Beach Plum Restaurant

Location: Martha's Vineyard, MA

Ambience: Overlooking a grassy hill that led on to Menemsha Beach, sunset in the distance. In a word? Romantic. Also, the Obamas ended their summer vacay with a date at Beach Plum. So there's that.

Variety: There wasn't a vegetarian menu, but the mark of fine dining for me is the eagerness with which a restaurant accommodates our folk. With fine dining that doesn't have a detailed menu I've come to expect a "let me see what I can do" set of options from the chef. Didn't happen. Our only choice was the Black Pepper Fettucini (Heirloom Tomatoes, Grilled Summer Squash, Fresh Basil & Parmigiano-Reggiano).

Dessert was the high note: apple rhubarb crisp.

Quality: Martha's Vineyard and Beach Plum in particular are known for food. Maybe this was why I had such great hopes. As far as ingredients go, the place hit all the right notes. Great service, great ambience. But for a place the NYT says you cannot miss with only 36 hours on the island, I raised the bar a bit too high. It was good enough, I guess.

Bottom line: If you're in Martha's Vineyard and are vegetarian, lower your expectations. Dinner will be good, but you'll be left envying the omnivores. At least there's dessert. Be sure to make a reservation here, unless your last name is Obama.

http://www.beachpluminn.com/

Top of the Hub

Location: Boston, MA

Ambience: Amazing view of Boston, but the beer selection left me parched. The restaurant is located on the top floor of the Prudential Tower (second tallest building in Boston, behind the John Hancock Tower).

Variety: There were a few vegetarian options: a tomato mozzarella flatbread, a black bean burger with homemade chips (pictured), a gnocchi salad, and a mac & cheese.

Quality: The food was decent, and reasonably priced. It was a shame that the margherita flatbread ($13) and the blackbean burger ($11) were so enveloped in cheese that I couldn't taste the other ingredients. The blackbean burger on its own was pretty tasty. They also have a separate vegetarian/vegan menu if you ask, featuring five salads and a pasta.

Bottom line: Go for the view of Boston. It's well worth it if you are only in town for a short time or have guests that want to see the city, but don't feel like walking it.

http://www.topofthehub.net/