Serving Tonight

Tucked comfortably into a live oak-shaded nook of Duck’s Scarborough Faire sits Treehouse Coffee Co. and Biscuits, a cool, comfortable, inviting space that is the personification of its owner, Craig Readman. Time slows down a bit when you’re talking to Craig, he radiates a peaceful calmness that’s contagious and relaxing and there’s a connectedness about him that seeps into his restaurant at every turn. The handsome hardwoods and grey tones on the walls are a cozy back drop for the shiny, state-of-the-art coffee equipment housed behind the front counter where friendly baristas greet you and take your order. You can watch as they quietly and patiently prepare your coffee or tea, a methodical process that feels soothing in a way, like someone is really doing something special just for you. It sets the tone for your day in the best way.

I met Wayne and Shawn Everhart of South Beach Takeout, Catering, & Delivery in between the lunch and dinner rush on a Wednesday afternoon. These guys are all “yes ma’am’s” and “no ma’am’s” with lots of eye contact and polite, fluid conversation. They’re the type of guys you’d love to bring home to mom- charming and friendly, not to mention super-talented in the kitchen. They both come across a little modest and reserved but any shyness is unwarranted. Wayne, Shawn, their sister Miranda, and the rest of the Everhart family with a hand in the restaurant, could afford to be a bit cocky. With a contemporary mix of Asian, Mexican, and American food plus plenty of guilty pleasures and outside-the-box vegan options on the menu, the flavors here are deliciously loud and alluring, benefiting from homemade sauces, fresh ingredients, and edgy concepts. This food is recognizable but with interesting twists, offering something for everybody.

Any encounter with Dan Lewis, chef, sommelier, and owner of Coastal Provisions Oyster Bar and Wine Cafe, leaves you feeling enticed and curious, wondering what was left unsaid or unseen. You get a sense there’s more he can tell you, more he can feed you, more he can teach you. It’s not that he’s holding back, it’s that the depths of Dan’s knowledge, experience, and skill open pockets of perspective and flavor that keep you wanting… more.

Everything is interesting and layered – the food and where it came from, the wine and what it goes with, us and our collective impact on our town, our waters, our planet. When Dan and business partner Scott Foster opened Coastal Provisions in 2006, it began as a gourmet market and evolved over time to a full-service restaurant and oyster bar. Dan’s understanding of oysters runs deep- not just how to prepare them (there’s a raw oyster topped with spicy ginger shaved ice and salty pearls of soy sauce that’s still floating around in my head from a dinner I had here two years ago), but Dan also understands and preaches the oyster’s massive role in cleaning our waters and supporting our ecosystem. More than just a chef, somm, and owner of this Café, Dan is also now a partner in a local oyster farming operation, helping to further educate and share the sustainability of these tasty bivalves with us.