CapeCodGuy's Profile
Cape Cod - Summer Bucket List
Sorry to hear it, but look on the bright side, by skipping the lobster roll you are $25 to the good!
May you have better luck next visit.
[Hyannis] Alberto's
That's fair enough and true. But I've never had seafood ravioli that was seasoned with anything other than the seafood itself and perhaps a bit of salt and pepper.. The sauce is another matter.
[Hyannis] Alberto's
It seems this review has a bit of a slam along with a bit of praise. I frequent Alberto's and I don't really understand your critique of the decor or the menu. The decor is simple, yet tasteful. Mostly white linen tables, etched glass partitions and gas fireplaces and muted colors. The menu has extremely broad examples of Italian/American fare plus several dishes unique to the restaurant. Seems like you enjoyed the meal with the exception of your toasted bread app because it came with cheese and the seafood ravioli was underseasoned. Both scallops and lobster have delicate tastes. Strong seasoning would mask their flavor in my opinion. Overall, seems like you enjoyed the meal for the most part. Thanks for your reviews of your visits.
[Hyannis] Palio
I like Palio's as well. Have you tried Columbo's, also? They put out a nice brick oven pie, too. Looking forward to the new place opening at the old Guertin Bros. storefront. He'll have an imported Italian wood-fired oven. Should be open in a m9onth or so.
Cape Cod - Summer Bucket List
Nice idea for a post!
That said, the Cape dining scene isn't exactly eclectic and is sadly lacking in ethnic choices. The majority of options are rather pedestrian and one has to wade through a lot of marginal and some downright terrible food. You have listed a few of our best options and a couple of diamonds in rough, as much for their locale as for the food. The good news is down-to-earth seafood joints are rather plentiful. Your list has some notables and few not so much. My take, for what it's worth....
1) Pain d'Avignon - service at lunch can be indifferent but the breads are wonderful, and the dinner food is excellent. The head chef leaves this month, however, so the quality going forward is unknown.
2) Ocean House - One of the best options on the Cape. Great ocean front locale. Quality ingredients prepared by a skilled chef. A favorite.
3) Embargo - unique for the Cape for it's tapas menu and urban vibe and a bargain on half price Tuesdays, and although good, nothing is very inventive. Good bar scene.
4) Road House - It's okay. Not a big fan as inconsistancy has been my experience. Many folks do like it, however.
5) Island Merchant- Again, not a fan of it's psuedo-Caribbean fare, but some others like it, although recent reviews elsewhere are far from flattering.
6) Naked Oyster - I'd skip it altogether.
7) Raw Bar - I'd skip this too. People seem to be blown away by the giant $25 lobster roll featuring frozen canadian canned lobster meat. Have your lobster roll at friendly Fisherman, or even Sesuit Cafe instead.
8) The Beachcomber - A Cape institution. Go for lunch, hit the beach, go back for the raw bar and frosty beers and enjoy some live music.
9) Sesuit Cafe - Terrific and supremely busy clam shack. BYOB. Nice harbor entrance location. A must do.
10) Trevi - Italian tapas I believe? Never been myself.
As to your other recs, Flying Bridge is a nice setting with dreadful food and worse service. Just like Mattakeese Wharf in Barnstable. Because of the fabulous views, both are great for drinks and maybe raw bar, or a $40 chicken lobster dinner, but that's about it. For Italian/American I would skip Siena in Mashpee and instead go to Soprano's. Bistro 36 in Mashpee is also quite good for quality meats and housemade pastas. Alberto's in Hyannis is my favorite Italian/American on the Cape. For truly autherntic Italian, try L'Osteria la Civeta in Falmouth. Outstanding. The Regatta is high end, and consistantly wonderful new American served up in an antique captain's home in Cotuit. Inaho in Yarmouthport has the Cape's best sushi. Fin, farther down the road on 6A in Dennis Village has some of the best seafood preperation you can find on the Cape. Abba in Orleans is about as ethnic and eclectic as we have for fine dining featuring Israeli/Mediterranean fare.
