Outdoor dining at The Nautilus. Photo credit: The Nautilus
Reflecting back on the last 12+ months, Robert mentions the many silver linings resulting from a hectic and unpredictable year — confidence in the housing market, a reconnection with community, and yes, outdoor dining in a way we’ve never experienced before here on Nantucket.
Forced to adapt to COVID restrictions, restaurants everywhere had to find ways to reinvent themselves in order to stay relevant and afloat.
They began by offering unique delivery options, including home meal kits, virtual tasting events and curbside pickup. It was the reimagining of outdoor dining that opened our eyes (and mouths) to how we can safely enjoy our most beloved restaurants again. When it comes to moving dining outdoors, Nantucket restaurants have proven to be up for the challenge! We’ve seen colorful umbrellas, cafe tables and lights stretching across narrow cobblestone streets.
Our amazing restaurants have taken a page from Paris’ Latin Quarter to create a completely new dining atmosphere.
The fact is, many people are starting to get comfortable being around neighbors, friends and family again. Restaurants are sensing this change and are all-in on offering a spacious alfresco option to their guests. Locations like The Nautilus, Ventuno, The Club Car, and The Boarding House have all taken advantage of closed off streets and available outdoor space to expand their dining footprint. With vaccine levels up, COVID cases down, and state restrictions slowly being lifted, we can now enjoy all the benefits of this European inspired style dining with less worry.
We don’t know about you, but we’re certainly looking forward to less worry and more enjoyment this summer!
On that note, here’s our 3 reasons why we love outdoor dining on Nantucket:
#1: More time outside.
We all know that too much time indoors can negatively impact both your mental health and overall immune system due to a decreased amount of Vitamin D. Time outdoors is vital to our overall well-being. We spend so much time indoors during the winter months. This is specially true during the COVID winter months. Our bodies and brains have a lot of catching up to do with the great outdoors. Outdoor dining is the perfect way to enjoy a meal while getting sunshine especially now with springtime in full swing. A win-win all around!
#2: A chance to check out a new restaurant.
Dining capacity indoors is beginning to return back to its pre-March 2020 format. So, the additional seating created by the new outdoor dining format significantly increases your odds in snagging a table at your favorite, always booked, restaurant.
#3: Dining under the stars.
Here's a bonus to the “more time outside” benefit. Warmer evenings (coupled with the abundance of space heaters now available) provide more time to enjoy dinner out with friends! All under the relished Nantucket starlit sky. Fact is, we can’t think of a better place to be on a beautiful Nantucket summer night than dining outdoors.
As we make our way through May, we are welcomed by more and more restaurants opening up for the season. Restaurants with confirmed opening dates in May include: American Seasons and Fifty Six Union (both opened May 6th), Black Eyed Susan's (opening May 19 (breakfast) May 26 (full)), and Galley Beach (opening May 27).
Be sure to check out The Inquirer and Mirror’s running list of restaurant openings and this week’s list of openings from the town.