The Black Dog Summer on the Vineyard Cookbook

Over the past thirty years, The Black Dog Tavern has grown from a small island haunt to a nationally renowned restaurant. Its astonishingly successful local store and nationwide mail order business have spread the famous black lab logo around the world. No trip to the Vineyard, by presidents, movie stars, or ordinary folk, is complete without a meal at The Black Dog. Until now there has been no way to enjoy such Black Dog classics as a Huey, Louie, Andouille Omelet; Quahog or Fish Chowder; or Fudge Bottom Pie without going to the Vineyard. With this imaginatively designed and illustrated book, anyone can reproduce this wonderfully flavorful food at home and enjoy a taste of summer on the Vineyard anytime. -- The Black Dog is legendary. Nearly everyone who visits the Vineyard eats at The Black Dog Tavern and buys a hat, T-shirt, or other souvenir. -- There is a huge market of Black Dog fans: One million copies of the catalog are sent each year only to people who request it. -- This is the first of three Black Dog cookbooks that Little, Brown will publish.

The Black Dog Tavern on Martha's Vineyard is a cult classic--and anyone who's eaten there will recognize the distinctive black-lab T-shirt that fans of the restaurant all over the world wear. Now, with The Black Dog Summer on the Vineyard Cookbook, by Elaine Sullivan, those same diners can bring the Dog's savory new New England fare back home as well. The best of these 100-some recipes center around the Black Dog's specialty: breakfast. Aficionados will find such familiar favorites as Eggs in the Grass (poached eggs over asparagus with hollandaise sauce), "M" Go Blue (banana and blueberry pancakes; the name recalls a University of Michigan cheer), and Huey, Louie, Andouille (a pepper, onion, and andouille sausage omelet). The book's step-by-step depiction of omelet preparation is particularly useful, even for veterans; the illustrations for this and other cooking technicalities, like clam opening, are precise and educational. Other standout recipes include Quahog Chowder, Crunchy Pecan Chicken with Lemon Sauce, Caramelized Scallops with Smoked Chili Cream, and Seared Tuna on Watercress Salad. Desserts such as Fudge Bottom Pie, Blueberry Pudding with Lemon Sauce, and Black Dog Ginger Cookies evoke the Black Dog's comfy-cosmo flavor, while scattered pictures and vignettes evoke the restaurant's casual vibe. With a pantry listing and useful cooking tips, this exuberantly designed book is a happy, well-produced effort.