CUISINE
Sailing Into Catboat Coffee Co.
Coffee, Lebanese Culinary Delights, Cheeses, Charcuterie & More
By Lisa C. Belcastro, Photos by Charlie Utz
Do you drink coffee? Do you love coffee? If you do, you’re probably a regular at Catboat Coffee Co.
I dislike coffee, as a beverage and as a flavor. So, how does a person who doesn’t like the taste of coffee go to a coffee shop multiple times a week? The answer is simple: the food. Oh, and the Rose Lemonade.
I first discovered Catboat Coffee Co. a couple of years ago when co-owner Morgen Schroeder began posting pictures of mouthwatering cheese platters on Instagram, which she used to sell through her company MV Cheesery. I watched and waited as she posted construction pictures of Catboat Coffee Co.’s new space that would one day offer coffee, yummy looking Lebanese food, and cheese goodness.
I couldn’t wait for them to open. And they did not disappoint. Beyond hummus and baba ghanouj, I wasn’t familiar with Lebanese cuisine. Co-owners Alex Ficarelli-Danberg and his wife Morgen, brother Andrew, sister Meredith and her husband Naji Boustany, have enlightened my tastebuds and made me a fan of Lebanese food. No matter how many times I stop in for a sandwich, grazing box, or a Rose Lemonade because it is truly nectar of the gods, I absolutely must have Muhammara every week. Muhammara is a Lebanese dip made with roasted red pepper, walnut, garlic, and a whole bunch of deliciousness that you positively must try. I walk out to my garden, pick a sweet pepper, carrot, cucumber, some cherry tomatoes, slice them, and scoop some muhammara onto a plate and then eat one of the best lunches on the planet. I brought a platter of garden veggies and muhammara to a party last night and everyone, honestly everyone, loved it.
Morgen called Naji the “operational whiz and kitchen leader” of their family business. I’m going to agree wholeheartedly. Naji grew up in Beirut and started cooking “because my mom was always in the kitchen. She’s a master cook, ten times better than me,” said Naji, who not only worked in a few restaurants in Lebanon but was also the district manager of Starbucks in Oman and Dubai.
Fortunately for Islanders, Naji met Meredith while she was in Beirut working on a zero-waste food program. They fell in love and Naji moved to New York with Meredith, who had grown up spending summers on Martha’s Vineyard with her brothers. At the same time Naji and Meredith were in New York, Meredith’s brother Alex and his then girlfriend Morgen were also living in New York. Morgen was working in commercial real estate and Alex eventually went to work for Naji at Manousheh Café, a popular Lebanese restaurant.
Alex and Morgen planned to get married on Island in September 2020. When COVID hit, they decided to move to the Vineyard before the wedding and make the MV their home. “My mom, Victoria Danberg, was born and raised here. My grandfather, Victor Danberg was a caretaker of the Edgartown Lighthouse. When the lighthouse went electric, he had to make sure it was on every day,” said Alex.
Morgen wanted to leave commercial real estate, but wasn’t sure what she wanted to do on MV. “It just so happened that my corporate burnout coincided with a farm tour at Grey Barn in Chilmark. It was such a cool experience and piqued my interest in locally made cheeses. Charcuterie boards had become popular, and I thought it could be a great business,” said Morgen. With Morgen’s new-found passion for cheese and Naji’s desire to launch his own Lebanese food line called Epicure, the family chatted and decided to go into business together. “Naji suggested a coffee shop to tie it all together,” said Morgen.
The catboat theme was a natural fit. Victoria had raised her children to sail catboats and appreciate life on the water. “I used to take the catboat into Katama Bay and go clamming,” said Alex. “We wanted an Island theme, ties that would weave the history of the Island. Alex’s family has so many memories of the family catboat,” said Morgen.
“And when we looked at this property, there was a catboat visible in the Harbor,” added Alex. The space at 79 Beach Road in Vineyard Haven in the Tisbury Marketplace plaza, on Beach Rd in VH, was perfect, and the family bought it, renovated it, and opened Catboat Coffee Co. in February 2023.
Naji said, “food brings people together,” as he was talking about the restaurant, and it definitely does, but as I looked at the people in the room, I couldn’t help but marvel at how food had blended a beautiful family into a delicious business for our Island community.
