The monthly Supper Club at Wequassett gathers top chefs as guests of Chef James Hackney and foodies who savor their innovative menu. Here, Chilled Scallops. (Photo Moira McCarthyAs the wind picked up on a bright March Saturday, I watched it form ripples across Pleasant Bay in Harwich from my room at the Wequassett Resort and Golf Club. It was warm enough for this hearty New Englander to sit out on the balcony.
I’d visited the Wequassett in warmer times, but never in the winter – it only debuted its winter opening three seasons ago. I was excited to see the results of their room updates (lovely coastal comfort). But more so, I was there for what I hoped would be an evening of culinary inspiration.
It’s called the Supper Club, a once-a-month evening that gathers top chefs as guests of Chef James Hackney and his team in the kitchen and foodies/coastal scenery lovers at long, family style tables in Twenty Eight Atlantic, the resort’s indoor dining spot (and the Cape’s only Forbes Five Star restaurant).
This Supper Club’s superstar guest chef was Gabriel Frasca, an award-winning restaurateur whose culinary journey began at a local ice cream stand in Essex, brought him around the world and to top spots in Boston to his current location, Nantucket’s iconic Straight Wharf Restaurant where he serves as Executive Chef and Managing Partner, and where he continues to define ingredient-driven coastal cuisine.
This night would be a marriage of his and the Wequassett team’s talents, along with creative welcome cocktails and perfectly paired wines.
We were among the first in the dining room. While my husband pointed out one of the two private tables in the room, I guided us to one of the two long family-style tables. After all, Supper Club should involve a social component, if you ask me.
One one side, a lovely mother and daughter in the middle of planning her wedding. On the other was a friendly and fun group of four.
The courses excelled, from the local-sourced cheeses and charcuterie with our welcome cocktail (a gin drink this anti-gin gal actually enjoyed) through to the creative s’mores dessert.
The night leaned heavily on seafood, which makes sense: local sourcing is a snap and our view of the bay, beach and ocean puts you in that coastal state of mind.
There was a delicate and delicious scallop presentation that blended crunchy and soft along with savory and sweet. A white asparagus serving was rich and unique, its creamy flavor elevated with scattered roe.
The main star was Frasca’s most popular dish at Straight Wharf: The Deconstructed Clam Bake, a marvel that gives you all the flavors of a classic clam bake without having to dig the pit or crack the claws, with added panache. The crispy potatoes are like tiny baby potato chips. And then there’s the butter-poached lobster, littleneck clams, chorizo, and sweet corn emulsion. It’s a magical, modern and elegant take on a summer tradition. And it works wonders in colder months too.
The chefs mingle, of course, which gave our table a chance to let Frasca know that we’d taken a vote and we all think he looks like a young John Oates, but more so, we got to hear about their vision and inspiration; always a great experience.
As the sun set and the bay twinkled under the stars, fire pits flickered outside and we chatted as we sipped and ate. A full hour into the meal, the man across from me and I realized we’d not only gone to the same college, we’d both been editors of that college’s newspaper back in the day. What are the odds?
Post dinner we took some time for a nightcap in Thoreau’s, the cozy pub, and then meandered back to our room where we dozed off to dreams of summer by our crackling fire.
With the sparkling setting and incredible food, the Supper Club works its own kind of magic.
