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Cape Cod, MA


Andelman

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We are driving up to Cape Cod in a few weeks for vacation. Does anyone have suggestions on some good places to eat? We are definitely stopping in New Haven on the way to eat at Pepes (or Sallys, or Modern) for pizza. Any other worthwhile stops on the way. We are also going to be staying in Eastham (near Chatham) on the "Cape" for about 5 days. No fine dining please, we will have a 3 1/2 year old and a 3 month old with us.....Lobster rolls? Ice Cream? We eat just about anything and are definitely looking for some local favorites.

Many thanks in advance.

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Arnolds on Route 6 in Eastham is not to be missed on any Cape Cod visit.

http://www.arnoldsrestaurant.com/Index.htm

On the other hand Captain Frostys in Dennis disappointed big time last year with a tasteless lobster roll. And only being told it would be a hour wait after ordering and 'paying'. ;)

I have heard good things about Modern. Some prefer it over Sallys and Pepes but I have yet to try it.

Will try to recall other options and get back to you.

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We are driving up to Cape Cod in a few weeks for vacation. Does anyone have suggestions on some good places to eat? We are definitely stopping in New Haven on the way to eat at Pepes (or Sallys, or Modern) for pizza. Any other worthwhile stops on the way. We are also going to be staying in Eastham (near Chatham) on the "Cape" for about 5 days. No fine dining please, we will have a 3 1/2 year old and a 3 month old with us.....Lobster rolls? Ice Cream? We eat just about anything and are definitely looking for some local favorites.

Many thanks in advance.

My family has a house in N. Eastham, and I've been going every year since I was born, so I know the area well.

First, I actually think that Arnolds is overrated. Mr. Cricket's (near the rotary in Orleans) has better fried seafood, I think, but there are very few tables. The Nauset Ice cream shop in Eastham is the best -- go there, not Ben and Jerry's. Avoid Serena's and Poit's.

A must-eat are the donuts and especially the apple fritters at Flemings Donut shack in Eastham. The Eastham lobster pool is pretty good too. Bob, who owns Bob's sub 'n' cone on rt. 6 in Eastham is our neighbor, and if he catches anything in the morning (striped bass, etc.) he puts it on the menu. If you are on the way to the beach and want sandwiches, the cranberry chicken salad at the Nauset market in Eastham is amazing. The Box lunch also has decent sandwiches -- especially the porky goes hawaiian.

Coast Guard and Nauset light are the best ocean beaches around. Also great for kids is First Encounter Beach on the bay side -- good tidal pools for wading. The best mini-golf around is in Orleans right next to the rotary. Kayaking in the Nauset salt marsh in Eastham is great. I think that you can rent in town. Biking through race point in Provincetown is also a highlight.

2 of my favorite places on the Cape are in Wellfleet. First, the Wicked Oyster is FABULOUS, but at big-city prices, and with a bit more atmosphere than your typical beach shack. The other place we go frequently is the bookstore restaurant near the pier in Wellfleet. If you can, either sit in the bar, or upstairs in the deck. Good place for kids, check out the used bookstore in the same building (lots of good comics).

Also fun with kids -- The beachcomber in Wellfleet at Calhoun hollow beach. There is also a good fish shack at tNauset beach in Orleans.

In Provincetown, Nappi's is very good (the scallop/pasta dish is great) and so is the Lobster Pot. The food at Bubbalah's is ok, but the drinks are good.

Finally, I grew up in CT -- Pepe's over Sallys. Definitely.

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Antonios in New bedford is great. Fay's is another fav. the funnist thing i know about the Cape is that McD's was selling lobster rolls.

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&rls=...366731488290009

We are driving up to Cape Cod in a few weeks for vacation. Does anyone have suggestions on some good places to eat? We are definitely stopping in New Haven on the way to eat at Pepes (or Sallys, or Modern) for pizza. Any other worthwhile stops on the way. We are also going to be staying in Eastham (near Chatham) on the "Cape" for about 5 days. No fine dining please, we will have a 3 1/2 year old and a 3 month old with us.....Lobster rolls? Ice Cream? We eat just about anything and are definitely looking for some local favorites.

Many thanks in advance.

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In Provincetown, Nappi's is very good (the scallop/pasta dish is great) and so is the Lobster Pot. The food at Bubbalah's is ok, but the drinks are good.
I'm going to be in Provincetown (without a car) for 10 days next month. These suggestions are a great start, but are there any other places I should check out or avoid completely?
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I'm going to be in Provincetown (without a car) for 10 days next month. These suggestions are a great start, but are there any other places I should check out or avoid completely?

Ciro and Sal's has always been a mainstay for Italian in P'town for my family, but I have not been in a couple of years.

For Nappi's, make sure to ask to sit in the room with the bar. Way better ambience.

The Chester House is supposed to be fantastic, but it is very $$$ and we usually don't want to meet that price point when we are in town.

The portuguese bakery on Commercial st. is pretty good for to-go desserts.

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Just a quick trip report.

We were able to make it to Pepes Pizzeria in Fairfield on the way up to the cape. I can honestly say that this is some of the best pizza I have ever had. We got a plain cheese and a white clam, both were excellent. Nice , thin crispy crust and LOADED with large clams. On the way back from the Cape we stopped at the original Pepes in New Haven for a late lunch. We got the clam pizza again, and a pepperoni. My only complaint was that the clam pizza was a little bit overdone on the edges (I know this is a trademark of the New Haven style, but this particular pizza could have come out a minute sooner) We got gelato and Italian ice at the place down the block, they were both pretty average. Oh, but that pizza....

