The design is part Japanese street fashion, part Sonia Rykiel-inspired cheekiness, and all yours for just $65.

Felix Rey “Rain Rain Go Away” Clear Bubble Umbrella, $65 at Bloomingdale’s.

The summery necklaces look great with beach-chic clothes by Roberta Freymann, Trina Turk and the like. Come fall, Stefanie Wolf’s vermilion tile necklace would add a great pop of color to your standard roster of all-black outfits.

Stefanie Wolf Designs, available at CB Stark Jewelers in Vineyard Haven and Oak Bluffs and online at stefaniewolfdesigns.com.

Don’t expect a lot of frills here; just get in line and follow the various instructions on hand-written signs around the room.

Net Result has all the standard fare like steamed clams, chowder, lobster rolls and fish sandwiches – plus a few interesting twists like fish tacos and sushi made to order.

We opted for the steamers. Just an appetizer-size portion of these juicy, sweet clams ($9) served with melted butter was enough for lunch when you added a side of onion rings. They weren’t as large as the Chatham Squire’s signature quahogs, but the smaller size also meant the taste was more delicate.

The lightly salted and spiced crust of these onion rings yielded to incredibly sweet onion ($5) inside, fried til just tender but still slightly crunchy. Paired with seafood, Nantucket Nectars lemonade, a picnic table and a view of the harbor, the Net Result’s are some of the best onion rings you’ll find anywhere.

A substantial swordfish sandwich came grilled, lightly dusted with spice and served on a toasted bun with lettuce and tomato. It was at once plain, fancy and just what we needed.

The Net Result
79 Beach Road
Vineyard Haven, Martha’s Vineyard
508-693-6071
mvseafood.com

At Atria, whitewashed Adirondack chairs spot the gracious side lawn, where you can settle in for drinks or dinner outside, and inside there’s a dining room hung with antique fish prints and furnished with dark spindle chairs, plus a downstairs pub, Brick House, that serves up burgers, beer on tap and live music. It’s the sort of place you can imagine the Kennedys going (but that may be just because several people in the clubby dining room that night actually looked like Kennedys).

This is Puritan-era Yankee cuisine reimagined for a more cosmopolitan, freewheeling crowd. Plump, creamy macaroni and cheese ($16) gets topped with chunks of fresh lobster meat – a decadent take on traditional comfort food.

In some cases, the kitchen’s experimentation veers further from the path than a traditional Yankee would like. A two-pound lobster ($42) comes “wok-fired,” which turns out to be a fancier way to say “deep fried.” Why not just leave it unadulterated and let the natural quality shine through?

Fortunately this wasn’t the case with a special of shrimp on a pool of creamy polenta dressed with herb-infused oil, a light and summery combination.

Another special of seared cod on fried green tomatoes didn’t have the same flavor punch, but this too came with chunks of lobster – always a welcome addition. A note on ordering in Martha’s Vineyard: most restaurants here do not change their menus daily or even weekly, so by ordering the specials, you’re  getting the seasonal, market-driven cuisine.

You may arrive at Atria thinking you’re in for a restrained but nice night out in this country club-like setting, but chances are, after sampling the rich items on the menu and extensive wine list, you’ll leave feeling rather decadent. Which, when you’re on vacation, isn’t always a bad thing.

Atria
137 Main Street
Edgartown, Martha’s Vineyard
508-627-5850‎
atriamv.com‎

The local, sustainable food movement is nothing new, but on this vacation destination off the Cape it takes on a particularly political spin. As chain stores like the Super Stop & Shop on Main Street land on the island and suck in summer people and locals alike, farmers markets and local specialty food shops have lobbied to keep money on-island, not moving offshore towards some far-flung corporate entity. But can even the most well-intentioned consumer ever buy mostly local?

In Edible Vineyard (yes, there’s an “Edible” magazine for this locale too), some even argue that you should not use credit cards to pay for purchases here, since the fees all go “off-island.” Many Martha’s Vineyard businesses do not take American Express, and some don’t take credit cards at all.

For all the fierce pride in the island’s bounty of seafood, sustainable meat, eggs and produce, and the desire to keep all the money spent on the island “on-island,” the Vineyard’s on-island/off-island debate also highlights the limitations of buying local. In the most recent Fodor’s guide to the island, Morning Glory Farm is listed as a cafe, not a grocery market. Vacationers are liable to buy a week’s worth of groceries at Super Stop & Shop on the main drag before they even discover this place.

