MV On The Spot

Just because summer’s over, doesn’t mean Martha’s Vineyard has shut down!
Fall is one of the most beautiful seasons on Martha’s Vineyard, the crowds have left, the rentals are cheaper and the sun is still out! But what is there to do? You may ask.

There’s a lot, including the Martha’s Vineyard Food and Wine Festival.

The MVFWF is an annual non-profit event that promotes local farms and seafood as well as wineries from all over the world. Most of the profits benefit The Martha’s Vineyard Museum in Edgartown. The Festival is October 17-19, 2008.

A few of the events scheduled are:

• Small Plates from the Grill Grates featuring BBQ masters Andy Husbands and Dante de Magistris.
• Duckhorn Wine Dinner at Atria hosted by Michael Brehart from Duckhorn Wine Co.
• Grand Tasting hosted by the Martha’s Vineyard Museum features a variety of island chefs and guests including Kevin Crowell, Howard Imber,  Antonio Saccoccia, Christian Thornton.
• Chocolate and Dessert Wines hosted by the Christina Gallery Featuring Lee Napoli’s handcrafted chocolates.

So if you love food, wine, chocolate and Martha’s Vineyard, be there! Tickets are on sale now.

For a complete listing of the events and times and to purchase tickets visit the website!

Every September as the island quiets down, school picks up and the summer folk head to the mainland, the Vineyard community has a fall festival at the Ag Hall and fairgrounds in West Tisbury. It’s a pretty special festival, full of locals. One annual vacation renter told me the following story:

“We switched our vacation rental two years ago from our usual two weeks in June to two weeks at the end of September because our son was due in early July. We loved being on the island at the start of autumn, and our favorite part was the fall festival. There was so much to do and we felt like we not only got a glimpse, but were actually part, of the island’s unique year round community.”

The 2008 festival was called Living Local and featured everything local including: food, farmers, herbs, tonics, teas, tinctures, wool, clothes, furniture, bees, honey and more. There was also tons of information from local and regional providers of alternative energy, alternative waste and sustainability. There were speaker panels, workshops…and loads of great local food!

And, like that renter said, autumn is a special time to be on Martha’s Vineyard. The life of the island is happening, you get to wear wool socks at night and go to the beach during the day! Notably, the rental costs decrease after the peak months of the summer…a great time to book your slice of paradise.

This is a great home away from home in Edgartown. It has all of the classic amenities, but, unless you live somewhere like Hawaii, it’s in a much grander location than your own house!

About a mile outside of Edgartown center, this colonial is a short walk to an island favorite, the Morning Glory Farmstand - filled with local produce, a just picked salad bar, specialty items and incredible baked goods. You can also hop on the bike trail and head into the nearby State Forest or zip downtown or out to Katama and South Beach.

The house has a huge porch and a very private backyard, three bedrooms and two full baths. High speed internet was installed in 2008. Rental costs range from $1000-2100 weekly, depending on the time of the year.

I don’t know about you, but when I’m on vacation, I enjoy taking a break from cooking…and cleaning up the kitchen when the eating is done! But, part of the reason that you want to rent a house on Martha’s Vineyard, is so that you’ll have a kitchen and you won’t have to go out for every meal - as you would if you were staying in a hotel.

Private cooks and chefs are the answer and the Vineyard has some special chefs to offer. You can arrange for them to make a single meal or every meal for your entire stay - just for one, two or the whole family (and your friends). These women specialize in listening to your dietary needs and your taste bud desires!

Nisa Kontje Webster gets right to the heart of a true Vineyard meal. Born and raised on the island, she can turn anything into a gourmet meal and she’s a wonderfully calm and personable addition to any kitchen - you’ll hardly know she’s there and you won’t want her to leave! 508.566.0464

Elizabeth Germain is the slow food aficionado on the island focussing on foods made from scratch with original recipes - the antithesis to fast food (think McDonalds) with emphasis on local, organic and healing recipes. 617.5159279

Laura Silber specializes in coastal fusion pulling from many different coastal cultures uses all local ingredients but with Asian and French flairs. Clean and simple enough that you can eat it everyday.

Heather Gude
A little bit richer and a bit fancier than the rest, Heather’s fusion style has South American and Southeast Asian influences. 508.930.8519

Martha’s Vineyard is a prized destination for special events - weddings, anniversaries, reunions and more. And, of course, no celebration is complete without lots and lots of food.

The Vineyard has many incredible caterers. They know the island, the venues, the local fare. Here’s a quick list of some favorites and what makes them special. But, food is a personal thing so I highly recommend that you meet these caterers and taste test!!! Not a bad way to spend an afternoon…

Jan Buhrman, of The Kitchen Porch, highlights her New England country style. Seen in her menus and presentations, she goes for the fresh, local and abundant feel of a big old country meal. She’s also available for private cheffing.

Jamie Hamlin is known for both her catering to the stars and her aesthetics in the food and its presentation which is elegant from start to finish.

