Melissa’s Dinner & Lounge
Owner Melissa, formerly of neighboring restaurant and market, Good Earth, carries the excellent quality and service torch to her eponymous restaurant, with inviting results. The menu is seasonal and changes almost daily, reflecting a farm-to-table approach to fine cooking, with a healthy flare. Chef is skilled in fish preparation, with nothing over-sauced, and the ubiquitous vegetable sides cooked just right. While beef specials always adorn the daily board, best to stay with fish and the wonderful soups and salads, because Melissa’s still has in its DNA that Good Earth tinge of preparation. Melissa’s is a champion among discerning locals and seems not to have climbed the tourist radar of fine dining options, perhaps given its location away from the beach and low marketing profile. But it slowly is becoming a culinary destination as its reputation expands, even if the “Lounge” in its name is limited to only a few seats, and scarcely exists. Owner Melissa is always around and makes you feel at home, along with the other attentive servers who strive to offer the best service at the beach – and they often deliver.