It’s also infinitely possible to spend one’s entire time on the island without seeing a single farmer’s market. You may end up riding a bike down the dirt road to the massive Katama Farm as I did, wondering where to buy all the vegetables you see around you, with no answer in sight. The West Tisbury Farmers Market, one of the largest on the Cape, has some good offerings – more of those local squash, onions and potatoes – but get there five minutes after the church bells strike noon on Wednesday and you’ll be waiting until the next Wednesday to buy local. And a farmer’s market in Edgartown, also open only from 9am to 12pm one day a week, had four booths selling vegetables, flowers or locally made goods and two booths selling…scarves and jewelry? Given the choice between this and Stop & Shop, it’s no wonder that consumers choose variety.

Independently-owned grocery stores used to be much more prevalent on the island, and Cronig’s is still drawing loyal customers to Vineyard Haven. Unfortunately, in Edgartown and Oak Bluffs as in much bigger towns on the mainland, an onslaught of clothing boutiques, take-out shops and banks has taken over all the available real estate where mom-and-pop grocery stores used to be.

But slow-food activists who want consumers to buy local, sustainable goods could learn a few things from Stop & Shop. Consider the customer, and consider convenience – and consider that we won’t necessarily patronize big box or “industrial organic” stores if given another option. Would it kill any semblance of authenticity to stock aluminum foil or trash bags, or stay open past the end of the work day? As long as specialty markets are so specialized they’re the exception instead of the rule, shoppers will have to keep going to big chain grocery stores – whether we want to or not.

Morning Glory Farm
290 West Tisbury Road
Edgartown, Martha’s Vineyard
508-627-9003‎
morninggloryfarm.com

West Tisbury Farmers Market
1067 State Road
West Tisbury, Martha’s Vineyard
508-693-9561
westtisburyfarmersmarket.com

This seemingly simple dish is actually easy to mess up, and therefore I usually avoid it. More often than not, fried clams come out listless, dry and tasteless, with a leaden, greasy crust. But lesser fry cooks everywhere could learn from the Bite, where the batter is light and slightly spicy with a hint of cayenne and the finest grinding of sea salt, the crunch satisfying but not overwhelming, and the clams themselves still plump, bursting with juiciness and served whole.

Even by island standards, the price of $23.95 is quite expensive for a pint of fried clams. Only the wealthy could afford to make a habit of the Bite. But unlike boiling a lobster, could you replicate this at home? No, and that’s why locals and tourists alike can’t resist the lure of this little place.

The Bite
29 Basin Road
Menemsha, Martha’s Vineyard
508-645-9239
thebitemenemsha.com

About that wine: don’t forget to buy it from Edgartown or Oak Bluffs, since they don’t sell it “up island,” which is completely dry due to some rather antiquated blue laws. But wait until you get to Menemsha to buy your dinner, or you’ll be missing out on one of the town’s main attractions. Larsen’s, half seafood store, half take-out shop, dishes out lobsters, clams and oysters just hours after they’ve been plucked from the sea. This market also acts as the wholesaler supplier to many of the seafood places on the island, so when you come here, you’re getting it at the source.

A cup of silky clam chowder came with a film of melted butter on top, chunks of perfectly cooked potatoes underneath, and lots of clams in between.

This lobster chick, at top, which Larsen’s cooked and cracked for us, rang in at just $16 – a much better deal than the $40-plus lobsters in many Martha’s Vineyard restaurants. If you don’t mind eating with your hands on the beach, these lobsters yield the sweetest, most delicate meat, dipped in hot butter and enjoyed amid the best “restaurant decor” on the island.

Finding ourselves somewhat near Larsen’s on another afternoon, we couldn’t resist stopping in for a dozen clams on the half shell. The mix of littlenecks and cherrystones was shucked right before us, their liquor brimming to the edge of the shell. Larsen’s offers up cocktail sauce in a squeeze bottle, but all you really need is a squirt of lemon for these sparkling, saline little gems.

And here, you always know exactly where the seafood comes from. Bring your clams out on the back porch – there’s no indoor seating – and slurp them up in front of the fishing boats that have docked for the day.