Dee Smith of Tea Lane Caterers is proud of the diversity and quality of the food she creates. Everything is made from scratch and is created to match your event perfectly. Dee also does private cheffing under the guise of the Phantom Chef.

Perry Ambulos of Truly Scrumptious Catering and Cafe is always a highlight at fundraisers around the island and known for his incredible hors d’oeuvres.

Annie Foley has been cheffing and catering for over 15 years, creating the perfect atmosphere for your event - from the traditional New England meal to the something more on the wild side.

Of the many amazing things that people love about vacationing on Martha’s Vineyard, the size of the island and all that it contains, stands out. In roughly 100 square miles, you have easy access to beaches, forests, farms, ponds, quaint villages, bustling towns…everything but malls (thank goodness!)

And, the village of Katama, located in Edgartown is perfectly positioned close to downtown Edgartown with its shops and right next to beautiful South Beach. You have the quiet of up island, but the proximity to a happening town, and the beach is public, so you have guaranteed access.

We have several rental houses in Katama that fit the bill, and this is one of my favorites. It’s an expanded cape with a large family room with cathedral ceiling and an open, airy game room with a pool table. The kitchen was remodeled in 2004, and the fully landscaped yard has plenty of room for barbecues, badminton and lounging about in the sunshine. If you’re planning a vacation for this fall, next spring or summer - this is a great property.

Contact me for more info!

With all the talk about the annual Fishing Derby, I can’t help but think about a different kind of fishing - the kind that has you cared for, charter style.
If it is bigger fish you’re after than there are numerous charter-fishing boats available from all ports of the island and most guarantee you’ll catch more fish than you want! Captains of these boats are knowledgeable, familiar with the island’s waters and fish and are excited to work with fishing enthusiasts of all skill levels.

Here are some of my favorites:
Menemsha Blues Charters run by Captain Jonathan Boyd not only boasts “Fish Guaranteed,” but is captained by a former Harbor Master of the busy Menemsha harbor. Climb aboard the 31-foot Mary Sea and head out into the deeper waters for a yield of striped bass and bluefish.

Capt. Porky’s Fishing Charters run by Captain Everett “Porky” Francis has won the Best of the Vineyard for Charter Fishing and runs both in-shore and off-shore charters as well as half and full day excursions. The 30-foot Blackwatch White Water heads out of the docks in Edgartown and is open seven days a week.

Flashy Lady Charters run by Captian Dick Vincent may be your best bet as their slogan is “No Bass – No Pay!” The boat record is a monster 55 pounder striped bass. Captain Dick has catered to many other satisfied customers over the last 13 years as a charter captain. The Flashy Lady is a traditional 26-foot bass boat that carries a maximum of four adults and leaves Menemsha twice-daily Rain or Shine!

Every fall, the fishermen and women and children of Martha’s Vineyard and beyond begin their monthlong striped bass and bluefish derby in the waters surrounding the island. This year, the 63rd annual derby begins on September 14th and ends on October 18th with a special awards ceremony on the 19th. After a long summer of hard work, many island fishermen take considerable time off from work to join in the derby.

The derby has special events and categories that include kids, shore and boat fishing.
Daily, weekly and whole-Derby prizes are awarded for biggest fish caught according to species and technique, including all tackle and fly rod from both shore and boat.

Being the Vineyard, the Derby is more than just a competition. With registration and fundraising from sponsors, along with a partnership with island artist, Ray Ellis, who has created paintings of favorite island fishing spots to be copied and sold by the Derby for the last 20 years, the Derby has awarded over $250,000 in scholarships to island students…amazing!

For more information, rules, regulations, awards and registration spots, visit the Derby’s official website.

Because we’re officially off-season for vacation rentals on the island, this is a great time to rent a house and and get in the action!

The housing crisis is affecting the entire country due to our economic client, but it’s felt in resort/vacation spots all the time. Still, Martha’s Vineyard is a leader in providing affordable housing to ‘real’ people - and it’s done through a non-profit called the Island Affordable Housing Fund. They ensure that school teachers, nurses, carpenters, house cleaners and the like have a place to live in this haven of ours.

And…they’re holding a raffle called the Key to MV - 600 tickets are being sold at $1,000 a pop, and the grand prize is a beautiful house (LEED Certified) right in the heart of downtown Edgartown!

Entering to win is simple and if you don’t happen to win, that $1,000 becomes a donation to the Island Affordable Housing Fund! Check it out and enter to win!

This September 10-14, the Martha’s Vineyard International Film Festival takes the island by storm once again. This festival is on par with Sundance for bringing cutting edge independent films to our communities. Talks and events planned throughout the festival give the community access to film directors, actors, writers and more, while providing a platform for conversation and dialog surrounding the films’ varied, controversial and thought-provoking topics.

This years films include: FLOW (For Love of Water) which has aired at both the Democratic and Republican National Conventions as an eye-opening look at the Earth’s water crisis; Blindsight about six blind Tibetan teenagers climbing Everest; and, Beyond the Call about three men who travel the world right up to the front lines of war doing good deeds.

Check out this video coverage of last year’s festival from Plum TV: