Sometimes it takes me years before I try a new restaurant, then it’s not new anymore, to anyone but me. After seeing all the social media pics from the Attic, upstairs at Waterside on Main Street in Vineyard Haven, I definitely wanted to give it a try. The fact that it purportedly has a speakeasy vibe and a wide variety of whisky and bourbon only made me more interested.
On Father’s Day, I thought it would be a good idea to order some takeout from the Attic as a sort of homage to the day. And it got me out of cooking on a Sunday, a day when I usually spend a lot of time reading all the content for the coming week’s newspaper. It was like one of those times when you buy someone a gift that’s actually something you wanted too.
I was happy to find that I could order online for later pickup. We chose a dozen Attic Boneless Wings, $22, and I was glad to see they were gluten-free, because we have some people in the house who can’t tolerate gluten. We also ordered the Crispy Sweet Chili Brussel Sprouts, $16, and the Fried Cheese Curds, $14, Waterside’s House Potato Chips, $14, and for the dad of the day, an Attic Smash Burger, $21. I wanted to try the Tuna Tartare, $20, because it sounded delicious: avocado, cucumber, toasted sesame seeds, wasabi aioli, micro cilantro, sesame soy glaze, and tortilla chips. It just didn’t seem right to throw in something healthy with all the other choices I made.
I know it sounds like a lot of food, and it was, but I’ve got three guys to feed, and I’m not exactly a light eater myself. I found I could’ve gotten away with less, because the serving sizes were each enough for two people, except for the burger, which Dad got to have all to himself.
The boneless wings absolutely filled the round container they came in, and, aside from being a little saltier than usual, were a good base for the rest of the meal. I piled on my favorite side, the Brussels sprouts, because I knew I’d want more of them than anything else. These sprouts did not disappoint. They were smothered in a sweet-and-spicy glaze that I plan to try to replicate one of these days (although that doesn’t usually work out the way I’d like). I’ll confess right now that I did eat the majority of those myself. The crispy housemade chips are the same tasty offering you’re used to getting at the first-floor sister restaurant, Waterside. The cheese curds were lightly coated in breading, so I didn’t eat them as guiltily as I thought I might. I can report that the smash burger was oozing with cheese and topped with special sauce, diced onion, lettuce, tomato, and pickles, and served with fries. It was reportedly tasty, I found out the next morning, because Dad had saved the meal to go with some late-night movie watching.
I plan to go back to the Attic so that I can eat in and enjoy that whole speakeasy vibe. The place was crowded when we picked up the food, so I’m not the only one who wants to have the full experience in this Attic.
The Attic, 82 Main St., Vineyard Haven. Open every day but Wednesday, 5 to 10. 508-687-9448. Visit them on Facebook at facebook.com/theatticwaterside or Instagram at instagram.com/theatticwaterside.
