Taste of the Vineyard brings out the best of the Island

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Chef Tim Dutilly laughing while he prepares fresh fruit sushi. —Bella Bennett

There’s no buzz in Edgartown quite like the one before the Taste, where faint music, bustling chatter, and the scramble of food and drink preparations can be heard from miles away. The hype was real last Thursday for the 32nd annual Taste of the Vineyard Gourmet Stroll, and whether one is a Taste regular or a first-timer, the highly anticipated summer event never seems to disappoint.

The lawns of the Dr. Daniel Fisher House were glammed out under a big white tent, lined with featured restaurants, caterers, and beer and wine distributors. Local band the Sultans performed for their second consecutive year, and kept everyone moving with their army of entertainers and energetic sound. The crowd, as always, was easy on the eyes — dressed to the nines, and high on the spirit of the night.

Vendors from on- and off-Island brought in bite-size samples of their favorite dishes and drinks. The MV Smokehouse was back for the third year, with two types of bluefish spread, topped with chive aioli and served on a piece of rye toast. The Atlantic served up a hamachi ceviche with salmon, a puréed sweet potato on the bottom, and topped with wontons for crispiness. The Tin Hangar opened last November, and attended the Taste for the first time as a revamped restaurant.

“It’s awesome being back here,” Tin Hangar’s Jack McGroarty said. “The food is great, and look at these great outfits.”

The event is somewhat comparable to the red carpet in terms of fashion. It took some restraint as a reporter not to ask, ‘‘Who are you wearing?” Charles Goldthwait was the talk of the town with his light blue suit covered tastefully with simple pink tulips.

“I feel like a celebrity,” Mr. Goldthwait said. “Everyone’s asking for photos of me, or with me.”

Polly Conway of the Black Dog had on a dress that very purposefully matched the black-and-white wedding cake baked for the event that morning.  

“This was not an accident,” she said, pointing to the black-and-white striped dress that perfectly matched the stripes on the cake.

Among the other familiar purveyors were friendly faces from Rosewater Wine and Spirits, La Soffitta, Blue Crab Kitchen, Fishbones Bar and Grille, Garde East, the Sandbar, and Smoak Catering, which now goes by the name Moveable Feast Catering.

“We went through 50 whole birds, and I think we booked a couple gigs,” Moveable Feast Catering’s Tim Laursen said. “This is fun.”

The event is held as an annual fundraiser for the Martha’s Vineyard Preservation Trust, which owns and maintains 25 historic properties central to the Island community.