Sit on a deck atop the blonde beach, sipping Chardonnay and voila!, you suddenly feel like you are on holiday. The Beach House Grill in Chatham is one of the few spots to feel the ocean breeze and warm sun while you eat lobster rolls, fried seafood, burgers and abundant salads. Sure the prices are high, but you’re paying for...
The latest venture for Roadhouse Café owner Dave Colombo, Black Cat in Hyannis offers a casual waterfront feel and quite good fried and baked seafood staples — fish and chips, scallops, seafood platter — while kicking casual up a notch with the likes of pan seared scallops with strawberry pineapple risotto and lobster ravioli. Gourmet burgers and salads, too. Stick...
Hunting for a true Cape lobsta shack complete with colorful buoys and checkered tables? Head over to Cap’t Cass Rock Harbor Seafood at the Orleans harbor and join the masses who know a good lobster roll when they taste one — especially a sandwich stuffed with the main ingredient, not a bunch of filler lettuce and breading. Other specialties, posted...
Sipping a mudslide, settling in by the shore, watching the sunset from Red Brook Harbor at the Chart Room … you know you’ve arrived on Cape Cod. However, you gotta do a bit of work to get that coveted seat. You’ll wait for a table for what seems like an eternity (especially if you are trying to score one on...
Hunting for a friendly lunch spot to bring the kiddos? Or maybe you want a relaxed dinner sans white table cloths and ten dollar cocktails? Chatham Squire in downtown Chatham may feel like a family room gone amok, but does that have to be a negative thing? Casual, with paisley carpet, wooden tables and captain’s chairs, plus pool tables when...
Fried seafood on the waterfront defines summertime — at least once in a season. You can forget your dream of squeezing into a bikini after a fried bucket of seafood at the Clam Shack, a teeny operation in Falmouth. But the clams, scallops, and freshly snagged fish are all so good, how can you say no? Especially when you learn...
When I am cycling the Rail Trail in Brewster, Cobie’sis always a designated stopping point. Owner Rob Slavin maintains the foundation of this classic joint, which never seems to change with time — in this case, that’s a good thing. For over 25 years, Slavin and his loyal staff have been stuffing fine lobster rolls and slinging onion rings, fried...
While not necessarily a mecca for big city foodies, The Dolphin in Barnstable has been reeling in locals to their friendly watering hole for down home cooking for three generations. Chef-owner Nancy Jean Smith features plenty of seafood. Lunch promises crabcakes, oysters, salads, specialty sandwiches, and baked and fried seafood. At dinner you can expect grilled swordfish, braised salmon, home-roasted...
The ’Monger has been the most consistent place in town since Frances Buehler opened it in 1974. The eclectic, international menu features Thai spring rolls, tuna satay, and fried calamari, as well as fisherman’s stew, tofu and veggies, and rice and refried beans. Savvy patrons order off the specials menu. Specials change throughout the day and sometimes during a meal...
The Friendly Fisherman, a popular and rustic shack in Eastham, offers the requisite fish and chips, fried clams, and fish market, but I always gravitate to their very good lobster rolls ($18). Portions are large.
Move over haute cuisine with Miro-like presentations. Since the seventies, the Impudent Oyster in Chatham has drawn a fiercely loyal following — and for good reason! The rustic vibe, with its peaked ceiling with exposed beams, skylights, and hanging plants, makes diners feel right at home. And whether you order spicy Portuguese mussels, Nantucket scallop sandwich, namesake oysters, or beer-battered fish-and-chips,...
Ask around and everyone has a favorite Land Ho! story. This popular local eatery in Orleans dates back to the summer of love and continues to lure lines of devotees, who wait, and wait, for the freshest steamers around. Owner John Murphy has created a casual, comfortable dining room, complete with checkered tablecloths and old business signs hanging above. Families,...
If you want to know the definition of summer, visit Mac’s Shack. Dine outside at the happenin’ raw bar in a crushed seashell parking lot. Or join Wellfleetians in a long line to dine (just as casually) inside this big post and beam, colonial landmark. And order up some fresh sushi or other creative coastal cuisine. The Shack is pricier than...
My high season on Cape Cod begins and ends with a meal at Moby Dick’s in Wellfleet. Since 1983 Todd and Migs Barry and their team have provided the best and largest portions of area seafood. Pride of ownership has its rewards. Although the place is always packed, would you really want to patronize an establishment that wasn’t? I would...
Every gal’s gotta have a few faves and the Naked Oyster in Hyannis is one of mine. How this locavore eatery became the hip, go-to joint for trendsetters is no mistake. Naked Oyster promises a bit of Sex in the City, right down to the chocolate martini and wall of wine bottles. Owner Florence Lowell honors local farms and fishermen,...
Because of the intersection of price point, delicious fish tacos from the bar menu, lush artisanal cocktails (and ‘mocktails’), sultry outdoor dining, and one particularly sassy server (yea, the one pulling a pint in the photo above) … the Nor’east Beer Garden is my new favorite place to grab a bite in Provincetown. Oh yea, and of course there’s a huge...
How can you not become smitten with Ocean House in Dennis Port? Sweeping views of the sunset over the Atlantic, as you sip a signature martini, and dine on an imaginative collection of fusion (mostly Asian inspired) dishes. Chef Anthony Silvistri reinvigorates the local bounty with an artistic flair, serving up items like cedar roasted teriyaki salmon, grilled Hawaiian tuna...
You have a choice at the Old Yarmouth Inn: casual pub dining or fine dining in one of three dining rooms. The fireplaces and white linens in the main dining rooms create a cozy elegance, but I often end up at the low-key tavern, a former stagecoach stop. It’s just the perfect place for a grilled chicken Caesar, cup of...
The Roadhouse Cafe in Hyannis, a well-established Cape eatery, is a perennial fave for romantic and birthday dinners. And the ambiance is homey — hanging plants, glowing fireplaces, candlelit tables and Oriental carpets. Owner Dave Colombo and chef Ken VanBurren work hard at making guests feel comfortable and well-attended-to. The Italian and seafood menu boasts large portions (consider sharing your...
Sometimes it’s worth it to join the masses. Especially when they flock to a modest harbor-front shack like Sesuit Harbor Cafe in Dennis. Don’t mind the weather-beaten building, the crowded picnic tables, the mismatched umbrellas, nor the stench of the boatyard beyond. Mark my words: You will become enamored with their gigantic lobster rolls (which are packed full with meat)....