If you come to Menemsha for a picnic, be sure to order your lobster early, before 5 or 5:30pm, and Larsen’s will give you a time to pick up your cooked package. You’re also more likely to find closer parking the earlier you arrive. After that, just kick back, relax and enjoy the sunset.

Larsen’s Fish Market
56 Basin Rd
Menemsha, Martha’s Vineyard
508-645-2680
larsensfishmarket.com

If you are ever lacking a certain je ne sais quoi in a cocktail, chances are it’s bitters, the secret weapon of bartenders everywhere. The hint of Angostura bitters, which adds the scent of cloves and a touch of umami to a drink, is the additional connection between this tequila cocktail and rum punch. Though the Redhead infuses pineapple juice with jalapenos, if you’re making this drink on a smaller scale, it’s more practical to infuse the tequila: You can use it again for a cucumber jalapeno margarita.

Recipe: Jala-Piña Cocktail

1/2 L. silver tequila, 100 percent agave
3 jalapenos
best-quality pineapple juice
bitters

Slice the jalapenos and combine with the tequila in a mason jar or swivel-top bottle. Let it steep for 3 days.

To make one cocktail, combine 3 oz. tequila, 2 oz. pineapple juice and 3 dashes of bitters in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake well and pour in a martini glass.

Repeat as necessary.

We experimented with several methods to arrive at one luscious whole. As expected, it depends a lot on sourcing top notch tomatoes in season, but there are a few more tricks that can elevate the dish from good to great.

Caprese Salad

1 lb. ball fresh, excellent-quality mozzarella
2 local, ripe beefsteak or large heirloom tomatoes in peak season
1 small handful basil leaves, plus more for garnish
best-quality extra-virgin olive oil
fleur de sel or sea salt
best-quality balsamic vinegar (optional)

Take the mozzarella out of the fridge and let it sit on the counter for an hour, until it is completely and perfectly at room temperature.

Using a serrated knife, slice the tomatoes in 1/2-inch slices and arrange on 2 plates. Take an end slice of tomato and set it aside, finishing it with the rest of the ingredients just as you do with the plated tomatoes. Sprinkle the tomatoes generously with fleur de sel, crushing it between your fingers as you go. Tear the basil into small shreds and sprinkle over the tomatoes. Drizzle olive oil over the tomatoes so that it pools on the basil and overflows a little onto the plate.

Slice the mozzarella into 1/2 inch slices and cover each tomato slice with mozzarella. Drizzle olive oil over the mozzarella and sprinkle it with salt, again crushing the fleur de sel between your fingers. Optional: finish with a few drops of balsamic vinegar.

Let the caprese salad sit for 5 minutes to allow the flavors to blend. Eat the tomato, basil mozzarella placed to the side to test the seasoning and adjust the seasoning on the rest of the tomatoes, adding more salt, olive oil or basil as necessary. Garnish with with a few fresh basil leaves.

Serves 2.

Cafe El Portal in Soho is a favorite hot-day hideaway that serves up a bracingly refreshing cucumber jalapeno margarita. The pepperiness makes it especially cooling on a 90-degree-plus day: this time, if you break out in a sweat, it will be for a good reason. We recreated the recipe at home. Keep more ingredients on hand – refill requests are almost guaranteed.

Recipe: Cucumber Jalapeno Margarita

1/2 L. tequila blanco, 100 percent agave
3 jalapenos
1 cucumber
freshly squeezed lime juice
simple syrup*
lime wedges

Slice the jalapenos and combine with tequila in a mason jar or swing-top bottle. Infuse the tequila with jalapenos for three days. (Or you can cheat and put it on a sunny windowsill for one day.)

For the cucumber juice, roughly chop the cucumber and blitz the hell out of it in a food processor. Run it through the finest setting of a food mill or press it through a fine-mesh sieve to extract the juice, leaving most of the skin behind. Cucumber juice will keep in the fridge for a couple of days.

To make one margarita, fill a cocktail shaker with ice and add 2 oz. jalapeno-infused tequila, 2 oz. cucumber juice, 1/2 oz. lime juice and 1/2 oz. simple syrup. Shake and serve on the rocks in a glass rimmed with salt. Garnish with a lime wedge.

Repeat as necessary.

* For simple syrup, combine 1 part sugar to 1 part water in a Pyrex measuring cup and microwave until the liquid is clear and sugar is diluted. Let cool before using.