Even Keel Cafe

Our favorite way to break away from the rush of the summer season is to head directly into town and go straight to the back patio of Even Keel Cafe. Plenty of sunshine, with shady spots and umbrellas for those who’ve caught enough rays, this bi-level garden patio is bigger than some downtown eateries. Despite its location in the very heart of downtown Nantucket, it’s a quiet refuge where you can enjoy a cup of coffee and a muffin, a full meal, or an evening cocktail.

If company rather than quiet is what you seek, then the Even Keel Cafe dining room and bar (yes, bar!) is just the spot. In the center of Main Street, this island restaurant is open every day from 7 a.m. and is bustling with activity. Larger than it looks from the sidewalk, Even Keel has cafe tables if you’re stopping in for a leisurely meal and a long counter if you only have time for a quick bite. They have an extensive “grab-n-go” section featuring salads, sandwiches, and baked goods, and tall urns filled with freshly brewed coffee. Even Keel counter staff is kept busy from the moment they open preparing lattés, cappuccino, espresso, and a variety of other pick-me-ups.

From their simple and delicious Egg Sandwich and homemade Granola to their hearty Huevos Rancheros and tempting “Hurricane” French Toast with Hurricane Rum, Portuguese sweet bread, and fresh bananas, an Even Keel breakfast has long been an island favorite.

Lunchtime starts at 11 a.m., and adds to the menu more than a dozen tempting selections such as Grilled Sea Bass Sandwich, Hot Pastrami, Steak and Arugula Salad, and Grilled Pizza with spinach, tomato, garlic, goat cheese, and parmesan.

New for this season, the Café has added the “Even Keel Martini Bar” near the front of the restaurant. The bar itself has limited seating (including one stool that promises to be the best seat in the house with a great view of the big front windows and Main Street), but the drinks, of course, can be served throughout the dining room and on the patio. In addition to a range of specialty martinis, they mix refreshing blender drinks, coffee drinks, and just about any other type of cocktail you desire.

Dinner at Even Keel has the casual feel of a seaside resort cafe. It’s just as likely to be patronized by families stopping in to eat after a day on the water is as by couples dining out after attending gallery openings or before going to see a play. Tables on the patio are favored on warm summer evenings, but if the night air has a chill, then the dining room, newly adorned with colorful paintings by local artist Paul Galschneider, is a great alternative. Service is prompt and the waitstaff is cheery and helpful—many of them ready with a smile and more than a touch of good humor.

The Even Keel dinner menu has always offered a range of items from a Cheeseburger (available with guacamole, sauteed onions, or bacon) to entrees that rival some served at upscale island restaurants. Chef Theresa Maletto has updated her dinner menu for the early summer season, and it includes several new items that really showcase her talents for matching flavors and adding exotic ingredients in just the right blend. Her skilled use of coconut, curry, mango, chili oil, and other flavorful accents transform dishes that are merely excellent into stellar preparations. Fresh produce and seasonal ingredients are featured in many of Maletto’s culinary creations, and as the summer progresses, she’ll continue to modify and add items to take full advantage of the harvests.

Chef Maletto’s Even Keel Crab Cakes are always a spectacular choice to start. Nearly as tall as they are round, the cakes have minimal binding—just a bit of herbs and aioli to flavor the solid crab meat. They’re rolled in panko breading, and sauteed till well browned and crunchy on the outside and warm and moist on the inside.. Whole grain mustard aioli is served alongside for dipping. The sauce has a touch of heat—just enough to make your tastebuds tingle, but doesn’t overpower the delicate sweetness of the crab. A small salad of mixed greens with cherry tomatoes and a citrus vinaigrette is served alongside.

Each time we’ve dined at Even Keel, there has been a shrimp appetizer on the menu. Among the current offerings is a stunning preparation of Grilled Sugarcane Skewered Shrimp. Before being grilled, the shrimp are painted with rum and coconut—summery flavors that are delicious with the char of the grill. The sugarcane heightens the sweet flavor of the shrimp, and the mango and mint sauce served with them is cool and refreshing.

