Martha's Vineyard in the Fall

Note: The Kelley House, hosted our stay and dinner at The Newes from America Pub, as always, all opinions are my own.

We were on our 6 mile bike ride back from Oak Bluffs to Edgartown on the island of Martha’s Vineyard, when we stumbled upon a local brewery, Bad Martha’s. This was the perfect pit stop for us to refresh, rehydrate and have a little snack. Just a few years old, the brewery is housed in a gorgeous log cabin complete with a beer garden and tasting room. We ordered up the sampler of 4 beers of our choosing, and both decided that our favorite was the Weizenbock, which was light enough, without being too light, and had some nice fruity notes. Our other favorite taste? The ale-mustard served with the pretzel rods as a bar snack. Man that mustard was delicious with an awesome wasabi-like kick!

We got back on our cruisers and headed to the Kelley House for a little relaxation on the patio, and to get ready for dinner at the Inn’s restaurant, the Newes from America Pub. To be honest, my expectations were not very high, as pubs are never on my list of places I MUST eat. However, the second we walked in the dining room, guess who greeted us…..Esther! Remember Esther, the super happy, patient and wonderful waitress from breakfast at the Edgartown Diner? Well Esther greeted us with her great laugh and a big hug, and we were instantly excited for dinner!

The setting at the Newes is exactly what you would want a pub on the Vineyard to feel like. The two rooms were all wood with exposed brick walls, and on the garden level, so you are immediately warm and cozy when you enter. I bet this is the warmest spot in town in the middle of the island winter (yes, they are open year-round).

The special board called to me with promises of a braised short-rib with goat cheese, bacon mashed potatoes, green beans and a red wine demi reduction sauce. I threw my dietary restrictions out the window (which yes, I did pay for later), and committed to the special.

But first we started with the chopped salad. Since I knew my dinner would already put me in the dairy-zone, I was excited to go full dairy and have the sriracha ranch dressing that comes with the salad. This was the first time in 18 months that I have had ranch, and boy was it worth it! This dressing was flavorful with just the right amount of kick. And when mixed with the chopped romaine, red peppers, hard-boiled egg, feta, pickled radish, black olives and succulent lardon (crazy good fancy bacon), topped with crispy quinoa, its worth taking a trip to the Vineyard just for this salad! How often do you say that about a lettuce-based dish? My sister ordered the fried chicken with gravy, mashed potatoes and green beans. The breading on this chicken….man! It was perfectly crispy, without being too heavy, and it was packed with flavor, without being too salty. It was brilliant.

But not as brilliant as my short-rib. I ate EVERY.SINGLE. BITE. And I would totally do it again!

Our meal at the Newes was the absolute perfect way to celebrate our last night on the island. After eating, we stopped in the lobby for our nightly fresh-baked cookies (I drew the dairy line at drinking straight milk)…

…and strapped on our sneakers for a brisk walk along the Edgartown Harbor. Even in the dark of night the town is more beautiful than I could imagine a real-live town to be.

In the morning, we spent one last coffee hour on our balcony…..I may have shed a tear. We hopped on the ferry and headed back to the real world. But I am not going to lie, a little piece of my heart is still in Edgartown, and I plan to go get it soon with another trip to the island!

Many thanks to the Kelley House for hosting us on this vacation. The location, accommodations, and hospitality of your Inn are truly what stole my heart during this stay.