Finally, on a cold January night, I made my way to one of Edgartown’s newest additions to the restaurant scene, Eleven North. I had not been there since my sneak peak inside before it opened. Excited to go, I decided it was reason enough to don a little extra make-up and some fun earrings.
Long Awaited
As I might have said before, I love the logo and the name. Walk in to Eleven North, and you’re immediately surrounded by a modern and chic space. I love the dark floors, the modern lighting, and the 
clean, modern bars — both downstairs and upstairs. It is hard to remember what the space used to look like when it was David Ryan’s. It’s a dramatic difference, and quite the addition to Edgartown. There’s really no other place like it, regarding style.
On this fun Saturday night, I was meeting Wendy Harman (my boss) and her niece Cassidy. We sat upstairs by the window facing North Water Street. All the windows make it feel open and easy. I liked being there even more than I had expected. Being a fan of modern design, I loved everything.
There might be some more art needed here or there, and perhaps more interesting candle holders for the table, but otherwise I felt really good in the space. I wanted to sit, chew, and chat here. I was in no hurry to leave anytime soon.
Dining at Eleven North
Our server, Sam (Samantha) was wonderful! She helped me select a perfect wine, Lucky Star Pino Noir. The menu was nice, not too big, not to small. I was a little late arriving and Wendy had already ordered the white bean dip with pita. She and Cassidy really enjoyed it. Me, I was looking for something a little less healthy, so we ordered up the fried oysters. I had to try them, especially since they used to be a fav of mine at Alchemy.
The fried oysters were really good. A great presentation, and I probably could have easily eaten two orders. Wendy really enjoyed them as well. Now it was on to dinner. I was on the fence, stuck between the delicious sounding Eleven North organic burger on brioche with pickled onions — would it compare to Atria or Offshore Ale’s? Or the pan roasted cod with chorizo risotto, confit onion and marjoram with a citrus beurre blanc?
I am a sucker for anything with risotto. It’s so easy to make, but I never do. I always tend to get an entrée that has it. So, the cod it was. Sadly, the cod was sold out, but the chef could prepare it with freshly caught scallops. Sounding even better, I was psyched! Wendy ordered the organic pork tenderloin with braised kale & mustard greens, peaches, and fingerling potatoes. Cassidy ordered the organic Statler chicken with carrots, onions and parsnips in pan sauce.
After we ordered, which took awhile with all the talking, I asked Sam how the chef, Matthew Strogryn, was doing. Much to my surprise, Sam told me that he had just left the restaurant. I was sad to hear that. I finally make it to Eleven North, and he’s left. I had heard good things about him. However, Matthew is off to Vieques, Puerto Rico, to open a new restaurant, Noche. A lot happens in a restaurant when it first opens, and this was certainly not the first big change for Eleven North, and I imagine it won’t be the last.
Along with more wine, dinner comes, and it looks delicious! The chicken looked the most amazing, but of course I was happy as a clam with my scallops and risotto with chorizo. It was really good. We all enjoyed our meals.
The man who cooked up the magic, Jay Taylor (Skinny Fats’s, Edgartown), came out of the kitchen to say hi to us. He had worked with Matthew for awhile at the restaurant, and was now making the food. He seemed like a really nice guy, and was obviously happy to be making great food.
Great Bar Scene
After we finished dinner, I stayed a bit. I wanted to catch up with one of my favorite bartenders, Angelina Godbout. She likes working there, and seeing everyone off-season. I imagine it’s going to be quite the scene up there come Summer. Also, since it was Saturday night, there were people out. It was nice to see some familiar faces in Edgartown. Trader Fred was there which was a nice surprise. He’s recovering from open heart surgery, and it was nice to see him in such good spirits.
All in all, I really enjoyed my first experience at Eleven North. My food was good, my service was good, and I like the space. All three of us had a nice time, and it was nice to go someplace new.
Chic & Family Friendly
My only complaint and I voiced this to one of the owners, Jonathan, was that there were no highchairs. I am desperate some nights to go out to dinner to someplace different, even with the little ones in tow. Parents need cool places to take their kids, right? Lucky for us, Jonathan said that highchairs were being ordered this week! Whoohoo! Burgers with the hubby and kids at Eleven North sounds like a great way to pass a couple of Winter nights.
More good news – Eleven North is open for lunch and dinner 7 days-a-week. With Alchemy closed for awhile, and Henry’s too, this is a much needed dining option in Edgartown. Good to know for dinner and a movie with the girls. Plus, I still need to try the Eleven North burger. Speaking of burgers, they have some fun specials during the week, including 2-for-1 Monday burger nights. Sadly, I’ll miss all of those, since I work 2 for 1 Mondays elsewhere.
I almost forgot to mention this. Eleven North is becoming more kid friendly with a kids menu and all. And a great thing they’re doing in conjunction with that, is that they’re donating ALL sales from ALL children ordering kids meals at Eleven North to one of the scholarship funds that has been set-up in Newtown. Eleven North served its first children’s meal for lunch on January second. What a nice thing to do for the Newtown community. You can help and have a great meal!
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