meat. The pork shoulder was slightly on the tougher side, but it was still easily divisible by fork alone, and the mustard did not overwhelm the dish as I had feared. Again, they were all excellent, but I have been privileged to have eaten some wonderful dishes elsewhere (risotto at Palate in Pittsburgh, and pork shoulder at Sage in Las Vegas).
Did I forget about the truffle fries that we got talked into, thanks to other Yelpers? None of the others mentioned its size, but perhaps none of them ate in the dining room. Otherwise, surely someone would have captured (or at least mentioned) the MOUNTAIN of fries that came on a large side dish. We did save it for later, as suggested by our wonderful waitress.
When it was time for dessert, after we wrapped up half of the pork and bulk of the fries (both which we still enjoyed the next morning), we decided to share the molten chocolate cake, which was moist and delicious, with the coffee ice cream on top.
On top of already an incredibly good meal, the best part was the bill, which came out to less than $135 before gratuity. Especially after spending $100+ per person for a less-than-satisfying experience the night before, I was extremely satisfied with Atria as one of the best dining experiences ever. Perhaps not top 5, but definitely top 10.
We will be back at Atria the next time we visit Martha's Vineyard, as if there were any questions about it. The only thing I may change is to ask to sit on one of the patio tables with the fire pit; that seemed like it would be a cool dining experience. read more