That's my take in the areas you mention. There are many other worthy choices down Cape all the way to PTown. Enjoy your stay and report back!
Great news! PB Boulangerie is opening another branch in Downtown Falmouth soon!
Not sure how crazy, but there has always been a line each time I've been there, and I would certainly expect to see one on a busy holiday weekend. Hopefully you will do better than I last summer when, after a 20 minute wait in a creeping line, we found almost nothing to buy once we got inside. The head pastry chef, Boris, had quit that morning and there was literally just a few loaves of bread. That's it. But you won't encounter that I am sure. Enjoy. It's worth a wait.
The Orleans Inn....pleasant surprise!
One has to accept and believe in the claim of a $7000 charge. I don't. Now, if you told me they had private use of the dining room or deck for two hours, resulting in a $5000 fee for the room and $2000 for the lunch, I would find that credible.
And even if I did believe that the number isn't highly inflated, the blame falls on the person who booked a function without asking a price, funeral luncheon or no. And frankly, that too, is not believable.
Great news! PB Boulangerie is opening another branch in Downtown Falmouth soon!
Sorry, I skipped the article on the first go round. Boris is THE man! Looking forward to a shorter drive for my baked goodies. Thanks for posting!
"Relaxing weekend with food by a pond? Suggestions for accommodations near good food?" has been moved
It's quite possible I believe, but providing us with a possible budget would be helpful.
"Relaxing weekend with food by a pond? Suggestions for accommodations near good food?" has been moved
Why the move? Many of the recs are Boston-centric and have nothing to do with Southern N.E.?
(not that the Southern NE board couldn't use a little traffic. Like a ghost town most days)
12 Hours in Boston!
A harbor cruise is nice, but a duck tour will show you parts of the city you won't see from the harbor. Plus the duck tour will take you out into the Charles River so you get the best of both. I'd stick with your plan.
For North End dining where you can get get great Italian and seafood is L'Osteria. (I much prefer it over Antico Forno.) Lunches are very reasonable, but if you want seafood you will need to make it dinner. Here's a link to both menus. http://www.losteria.com/menu.html
As others have said, while in the North End, go to either Maria's (my preference for connolis or lobster claws), or Modern, for everything else, for desert. While in the neighborhood you can also visit the Old North Church and Paul Revere's house.
The Orleans Inn....pleasant surprise!
My last 2 hour lunch there, including beer and wine, costs me about $50 for 3 people. Seemed fair to me.
Can't stop thinking about Cape Cod!! Need suggestions for summer seafood near Brewster.
Good to know! I love Cooke's in Hyannis for many of the same reasons, although I never buy whole clams there as they are ridiculously expensive and they buy the cheapest grade with the smallest bellies. $16.95 for a tiny roll, or $18.95 for a plate is crazy for a "clam shack" with no ambience. The lunch specials on the other hand are a terrific bargain with an excellent fish and chips, fried shrimp, or grilled salmon or cod all for around $8.
My opinion on Cooke's Orleans is dated as it's been several years since my last distasteful visit. Thanks for a more up to date, and thus more accurate, review.
Great news! PB Boulangerie is opening another branch in Downtown Falmouth soon!
I know the original location lost their head baker last season. We were there a couple days after he left and they had run out of everything by 2:00 in the afternoon. Can anyone report how things are there now? I wonder how the two locations will compare as clearly the same baker cannot produce pastry for both locations.
The Orleans Inn....pleasant surprise!
$140 per head for lunch with unlimited beer and wine? I'm having a tough time believing that.
A caveat to my original recomendation to the OI. It's a very worthwhile stop if one can eat downstairs in the covered waterfront deck. The food it good for the location, but i wouldn't make a stop there if one had to stay inside the regular dining room. Does seems like a decent place for a function however.
BOSTON'S WATERFRONT
Yes, the pizza was a reheat that evening and not as good as reheats I've had on several Cape Cod pizzas.
