His customers visited as much for the eggs over easy as to watch Don Patrick perfect the art of poetry in motion, herding homefries, eggs, toast and bacon around the grill without ever appearing to break a sweat, even on a hot August weekend.

For regulars at the Dock Street Coffee Shop, it’s a sight they will have some trouble adjusting to. On a recent Thursday morning Don Patrick sat on the other side of the counter. After almost 30 years manning the griddle, the long time cook and fixture at the Edgartown diner has hung up his apron.

“I’m done. I’m all done. He’s the man now,” Mr. Patrick said, gesturing to his son, Darren, who scraped a heaping mound of eggs, bacon, ham, linguica, toast and homefries off the griddle and handed it to his father.