Butter stained tables line the dock of Menemsha harbor where on summer evenings fresh lobsters are eaten off paper plates as the sun sets on another Vineyard day. Finger licking is required, bibs are optional. Lobsters are a celebration says Larsen’s Fish Market owner Betsy Larsen.

Three teenage girls stood on the deck of The Bite in Menemsha wearing sweatshirts over their swimsuits to keep the chilly dusk breeze at bay. The sun was setting and the last call for fried clams was about to go out, but the blue-painted picnic tables next to the small cedar-shingled shack were still full of people eating.

In honor of its 25th anniversary, this year’s Strawberry Festival on June 22 boasts a new addition to the usual lineup of strawberries and ice cream. According to event chairs Peter and Peggy Yoars, a special strawberry sundae cone will make its debut. While the pair wouldn’t divulge the secret recipe, the sundae will include (you guessed it!) strawberries and ice cream in a large waffle cone.

For many, it was the season opener, a chance to reconnect with friends and “taste” all the flavors of the Island.

Jiro Dreams of Sushi, a documentary about the world famous sushi chef in Japan, made waves in the food world last year with its high definition celebration of the tiny basement level restaurant and their impeccable selection and treatment of the most appetizing seafood imaginable. Jiro continues to make his name serving what is thought to be one of the most expensive meals on earth, which is calculated partly by the length of the meal that often lasts less than 20 minutes as simple dish after dish is prepared in rapid succession, almost immediately after the last is consumed.