An MFM (Magical Food Moment) at Homeport Restaurant on Martha's Vineyard.

Homeport = coastal cuisine at its best.

What defines an MFM (Magical Food Moment)

Here’s my definition: MFMs happen when a meal is elevated to the level of a memorable experience. MFMs can happen around many kinds of tables with many kinds of meals. The best ones happen when every aspect of a meal melds perfectly and magically.

That happens, for me, when I walk into a space and it’s so special in some way (maybe cozy or quirky or romantic or woodsy) that I feel a jolt in my heart. It’s when I take a bite of something and the taste elicits a spontaneous “wow”. It’s when the wine hits that perfect mysterious note. Most importantly, it’s when all these elements of the meal mash up with deeply engaging dining companions and conversation.

MFMs are like falling in love or laughing very hard. They are physically, sensorily, emotionally nourishing moments, good for the soul, something to look wistfully back on as time goes by. (You do remember Sam singing “As Time Goes By, in Casablanca, right?)

You must remember this:
A kiss is still a kiss,
A sigh is just a sigh.
The fundamental things apply
As time goes by.

I had an MFM recently at The Homeport Restaurant in Menemsha, a tiny fishing village at the outer tip of Martha’s Vineyard.

Homeport has been part of Martha’s Vineyard for almost 100 years.

Homeport is the solitary restaurant on Menemsha harbor, unless you count the soft-serve ice cream place kitty corner across the street. It’s a large space, with knotty pine walls – the kind of walls that feel so out-of-date in living rooms and feel so perfect in summer camp dining halls. The wood paneling, large wood tables, open windows overlooking the water, all work together to create perfect summer-on-the-beach dining. Outside, a patio and raw bar encircle 1/2 of the building.

If you can come, request the patio when you reserve a table; it’s not an easy thing to get. Some friends and I recently snagged one of those coveted tables. Here we are, kicking off our meal with oysters and cornbread.

Launching our meal at Homeport!

You can tell by our smiles and the setting that we are off to a good start.

A little about Homeport

After a pandemic shutdown, the almost 100-year-old Homeport welcomed new owners, Seth Woods and Eric Berke. Woods and Berke are seasonal residents on the Vineyard and established Boston restauranteurs. They have a clear vision for the restaurant:

“We’re not doing anything precious. Locally grown and regionally sourced and paying attention to the craft of it, maybe not necessarily the artistry….keeping it solid, bold flavors, and focusing on the ingredients.”

The goal is “be a local restaurant that’s firmly established in the community.”  It is secondarily a tourist destination.

The prix-fix meal is $83./person For that you get to choose from a lengthy list of appetizers, entrees and dessert. It’s straightforward, honest, local food, presented deliciously and simply.

The town of Chilmark (of which Menemsha is a part) is dry, so we brought a cooler with various wines and beers.

The food looks and feels like the salty fresh air.

Maybe lobster and scallops and green gazpacho and steamers and cornbread and blueberry cobbler with vanilla ice cream just taste better when you are sitting out on the deck, with fun friends, a sun setting over sparkly water. But to me the food at Homeport is just damn good.

I ordered Stuffed Quahogs - also known as Stuffies - as my starter. Who can resist something called a Stuffie! Stuffies are a Portuguese speciality as synonymous with “New England” as Fenway Park, Paul Revere and Sam Adams beer. They are a mixture of diced clams, spicy sausage, breadcrumbs and spices. The briny sea air taste of the clams, grounded in the earthiness of sausage and the comfort of bread, with undertones of garlic and onion and your choice of spices is irresistible on a summer night. If you are interested in making a Stuffie, here’s a great recipe.

Everyone else at our table had something steamed to start. The steamed clams (aka steamers) and the steamed mussels were fresh and perfectly cooked.

Stuffed quahogs, steamed clams and steamed mussels. Take your pick!

The main course menu features all sorts of seafood as well as chicken, meat and a vegetarian option. But honestly I’m here for the traditional lobster dinner: a 1.5 lb lobster, a baked potato, corn on the cob and slaw.

There is just something satisfyingly messy and celebratory about digging into the lobster. Here’s Melinda capturing the essence of the experience:

And then, of course a bit of New England dessert. You just can’t go wrong with a warm blueberry cobbler with vanilla ice cream or the key lime pie.

Blueberry cobbler and key lime pie. You can't go wrong.

The foodie in me loved the mango sorbet with tamarind sauce, chili lime tagin and sea salt. The cold, sweet, slightly salty combination is intriguingly refreshing. Tagin is chili and lime seasoning blend. It’s a Trader Joe’s specialty and is great on things like watermelon and avocados!

Bring your own wine!

If you have the opportunity to go to this remarkable place, remember to bring your own wine and beer. My summer wine of the moment is an Italian Rose: rosabella 2023, from G.D. Vajra vineyards.

The rose is made from the Nebbiolo grape, my favorite grape of all time; it’s known for its freshness and high tannins. This 3d generation family vineyard has a cool story. The young owners are looking closely at climate change and the environment, experimenting with bio-dynamic farming, as well as bringing back heritage grapes in the area.

What we spent.

This is a prix course event, so it’s simply $83/person plus tax and tip.

In other words, it’s not cheap. But the servings are well proportioned; you won’t go away hungry. Oh, and we loved Oliver, our young waiter, who couldn’t have been more charming and responsive.

Bottom line

What motivated this post, for me, was trying to capture the Magical Food Moment - the elements that elevate a meal beyond the food. For me, MFMs are the reasons that make a gathering around food so relevant and important!

If you’ve had any Magical Food Moments (and I know you have! We all have!), I’d love to hear about them. Leave a comment in the box below.

Or send me a message!

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