Another new menu addition that is already among the more popular choices is Chicken and Spinach Cannelloni. Perfectly sized for a starter, the trio of small pasta tubes are stuffed full of delectable filling and set in a cream sauce flavored with bell pepper and parmesan. Roasted red and yellow peppers garnish the top. You can taste each distinct element: the spinach, the chicken, the peppers, and the parmesan but when tasted all together, the flavors blend to make this dish memorable. The only suggestion we have is to also offer the cannelloni in an entree size—this is good enough to eat considerably more!

This season, Chef Maletto has introduced Barbecued Baby Back Ribs to her patrons. We’ve seen ribs on many island menus, but we’ve never tasted them as good as this! The smoky, Southern sweetness of the barbecue sauce completely permeates the pork, which is tender enough to pull off the bones with a gentle tug. There is enough sauce to make you appreciate the hot wet towels presented afterwards for cleanup, but not so much that you can’t taste the meat. The cool and crunchy house-made jicama slaw served alongside is a welcome change from coleslaw. We ordered the appetizer size this visit, but next time we’re going for the full rack.

Last season, Food TV personality Rachel Ray visited Nantucket for her show “$40 a Day.” No one who lives on Nantucket was surprised that Even Keel Café was one of her stops. Café owner Marshall Thompson takes pride in offering his excellent fare at very fair prices. Even his international wine list is very modestly priced and nicely varied—all but three bottles are under $40 and many are under $25. They offer a very lively Rioja for just $5 a glass.

We started our entree course with the Grilled Salmon Salad that Rachel Ray raved about during her visit. One of six different salad choices, this one is a sensational blend of hot grilled salmon, grilled aparagus, and cool greens, sliced red onion, and chilled orange slices. A tangy orange vinaigrette ties the dish together, and pieces of kalamata olives add a tasty pucker. This is the ideal summertime dinner: light and very flavorful.

New to the entree list this season is Lobster Risotto. Prepared with lobster broth and full of chunks of sweet lobster meat, this risotto is at the same time delicate and filling. Kernels of fresh corn folded into the risotto add pleasant pops of flavor, and pieces of fresh asparagus adds additional texture and garden freshness. Fresh basil finishes the dish.

Statler Chicken Breast has been on the Even Keel Menu for several seasons, and each time it appears, Chef Maletto presents it differently. The current version is one of the best to date! The chicken is pan-roasted till the skin is well-browned and crispy but the meat remains moist and tender. This remarkable chicken is served in a pool of fragrant and deeply flavored Indian coconut curry sauce unlike any we’ve previously tasted. Both the curry and the coconut are subtle — distinct but not overwhelming—and a dash of chili oil adds a touch more heat and flavor. Maletto offers different accompaniments with each of her entrees, matched to the flavor of the meat or fish. The chicken came with basmati rice, which was ideal for finishing off the lucious curry sauce, and sauteed haricots vert and onions.

Every evening Chef Maletto prepares several tempting specials. During our recent visit, we tasted a Roasted Pork Loin stuffed with apricot. The three thick slices of pork were surprisingly tender, flavorful, and succulent, and the fruit stuffing added a delicious aroma and a whisper of sweetness. The pork was served with smoothly whipped buttermilk mashed potatoes and sauteed carrots and asparagus. This entree was a table favorite, reminding us of the kind of meal we wished our mothers had made for Sunday dinner.

Desserts are a favorite course at Even Keel—some people come in just for coffee and dessert, a trend that is sure to increase now that they can add a martini or specialty drink to the selection. Evenings when Even Keel offers entertainment (jazz with the Jake Vohs Quartet this Friday from 8:30 to 11 p.m.), the dining room can be the busiest spot on Main Street. Chocolate Mousse Cake is almost always offered: a layered delight with moist dark chocolate cake, light mousse in the middle, and fudgy dark chocolate icing with walnuts pressed into the side.

We also enjoyed the Tri-Berry Tart, with its flaky crust and pastry cream topped with blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries, and a sinful Latte Cheesecake, with creamy layers set in a chocolate cookie crust that is ideal for anyone who likes to take their coffee sweet and with a fork.

Best of all is the housemade Bread Pudding made with Portuguese sweet bread and, according to our waiter Paul, an occasional pastry or other treat. Served warm with a few dollops of chocolate sauce, whipped cream, and a fresh strawberry, this is comfort food at its very tastiest.

No matter what time of day or evening you find yourself on Main Street, stop in at Even Keel Café.