Martha’s Vineyard
I just returned from a pilgrimage to Martha's Vineyard. I started this email several times while I was there, but the whirlwind travel experience I had—spending less than 48 hours on an island that took me 12 hours to reach—didn't leave much time to finish this missive.
Selfie outside of the ferry after we arrived
My best friend and I planned this trip less than two months ago when airplane ticket prices were through the roof and the most economical option was to take a train to a bus to a ferry. If you are familiar with this corner of the world, you know that you have to plan your housing accommodations the year before you plan to arrive and your on-island travel plans by January of the same year of your intended travel if you plan to drive. We did none of the above. As a result, our ability to be present on the island during the busiest time of year was nothing short of a miracle.
Images Left-Right, Top-Bottom: A bracelet of surrender that the man my new Food PR contact and I met shared with us during his sidewalk bench sermon; post-mass procession to chat with the priests; me and Marnely, the Vineyard’s food PR Maven; a delicious bloody mary that I enjoyed at lunch with Marnely
It was my first time visiting the Vineyard. I came for work purposes. My bestie is an art dealer and I, as you know, am an ice cream lady. Many of our respective clients and customers spend time on the island during July and August. Both of us want to host pop-ups for our respective businesses next year, and the only way to understand how to go about it was to visit because you need to understand a community before you enter it. This trip was all about listening, observing, and learning.
And what I learned is that Martha's Vineyard is a place of intention, deep relaxation, camaraderie, and being present. Spontaneity is hard if you don't already have some sort of roots there. But even if you have the slightest connection to someone, they'll take care of you.
Governor Wes Moore, my bestie, and I at his fundraiser at Spike and Tony Lee’s house
August is a month when many Black families and professionals travel to the island for vacation and networking without the stuffiness. We fell under the latter category. We came to meet as many people as possible, scout locations, and brainstorm possibilities for our respective ventures. We also came to attend Governor Wes Moore's fundraiser at Spike and Tonya Lee's house.
In the short time that I spent on the island, I attended a Catholic mass with a new contact who does a ton of PR for food businesses there. I spent a good portion of yesterday hanging out with a Maryland Senator who knows one of my childhood friends from DC. And I had a random, but beautiful and timely conversation with a former Merrill Lynch managing director who gave my food PR contact and me a sidewalk-bench-sermon on how accepting hardship is a pathway to peace. In short, when things get hard, it means you're close to victory. I also ate a lot of ice cream and let's just say, there's a lot of room for what we bring to the table. I wasn't particularly moved by anything I tasted or the service I experienced. Sorry, not sorry.
A scoop of the ice cream I ate for breakfast.
As I drank from the fire hydrant that was this trip, I thought about whether Sugar Hill Creamery in Martha's Vineyard should be a thing. For so many, the Vineyard is a place to escape and enjoy the spoils of all the hard work done in the city. Setting up shop there would mean that the island would be about work and much less about relaxation. Getting our brand there will also take quite a lot of politicking and will likely result in some sort of fight with the current ice cream brands there; our brand, our flavors, and the service we provide when serving said flavors are our market advantages as far as I could tell. Plus, there is no Black-owned ice cream shop, which seems strange given how much joy this place has brought to so many Black families over the last century.
I'm exhausted but optimistic about what's possible for the future. I’m also thinking carefully about the life I want to be living in the next five years. So, we’ll see if the Vineyard is a part of it. Drop me a line if you have history in Martha's Vineyard and want to see us there. I’d love to hear your perspective.
Petrushka
Your Local Ice Cream Lady & Life/Business Coach
P.S. I’m teaching a family-friendly ice cream workshop at the James Beard Foundation’s Platform space at Pier 57 on Saturday, August 16th at 10:30am. Come! You can use code chefaug10 for 10% off.