Sorry, I don't understand the hockey rink statement?
What's good in Provincetown
Stopped by yesterday before birding Beech Forest for a malasada...so bad for you and sooooo good!
Commerical Street is a ghost town at 9 AM on an off-season Tuesday.
What's good in Provincetown
I've always had great meals at The Red Inn athough admittedly my last meal there was three years ago. In the six or so times I've eaten there the food was always prepared by a skilled hand using high quality ingredients. The menu isn't particularly inventive, but I've never left unsatisfied. The dining rooms are very nice and the waterfront setting spectacular. Service has always been friendly and professional. An added bonus, particularly for PTown, is they have an actual parking lot! Wouldn't hesitate sending anyone there looking for a special night out.
I'll also second (or third) Ross' Grill and Napi's.
I also have yet to try Victor's but I know I can't resist at least trying the Drag Brunch one Sunday this summer. Sounds like a blast.
BOSTON'S WATERFRONT
Stopped by Casa Rezdora today on a lark, had never seen a mention of it here, and all I can say is WOW. We bought a few dishes to go for dinner tonight and tomorrow. The pizza was mezza mezza, but the pasta dishes...oh my. Sandwiches also looked awesome. Would definately be my go-to regular lunch place if I lived or worked in the area. Great food and an incredible value.
Casa Razdora...Are You Kidding Me???
Bostonians, you just have no idea how lucky you are. I would die to be able to get food half this good at twice the price here on the Cape. Stopped by as we have family who work in the neighborhood (Water St. Financial District) and I happened to find a parking spot right out front. After our visit, we noticed the restaurant and saw that they were quite busy and the sign promised authentic Italian cuisine, so we said, why not? We enter the oh so tiny establishment, cue up in line, and the smell and look of the plates coming out of the cramped open kitchen brought me back to Italy. I couldn't believe my eyes when I looked over the menu and saw fresh housemade pastas with your choice of 10 or so made to order sauces for only $7-$8! We had just eaten so we ordered to-go for dinner tonight, and tomorrow, and maybe the next day. Riccotta gnocchi with pesto, light fluffy pasta pillows with a perfect pesto. Raviolis, we chose the ricotta and procuitto, with a Nonna sauce of tomatoes, herbs, and cream. Outstanding. Todays special was a 4" high lasagna made with bolognese and bechemel, enough for two at $7.00 We added a couple of meatballs. A pice of pizza that was actually 1/4 of a 18" pie, plus some terrific housemade foccacia on the house, and we're out the door for $30. The sandwiches looked super,as did paninis. If we worked in the area I could see eating there at least twice per week.
My Holy Geebus Boston......I'm so jealous.
BOSTON'S WATERFRONT
You need to define reasonable, but by my definition, if we are discussing lunch options I find Sullivans out on Castle Island more than reasonable and good basic burgers and fried fish where you can sit right on the water on a picnic tanble or one of many benches.
I'll probably get blasted for this, but I also think the lunch, (weekdays only), is reasonable at Del Frisco's, shame they don't serve it weekends, but today I had the businessman's lunch with a spectacular rendition of seafood soup, a nice fish stock loaded with bits of haddock and shrimp with just a touch of cream. The wife opted for the house salad with house vinegrette. Typical salad with two thick cut smoked bacon slices featured on top. Very fresh and crispy. We both opted for the 6 oz. filet instead of the grilled salmon. Perfectly cooked. Nicely seasoned and not heavy handed as I've often read as criticism. Sure it's a chain. But it's great food, a beautiful view in an upscale setting, and the business lunch at least, at $22 is very reasonable to this man's eyes.
Road Trip up East Coast
Understood bagelman and agree to a point. (My response wasn't totally directed at you to be clear) I guess my point is better said that I would get my pizza in New Haven, My clamcakes and stuffies in Rhode Island, (with a coffee cabinet), a whole belly clam plate in Northern Mass, and Lobster in any form in Maine. There are certainly many other terrific options in each of those areas, but those are regional standouts that I would look at as "must haves".
