Mahon About Town Nantucket Blog

The Nantucket Preservation Trust wrapped up Preservation Month with a benefit Dinner in a garden overlooking Nantucket Harbor on Saturday, May 26, catered with a seasonal menu by Jim Perelman, and music by The Shep Cats.

Cape Cod Life’s Best of Nantucket list is now on the stands - some of the restaurant winners below. Pick up the June issue for all the winners.

Fine Dining
Gold: 21 Federal
Silver: The Pearl
Editor’s Choice: Topper’s

Family Dining
Gold: Atlantic Cafe
Silver: Faregrounds
Editor’s Choice: A.K.Diamond’s

Outdoor Restaurant
Gold: Brant Point Grill
Silver: Rope Walk
Editor’s Choice: Summer House Beachside

Waterview Restaurant
Gold: Galley and Ropewalk
Silver: Topper’s
Editor’s Choice: Straight Wharf

Seafood Restaurant
Gold: Sea Grille
Silver: Brant Point Grill
Editor’s Choice: Nantucket Lobster Trap

Romantic Restaurant
Gold: Cioppino’s
Silver: American Seasons and 21 Federal
Editor’s Choice: Sfoglia

Breakfast
Gold: Black-Eyed Susan’s
Silver: Fog Island
Editor’s Choice: Downyflake

Lunch
Gold: Provisions and Something Natural
Silver: Atlantic Cafe
Editor’s Choice: Centre Street Bistro

The Summer House is now open for the season under Peter and Danielle DeBenedictis.

The Galley Beach is open for the season.

DeMarco is open for its 28th season.

The Hen House now serves late night take out until 2 a.m.

Stubby’s has reopened after the fire, and Stubby’s owners Skip, Jim and Dave have purchased Pronto, open any minute.

PlumTV (Comcast Channel 22) is now airing new episodes of the local show about island chefs, Nantucket Food & Wine. The show is produced by Malcolm Brooks, with Mark Donato as host.

All Kovalencik and Matt Zadorozny: Monday at 5 pm

Evan Marley, Pi Pizzeria: Wednesday, 6:30 pm

Jason Carroll, Water Street: Thursday 1 pm

Paul Dean: Thursday, 8:30 pm

Jean and Julia Halberstam asked me to pass this along:

There will be a memorial service for David Halberstam in New York City on Tuesday, June 12th, 4 pm, at the Riverside Church, Riverside Drive and 121st Street. Julia and Jean will receive friends across the street in Riverside Park after the service. There will not be a service in Nantucket.

“David loved those days of “Third World Softball.” Frank Conroy will be pleased that Billy Taylor will be at the piano, playing as people enter the church. What a full and rich life he had. For the last decade or longer, he would say to all of us - walking friends to a taxi after a dinner party here or leaving a restaurant or just the 2 of us - “aren’t we lucky!” So Julia and I have bought a bench on Literary Walk in Central Park saying exactly that. His is a few benches away from George Plimpton’s (which says “When there is no wind, row), and Jim Henson’s is nearby. Good company.”

This is Fagawi weekend. Fageddaboutit. All you need to know is that they leave on Monday.

Someone is celebrating her 40th birthday.

It has to be Amy Nelson of Water Street. Water Street is offering a special Chef’s Tasting, featuring all of Amy’s favorites with Champagne pairings. That’s tonight, and it’s in addition to the normal menu. 508-228-7080 for reservations.

There are still tickets ($325) for the Benefit Dinner Party for Nantucket Preservation Trust this Saturday night (26th), beginning at 6 p.m. at the home of Susan Zises Green at 44 Orange. Jimmy Perelman is catering the event with gazpacho shooters, barbecue, corn bread and all the fixin’s. Music by the Shep Cats. Call 508-228-1387 for reservations.

Charles E. Soule will meet his readers and sign copies of his Nantucket based novel, In the Same Space, at Nantucket Bookworks, Friday, May 25, 7-8:30 p.m.

Look for more weekend events in tomorrow’s newsletter.

Here’s a better picture of what this year’s 12th Annual Nantucket Film Festival will look like.

Look for 30 features with 20 shorts, and, according to Artistic Director
Mystelle Brabbee, “This year in particular, we were delighted to find that the line-up has a strong representation of female talent, whether it’s an engrossing film from a female director, or a film telling the story of an incredible woman.”

The Festival will this year introduce the Adrienne Shelley Excellence in Filmmaking Award, which awards a cash prize to an exceptional female writer or director at the festival. Robert Benton will accept in person the NBC Universal Screenwriting Award at the NBC Universal Screenwriter’s Tribute on Saturday, June 16th. Expected to attend are Stanley Jaffe, Ron Meyer, Jeff Zucker, Brian Williams, and James Schamus.

Benton will be interviewed by film critic Janet Maslin in In Their Shoes on Sunday, June 17th, which will include clips of the best scenes from Mr. Benton’s work as chosen by him. Places in the Heart, which earned Benton an Academy Award for Best Screenplay, will be screened during the Festival.

Our own Anne Meara and Peter Farrelly will again host Late Night Storytelling with surprise guests and audience members participating. Past storytellers include Jim Carrey, Tina Fey, Mos Def, Rosie Perez, Laird Hamilton, Olympia Dukakis, Paul Rudd, Alan Cumming, and Brian Williams.

“Iconoclasts” will see William Monahan, Donna Giolotti, and Rachel Grady interview each other about their lives and work leading up to and after their Oscar nominations and awards (Thursday, June 14th). Sharon Swart will moderate. Past participants include Tom McCarthy and Campbell Scott.

This year’s staged screenplay reading is Filthy, Dirty, Twisted Lust by Steven Weber, who will also be directing the performance. Saturday, June 16th.

Also scheduled to appear at the festival are Canvas stars Marcia Gay Harden and Joe Pantoliano as well as Evening co-writer Michael Cunningham.

The previously announced Opening Night Film, presented by Ralph Lauren, will be the feature Evening directed by Lajos Koltai. Based on Susan Minot’s Pulitzer Prize-winning book and starring Meryl Streep, Clair Danes, and Toni Collette, Evening explores the emotional and romantic past of a 65-year-old woman diagnosed with terminal cancer.

The previously announced Closing Night Film will be the feature Rocket Science directed by Jeffrey Blitz. Rocket Science is the debut narrative feature from Blitz, and won the coveted Directing Award at Sundance 2007. The film centers on a shy high school student with a stuttering problem who tries to win a girl’s heart by joining his school’s debate team.

The feature films of the 2007 Nantucket Film Festival are:

Autism Every Day
Begging Naked
Broken English
Canvas
The Devil Came on Horseback
Evening
Everything’s Cool
Flakes
The Good Night
The Go-Getter
Great World of Sound
I Am an Animal: The Story of Ingrid Newkirk and Peta
Low and Behold
Nomanak Tx
Note by Note
Places in the Heart
Pretty In the Face
The Price of Sugar
Rocket Science
Row Hard No Excuses
Shame
Soldiers of Conscience
Son of Rambow
Teeth
The Ten
War/Dance
Waitress
Year of the Fish

The 6th annual Nantucket Lighthouse School Mayfest benefit took place on Friday, April 27th at the Westmoor Club, with a silent auction, live auction, music, and the food of Peter Wallace. Music was provided by Lighthouse Parents (Mollie Glazer and Andy Bullington).

For more photos, see the current issue of N Magazine, and go to the Mahon About Town Photo Pages.

All photos are for sale by sending me an e-mail.