Grill on Main offers Value and Comfort in the Form of Consistency, Food, and Experience.
by Anna Frost
Consistency seems to be the secret to The Grill on Main’s success, and to its delightful food. While many fine-dining restaurants frequently change their menus to keep things fresh and diners intrigued, chef-owner Tony Saccoccia keeps his menu steady while adding specials for variety. Clearly, he’s doing something right.
The customers at The Grill on Main are often islanders who have become regulars at the restaurant for its dependable, high-quality food and excellent value. Entrees at The Grill on Main are two-for-one, which provides financial accessibility for couples and groups. The few times the chef changed the menu significantly, diners were asking for old favorites to be made instead, said sous chef Jonathan Johnson. So it makes sense that Saccoccia would decide not to veer from the highly demanded path.
The regular menu offers a generous selection of items without being long-winded. Out of the nine appetizers and eleven entrees, there are few that do not stand out. Popular summer ingredients like shellfish are featured throughout. For starters, the Atlantic crab and sweet corn cakes or the lobster turnover with a shrimp and lemon cream sauce are bound to whet any crustacean fan’s appetite. The entrees continue this theme with clams over linguine, shrimp scampi and a seafood marinara with shrimp, scallops and littleneck clams.
While staying true to Saccoccia’s vision of casual American cuisine, the menu has clear Italian and French influences. The two stem from different places, Johnson said.
“There were a couple Italian restaurants over here in Edgartown that stopped running so we kind of filled the void there for a little bit. But others are opening up now,” Johnson explained. “[Chef Tony] is known for his sauces…Back when he was at the [Culinary Institute of America] it wasn’t ran the same way it was now. It was more hard on those kids and he was pretty high in his class, so he’s French sauces big time. He does a lot of cream sauces and stuff like that.”
One of the more notably French appetizers, a wild mushroom bisque finished with gorgonzola, points to Saccoccia’s cooking expertise. Prepared with a combination of shiitake, portabella and button mushrooms, the velvety bisque conveys an earthy mushroom flavor that is countered by the tangy gorgonzola cheese melting into it. The restaurant’s air conditioning allows for this unorthodox choice for a hot summer day, and those who try it will be justly rewarded.
Soy and ginger marinated grilled duck breast with a plum-apricot glaze satisfies the palate as well, but in a different way. The marinade’s flavors do not translate too boldly, which allows the fruity glaze to sing. Perfectly charred skin on the duck breast provides depth and counters the sweetness of the glaze. A side of scalloped potatoes in cream sauce and perfectly steamed medley of snap peas, carrots and zucchini, makes it a hearty yet well-balanced plate.
Saccoccia doesn’t hold back when it comes to his simple and well-executed desserts. A bittersweet chocolate bread pudding with vanilla whipped cream tempts one’s sweet tooth, even after the generous portioned appetizers and entrees. An apple tart and tiramisu grace the menu beautifully as well, along with a New York style cheesecake served with blackberry sauce. The cheesecake stands out as it is rich and creamy, but brightened up by the tangy blackberry sauce. Saccoccia prepares all of his desserts from scratch with the same care and attention he puts into the rest of his menu, making them items diners should not skip over lightly.
In addition to the regular menu and the specials, Saccoccia also offers a prix fix menu and a bar menu. Diners may choose from an appetizer, entrée and dessert for a reasonable rate of $47.95. For entrees, the prix fix menu often has a dish or two not featured on the regular menu, as well as ones that are. The prix fix menu allows the chefs to change things up a little, without rocking the boat too much. For their real playground though, the bar menu provides lighter fare at a lower price. From sandwiches to shrimp mac and cheese, the bar menu is more budget-friendly for those working on the island, Johnson said.
Saccoccia opened up patio seating outside the restaurant as a way to bring a younger crowd to the Grill. Though the inside restaurant makes the older generation feel more at ease, the brighter patio area looks out on the busy street, plays louder music and is an ideal setting for people to come relax after work or the beach. The addition brings a new facet to the restaurant, widening its target audience without alienating its current one.
In contrast to the patio, the decor inside Grill on Main assures diners of its easy-going constancy. Local landscape artwork lend color to the soft beige walls, with hues of blues and greens reminiscent of the ocean and forests Martha’s Vineyard is known for. White tablecloth decked tables stud the dining room, each set carefully with silver and glassware. Grill on Main is a place of comfortable tradition. May it continue feeding the island well for many more years to come.