Mission Cantina South Amherst anyone been?
The bill for your dinner keeps rising. In your now deleted "review" you said it was $50, including tax and tip. That means the food was actually $21 per person for chips with a trio of salsa, a massive (your words) chicken mole dish, and an overflowing (again your words) plate of 6 tacos. My calculation puts that cost at roughly $3.00 per taco , which is cheaper than our local fast food taco joint, and about half that of our "hi-end" restaurant.
A quick review of the two restaurant's on-line menus don't support your claim that Mission is more expensive. Yes, their mole dish is $15 vs. $12, but their tacos max out at $2.95 whereas La Veracruzana's are $4 to $6, almost twice the cost. So, if you really want to compare apples to apples, your 6 tacos, chicken mole, chips and salsa trio, specialty drink, tax and tip could not possibly cost $30. Sorry.
The strip mall thing seems to bother you, yet you knew before going in that they are located in a strip mall. Some of the best restaurants I have ever eaten in had strip mall locations. I'm talking about high end fare not "hole-in-the-wall" establishments. Not sure why the distaste of strip malls, but it sounds like you have other alternatives. By the sounds of it, this place has quite a busy following.
Road Trip up East Coast
Right. And who here thinks you can't get a hot lobster roll in Maine? Maine lobster in ANY form will trump Ct. lobster. It's where the source is, and has colder water thus sweeter lobster. I've never had clams or lobster in CT. that was better than northern states like Maine (lobster ), and Mass (for clams).
Flying Bridge, Falmouth
Thanks for the tip on the Sea Crest. Always looking for new waterview options that serve decent food. They are so few and far between on the Cape.
Another option is the Casino Wharf FX in Falmouth Heights. Mind you, we've only had one sampling at lunch, but the food was quite acceptable and the spot was wonderful with a nice patio overlooking the sound, Vineyard, and town beach below.
Cape Cod Restauant Week MAY 14-20
Next week is restaurant week here on the Cape with 51 participating restaurants from Falmouth to Ptown. Many of your favorites have special menus, and a few new names are listed as well.
Of particular interest to this Cape Cod Guy is Ocean Terrace at Ocean Edge, housed in the historic Nickerson Mansion overlooking Cape Cod Bay. I had no idea the resort had opened a seasonal restaurant in one of the mansions and haven't hear a word about it. They feature indoor and outdoor dining. There's also the year round Bayzo's Pub on the lower level. Anyone been?
You can view the participants and most of the menus here:
http://www.capecodwineanddine.com/
and their Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/RestaurantWeekCapeCod
Newport- special occasion lunch
Castle Hill is indeed a fabulous spot. But do yourself a favor and avoid the "tenderloin" sandwich., a few overcooked, chewy morsels of steak on a far too large roll. Very disappointing.
Flying Bridge, Falmouth
Yes, neither Osteria nor Anejo are the 'epitome' of a Cape Cod restaurant, although Falmouth is one of the nicer walking villages on the Cape. I've heard good things about the Glass Onion in the village (dinner only) but have yet to try it myself. For a very casual lunch, and oh so Cape Cod, the Clam Shack at the end of Falmouth Harbor serves up excellent fried fare, albeit expensive, and you eat on picnic tables on the last dock at the harbor's mouth overlooking the Vineyard and all the boats coming and going.
There is also the Chartroom in nearby Cataumet. It has both fans and detractors. I'm a fan. Great marina setting and they serve outside cocktails while you wait. Simple food prepared simply, but a nice spot. I'm sure you're starting to realize that there are only a small number of places that have both the view and high quality food and most of those are very high end.
Flying Bridge, Falmouth
Expensive with so-so food. The last time I was there (2 summers ago) the waitstaff was horrid. BUT, it's the spot. Great setting right on the harbor. Think Baxters, except it's in Falmoiuth.
