It’s summer on the Vineyard, and they’re on the front lines, delivering lobster rolls to hungry hordes, serving up beers to thirsty tourists.

For wait staff at Vineyard restaurants and bars, the summer is the big show, the time of year where crowds make up for the slower off-season months. Summer days — and nights — are crazy, some say, but the benefits, like living on the Vineyard and being part of a tight-knit “industry” community, are big enough to keep them going, year after year.

The sale of beer and wine has begun in two West Tisbury restaurants. Last Friday marked the first night the Lambert’s Cove Inn and State Road Restaurant sold beer and wine, thanks to last-minute license approval from the state Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission.

Both restaurants received their permits late Friday afternoon, shortly before the dinner hour. Lambert’s Cove Inn co-owner Scott Jones said he was not expecting it for another two weeks.

A new season means new food on Martha’s Vineyard. Across the Island, eateries are shuffling chefs, inventing new menus and changing locations for the summer. Other restaurants are starting from scratch.

Restaurateurs are offering an exciting array of new fare from eggs Benedict to lobster as they gear up to serve summer crowds.

The Island is known for its iconic animals. There’s the black dog, the flying horse, the Jaws shark. But long ago, there was also a red cat. According to Island lore, she was a handsome young gal with fiery red hair who tickled the fancy of Stan Hart, Island bibliophile, sailor and author, who died in 2010.

Great music accompanies great pizza when singer/songwriter Scott Kirby comes to the Vineyard to play at Flatbread Pizza on July 5 and 6, both shows beginning at 9 p.m.