Best of Boston

When J. B. Blau, owner of Sharky’s Cantina, won the island chowder cookoff two years ago, he celebrated by opening a seafood-focused eatery with chef Alex Nagi. Located in the heart of Oak Bluffs, the laid-back spot has been packing ’em in since it opened last summer. The smart menu includes fried oysters, lobster salad with crispy potato cakes, pan-seared scallops, and insanely good fried chowder balls, a.k.a. ChoCos, that are the most decadent taste of the sea you can get. But it’s the chowder that’ll keep you coming back. The award-winning Martha’s Vineyard recipe is light, silky, and packed with quahogs, while the creamy, roux-based New England blend comes spiked with bacon.