Elegant, innovative, & extraordinary cuisine creates a truly memorable culinary destination on Martha’s Vineyard. Experience sumptuous dining at The Terrace restaurant at Edgartown’s Charlotte Inn, a member of the internationally renowned Relais & Châteaux luxury hotels and restaurants.
The Terrace at The Charlotte Inn offers the Vineyard’s best fine dining ~ integrating classic cuisine with French accents & international influences, always highlighting the best locally sourced, seasonal ingredients.
Executive Chef Zach Prifti’s Story
Born and raised in the true heart of New England, Chef Zach Prifti’s passion for cooking began in his mother’s kitchen in Plymouth, Massachusetts. At age thirteen, Chef Prifti began his culinary career bussing tables, and through tremendous determination and hard-work, he worked his way up to the top. The Charlotte Inn is proud to have him as the Executive Chef of The Terrace restaurant.
Growing up, Chef Prifti spent summers on Martha’s Vineyard with his family, and living here has been a prevailing dream. Hoping to plant his roots here, Chef Prifti foresees a long future at The Terrace and as a member of the island community. He is determined to highlight the best, locally sourced ingredients in classic cuisine with a contemporary twist. Chef Prifti’s creativity is abounding, but it is his desire to continue learning and developing his craft that sets him apart.
Graduating from Johnson & Wales in 2016, Chef Prifti was given his first opportunity as Executive Chef of the Fairview Inn in Marshfield, Massachusetts. Through this experience, Chef Prifti went on to stage with Chef Joe Monterio when he was the Executive Chef of the Atlantic Fish & Chop House overlooking Edgartown Harbor. Chef Monterio went on to own and operate 19 Raw & 19 Prime, where Chef Prifti became the Chef de Cuisine in 2018. Chef Prifti attributes much of his success to Chef Monterio, and his recent accomplishments have further fueled Chef Prifti’s desire of running his own restaurant on Martha’s Vineyard, too. So many of Chef Prifti’s mentors continue to have a pervasive influence and presence in his growing career.
Tom Coleman, owner and operator of Liv’s Creative Cuisine in Marshfield, recruited Chef Prifti to assist in opening the restaurant a few years ago. Mr. Coleman met Chef Prifti at a restaurant his mother managed, and recognized his chef potential from a very young age. Liv’s farm-to-table restaurant taught Chef Prifti so much about the aspects of locally sourcing sustainably grown food, which he plans to carry on at The Terrace. Chef Prifti is excited to establish relationships with local farms and suppliers, and to create a menu celebrating the island’s bounty.
Most recently, Chef Prifti was invited to open The Blacksmith restaurant in Pembroke, and during its construction, he worked at their fellow property, The Oysterman. While Executive Chef of The Blacksmith, Chef Prifti described his cuisine as “New-American.” At The Terrace, he hopes to create a menu where tradition and innovation meet. Chef Prifti is a skilled saucier, and uses many French techniques in his cooking. He draws on culinary influences from around the world, fascinated by the infinite possibilities of cuisine when paired with a classical foundation. He wants his food to emulate the beauty of the property, and he treasures The Charlotte Inn’s mission of being “behind the times on purpose.” Chef Prifti enjoys complementing his meals with the appropriate wine selection, and his wine knowledge has developed with his career as a chef.
Chef Prifti’s love for cooking can be seen in the first glance and tasted in the first bite. The Terrace is excited to begin a new chapter with him leading the restaurant to continued success, and Chef Prifti feels he has finally found a forever home for himself at The Charlotte Inn.
Learn more at our Accolades page.