Now we all can enjoy the taste sensations of one family’s love of good f–ood and catboats. I don’t know about you, but I love a hearty salad for lunch. If you enjoy avocados, you’ll appreciate Naji’s Avocado Zaatar Salad, whether you order it at Catboat Coffee Co. or make Naji’s recipe at home. This salad is hearty, delicious, and super easy to assemble.
“Everybody asked for avocado toast. We already had lots of items on breads. I wanted to balance the salads,” said Naji.
The first time I tried the Avocado Zaatar, I noticed a burst of flavor and zero salad dressing. Naji said it’s the zaatar seasoning, which they import from Lebanon and sell at Catboat Coffee Co.. “The zaatar brings all the flavors together. In Lebanon, nobody lives without zaatar,” said Naji, adding, “All the moms would say, ‘If you want to be smart, eat zaatar.’ We ate a lot of zaatar.”
I grow eggplants and love cooking with them. Naji shared his version of baba ghanouj with readers. He also shared the most important secret to great baba ghanouj, “Part of eating baba is the texture and getting a piece of eggplant. Mix by hand to get the best firm texture. Never put it in a food processor. If I put baba ghanouj in a processor, my mom or grandmother would kick me out of the house.” Naji’s recipe is easy to follow, and he recommends, “following the recipe in the right order” for the best results.
My favorite food that Naji makes, even more than muhammara, is a chickpea dish called Balila. “It’s a traditional breakfast dish in Lebanon. It’s known to be a cure for hangovers.” I laughed at the history. I don’t need to cure a hangover, but would love to have balila for breakfast, lunch, or dinner a couple of times a week. The recipe is so simple, with few ingredients. The combination of lemon, curry, olive oil, and garlic is too good to resist.
Naji said, “Balila is always served with a side of vegetables, and you can also have a fried egg on top.”
I’ve printed Naji’s recipe and I’ll now be making balila at home as well as ordering it at Catboat whenever it’s on the menu.
Vineyard Style readers have one recipe that was born in the coffee shop. “We were in the kitchen chatting. We wanted to have a breakfast sandwich. We tried options, added eggs, we all liked it, and the Lebanese Breakfast Sandwich was created,” said Naji.
“It brings me joy to create something,” said Naji. “I’ve been in the business for so long, but every time I make a dish, and I see someone eating it and smiling, it is a success in itself.” Catboat Coffee Co. is open year-round, seven days a week from 7 am to 3 pm. Last fall, Naji and the team offered pop-up dinners on Thursday nights. They will start up again on October 17. Stay tuned for themes and menus.
As the cooler days inspire flavored coffees, teas, and hot chocolate, Catboat Coffee Co. will have beverages and food to keep us warm and fueled. Most days, Alex will be there to greet you when you arrive. He’s the one who is always in a good mood and never seems to stop smiling. You’ll walk in the door, he’ll say hello, and, if you’re new, he’ll help you discover your new favorite food.
Stay tuned for more news. “We’re just getting started,” said Morgen. We definitely envision more than this one Catboat. It’s a very fun brand that we’re building up,” said Morgen.
You can learn more about Catboat Coffee Co. on their website: www.catboatcoffee.com.
Balila - A Lebanese stewed chickpea dish
Ingredients
• Two 15 oz cans chickpeas • 4 garlic cloves • 1 ½ teaspoons Kosher salt more to taste • 2 teaspoons ground cumin, more for garnish • 1 teaspoon chickpea liquid (aquafaba) • ¼ cup fresh lemon juice, about two lemons • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, or drizzling on top • Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish and Aleppo pepper for a kick (you can find it at Catboat Coffee Co.)
Method
• Warm up canned chickpeas in a small saucepan with their liquid, simmer for 20 minutes or until very tender. • Crush the garlic cloves in a mortar and pestle with a pinch of salt. Place in a medium bowl with the remaining salt, ground cumin, and aquafaba. • Add one cup of the warm chickpeas, drained, into the bowl and mash with a pestle or masher until you have a chunky paste consistency. • Stir in the lemon juice, olive oil, and the remaining drained chickpeas and mix well until fully combined. Taste and adjust to your preference. • Transfer the balila to a shallow bowl and top with lots of olive oil and fresh, chopped parsley, and Aleppo pepper. • Serve warm with pita bread (from Catboat Coffee Co.) and fresh veggies.