On a recent Thursday evening, my friend and I arrived at the Sweet Life in Oak Bluffs, to be greeted by host Erin Ryerson, who led us to our table on the porch. My late husband and I celebrated our wedding anniversary at Sweet Life several years ago at the very same table, and I felt his spirit in the air. Erin and her husband Hal Ryerson have owned the Sweet Life Cafe since 2017, where they have served presidents, pop stars, and people like us with the same care and attention to detail, preparing delicious food sourced from local purveyors in a cozy atmosphere.
In the main dining room, the bar was filled with patrons (including well-known local musicians) enjoying refreshments from the bar menu. There is live music every Thursday evening with Jeremy Berlin, usually at the piano playing soft jazz.
While my friend ordered a glass of rich red Nebbiolo from Italy’s Piedmont region, I opted for a mocktail. I chose the Ghia Mule. Ghia is a nonalcoholic apéritif made from a mixture of herbs with hints of yuzu, lemon balm, orange, and rosemary. The delicious drink was served with ginger beer, lime, and mint, for a sweet, sparkly, citrusy sensation with an undertone of bitters.
Our attentive waiter, Forrest, described the daily specials. We opted to share the first course, an abundant plate of roasted beets sprinkled with chopped hazelnuts, which were accompanied by crisp leaves of Belgian endive and wedges of purple fig. Sweet and tangy puréed black garlic and a pool of dill oil were the perfect partners in which to dip the earthy beets.
For our second course, we opted for the tagliatelle (traditional pasta from Italy) with confit duck. All the pastas are freshly made, and come in half or full portions. Eggplant caponata and sweet parsnip were the base for a mild sauce. Bits of slow-cooked duck leg clung to the long, thin strands of the tagliatelle, while chopped pistachios provided textural contrast.
For our main course we chose pan-seared scallops from the fishing vessel Martha Rose. They are served with fregola, a unique pasta from Sardinia that has been compared to couscous but has a slightly chewy and nutty texture, since it has been toasted. A hearty romesco sauce, made from roasted red peppers and tomatoes emulsified with olive oil, normally contains ground almonds, hazelnuts, or pine nuts. Instead it featured ground pecans, for a slightly sweet flavor that went so well with the scallops. The dish also contained baby peas, bits of pancetta, and pomegranate seeds garnished with pea shoots, making for a colorful and flavorful main course.
When Forrest presented us with the dessert menu, it was difficult to choose, so we decided to share two. The first was brown butter banana ice cream with a chocolate hazelnut crunch. Simple but flavorful. The other was the sticky toffee pudding, a British favorite, which had the chef’s personal spin on it. It featured a square of cake flavored with molasses, topped with bits of apricot and chocolate wafer flakes, and embellished with mint leaves. It sat on a bed of mascarpone and caramel sauce. Truly decadent!
The menu changes weekly based on the availability of the freshest local ingredients. Whether you want to celebrate a special occasion or meet new friends at the bar, experience Sweet Life in Oak Bluffs.
Sweet Life Cafe is located at 63 Circuit Ave; 508-696-0200. Check out their website: sweetlifemv.com.
