Stroll down Straight Wharf and you will discover our restaurant, CRU Oyster Bar Nantucket, sitting directly on the waterfront of beautiful Nantucket Harbor; turn and look 180 degrees in the other direction and you’ll be facing handsome historic downtown Nantucket. The iconic island address of One Straight Wharf has a history as old as the town’s. As you approach, we think you’ll find CRU’s exterior to be pretty, but unassuming; clad in cedar shingles weathered to a silvery gray, accented with white trim, CRU looks like so many other classic Nantucket buildings. But step inside and you’ll find an interior that is as elegant and sleek as the yachts moored just beyond our windows. From our intimate, chic dining rooms, boisterous back bar, and waterfront deck, our guests enjoy unobstructed views of the harbor and, beyond it, Nantucket Sound. According to publications like Travel + Leisure, The New York Times, Saveur, and The Wall Street Journal among others, they also enjoy superlative food and cocktails, including the island’s best raw bar.
While our name might imply that CRU is a raw bar only—that feature is considered by many to be our hallmark—CRU is a full-fledged restaurant with an award-winning wine list, inventive cocktails, and French-influenced approach to local seafood and produce.
To us, however, CRU is more than what reviewers have praised as an “unparalleled” raw bar and “chic, expertly run restaurant.” It is a place where we do our best every day to present not only exquisite food prepared from the finest ingredients, superb wines and cocktails, and exceptional service, but also where we strive to offer a unique experience that is worthy of our guests and worthy of this magical place called Nantucket.
In this book, we are sharing—for the very first time—recipes for some of CRU’s offerings. Deciding which ones to include was difficult! In the end, we gathered a selection that reflects a sampling of our guests’ favorites as well as our own. From rustic picnic fare to elegant dishes that call for a bottle of Pol Roger champagne, we believe this collection reflects the understated elegance and restrained sophistication that is the essence of our style—and of Nantucket itself.
As you’ll see, the recipes are arranged to follow the seasons, chapter by chapter, and reflect the island’s bounty from early spring through the late fall. That said, each of us makes a point of traveling every year during the months CRU is closed to explore food and wine in other parts of the world. So you will taste influences from far-flung destinations, too.
The waters around Nantucket are the source of some of the world’s best seafood. Those delicacies have been the inspiration for our menu since we opened CRU: you’ll find within these pages recipes for Fluke Meunière; Harissa Grilled Tuna with Leeks Vinaigrette; Crispy Fried Oysters with Bibb Lettuce and Radish Rémoulade; and Crudo of Nantucket Bay Scallops with Ginger Mignonette and Pear, to name a handful. Recipes for Grilled Lobsters with Herb and Coral Butter; Lobster Rolls; Pernod-spiked Lobster Bisque; Lobster Salad with Grapefruit, Avocado, and Quinoa; and Lobster Cocktail with citrus and tarragon are included here, too.
You’ll discover far more in this book than dishes that highlight fish and shellfish: enjoy the recipe for Turkish-inspired Spiced Fried Chicken; Confit-Style Duck Legs; a Warm Farro Salad with Walnuts and Kale; a French-inspired Potato Salad with Capers and Soft-Cooked Eggs; Zucchini Ribbon Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette and Mint; a savory Heirloom Tomato Tart; a classic Creamy Cucumber Salad; and the best sandwiches you’ll ever pack for a day at the beach.
And then there are the desserts. Inspired by family recipes as well as Erin’s reinterpretation of the classics, you’ll find recipes here for out-of-this-world cookies, simple cakes made special with fresh fruit, and pies that can be made in jars for a picnic. Where to begin might be your biggest challenge. Should it be Hazelnut Shortbread with Wild Blackberry Jam; Vanilla-Rum Grilled Plums with Orange-Scented Pound Cake; or sea salted Chocolate Pots de Crème? We think it will be difficult to decide …
“FROM OUR INTIMATE, CHIC DINING ROOMS, BOISTEROUS BACK BAR, AND WATERFRONT DECK, OUR GUESTS ENJOY UNOBSTRUCTED VIEWS OF THE HARBOR AND, BEYOND IT, NANTUCKET SOUND.”
At CRU, we believe there is a wine for every palate. Our list is primarily composed of old-world wines, focusing on the best examples from every region. Toast your evening with one of our unique-grower champagnes, highlighting one of the most vibrant regions in the heart of France. Take a trip up the California coastline and experience the many ways fog, terroir, and altitude can express themselves, whether in a robust Cabernet or a mouth-watering rosé. The soul of our wine list lies in Burgundy, where our selection of Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs pairs perfectly with the coastal cuisine that defines CRU.
Inventive cocktails, as pretty as they are delicious, are collected here in a chapter of recipes for seasonally appropriate drinks as well as ones that qualify as anytime go-to favorites. Whether you’re hosting a brunch, a cocktail party, or a holiday get-together, these concoctions are bound to improve your status as a host.
You’ll find variety in this book: dishes you can make in advance, recipes for the grill, elegant hors d’oeuvres, and cocktails that can elevate any gathering. We have put together menus to suit diverse entertaining styles and to inspire you throughout the year. Whatever your palate, we hope you’ll enjoy cooking from these recipes and, better yet, sharing the results with family and friends.
We also hope you’ll find that thumbing through this book is like visiting the island. We wanted to bring you—in words and in pictures—a sense of what makes Nantucket so special. From its stunning natural beauty to its eclectic mix of residents to its world-class shops, galleries, and hotels, the island casts a mesmerizing spell.
We thought and talked about sharing these stories and recipes in a book for a long time. Now that it’s done, we can see it’s really more than a cookbook or lifestyle-and-travel guide. It’s a love letter—to the guests who have helped make CRU Oyster Bar Nantucket a beloved place, to those who provide us with exquisite ingredients for the food we serve, and to Nantucket itself. Thank you, CRU fans and guests. Thank you, farmers and fishermen. And thank you, Universe, for bringing us to this faraway, windswept, magical place.
Wherever you are as you read this book: we hope you love CRU as much as we do! Cheers!
Erin Zircher
Jane Stoddard
Carlos Hidalgo