On the cape, we ate Moby Dicks up near Wellfleet for dinner one night. It was pretty good and very family friendly. We got steamers, mussels, fried clam sandwiches, chowder, Wellfleets on the half-shell...all were very good. Its also BYOB.

I ate by myself at Sir Crickets Fish and Chips after I went fishing (bad day, 2 small stipers and a lot of bluefish). I really liked this place. I enjoyed a well prepared oyster roll with fries.

We cooked in a few nights and had some excellent lobster rolls at this place in Rock Harbor (near Orleans).

Finally, we got ice cream at the suggested Nauset Ice Cream shop in Eastham. I thought it was pretty good, nothing great though. However, I would much rather give them my business than the Ben and Jerrys across the street. It looks like they made most of the ice cream in house, although I did see a few tubs of Giffords in the case, which I thought was interesting.

All in all, a nice vacation on the cape. However, the highlight for me (food-wise) was what we found in CT. Thanks for all of your suggestions.

J

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Sounds like you had a great trip. My wife and I just returned from the Cape (Brewster) as a 5th anniversary present. We ate at TJ's and Cobie's, both seafood and ice cream shacks on 6A. Of the two, we preferred Cobie's because it was tastier and almost 25% less. TJ's was really kinda pricey for fast food. Liked the shrimp roll at Cobie's, but the fish and chips were the best. The fish and chips at TJ's was good, too, with a huge piece of haddock and crisp fries.

We also hit Provincetown on the day of the Parade during their Carnival week. Ate at the Lobster Pot, which was highly recommended. While we thought it was OK, we weren't blown away by the clam roll or the tuna roll. We did have the tuna sashimi to start and that was tasty an the staff was en fuego on an extremely busy day.

The centerpiece of the eating was dinner at Chillingswood, the B&B we stayed at. The restaurant is renowned for its French cuisine and it didn't disappoint. The 6-course meal comes with an appetizer, salad, sorbet, the main course, a sweet course (amusements), dessert, and impeccable service. I led with two crab cakes, then had the rack of lamb encrusted in pistachios, with a chevre and fig creme brulee and broccolini. Wifey had the seared sea scallops with corn risotto, on a bed of spinach, starting off with a peach soup w/creme fraiche. We ended with three creme brulee (pistachio, mocha, and traditional) and a molten chocolate cake with corn ice cream, which is better than it sounds with the chocolate cake.

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We had a pair of lobster rolls and some fish and chips for dinner at the Sesuit Harbor Cafe in Dennis this weekend. The rolls looked like a whole (small) lobster had gone into each and the fish was amazingly, sweetly fresh, with nice, crispy breading. The fries are seasoned and it was sooo easy to eat too many. The seating is harborside (outside) on picnic tables, it's cash-only, and there seem to always be long lines (which move pretty quickly). I'm not sure if it's strictly allowed, but lots of families had BYOB or other cooler drinks. Skip the salads and corn (kind of sad and tasteless) and focus on the seafood. Delicious, reasonably priced, and terrific views!!

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I only ate two lobster rolls last weekend, both gorgeous (and cold-style), but I'd have to give the flavor nod to the one from the Red Shack, next to the pier in Provincetown, over the one from the equally charming Chatham Pier Fish Market.  The latter made a chowder to die for, though.

It's also a good thing that I had a lobster roll *before* wandering back to check the Provincetown Portuguese Bakery, because (1) they DO have fresh malasadas, and (2) they were fantastic.  And consequently, I would have gorged myself to death on them if I hadn't been already mostly full.  Rather eggy and choux-like, almost like a gigantic French cruller, but not quite.

Otherwise, I mostly pigged out on fried whole belly clams, and ice cream.  Kate's Seafood, a suitable outdoor shack along Main St in Brewster, totally hit the spot.  Props to the "almond joy" ice cream from Sundae School (Orleans), although I also really liked the coconut from Ice Cream Cafe, another Orleans spot that makes their own.

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From Provincetown, where I am vacationing this week:

One Love is a new Jamaican place right in the center of town but not facing the main drag so difficult to find if you're not looking. Near where all the buses park between the two main piers. There have been an influx of Jamaicans here taking seasonal jobs so having good food seemed likely. Very plain storefront, steam-table, cafeteria set up. GREAT food. Brown sauce chicken and curry chicken both delicious. Hope she makes it.

The Mews never fails to please, year after year. Probably the only place in this town that really takes fine dining seriously. Stunning views, warm service, solid and often spectacular food.

The Canteen gets a lot of hype but we found it to be chaotic unless you snag a seat outside in the rear yard facing the water. Clam chowder tasted homemade but was thin. Crispy Brussels sprouts were a salt bomb but addictive.

Squealing Pig is great for raw Wellfleet oysters and basic (though Ptown expensive) pub type food. Lots of fried options. Good beer list, very laid back, casual to the extreme.

Relish in the west end makes a good sandwich for carry out, especially when consumed on a stunning beach.

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Provincetown, Part 2:

Jimmy's Hideway is on the main drag, down a short flight of steps. We had avoided it in the past because from the outside the subterranean restaurant seems like it would be unappealing. Surprise! It has a wall of windows overlooking the beach. I had a light clam pasta in white wine with capers and artichokes (fresh, not from a can or jar, nice) that wqs delicious. My partner had haddock in a crackling tempura batter that she said was the best frying job she ever had. The food we saw coming out looked good. Huge portions. Make a reservation for a sure table. It is a small place and fills up fast.

JD's is upstairs on the main drag and confusing because it shares space with or is also a sushi restaurant. We were given a JD's menu (pizza, salads, seafood) but there is a differently named menu (Sake? Can't remember) with sushi. Anyway, the seats at the bar and along the street provide a great opportunity to watch the madness on Commercial Street, and the pizzas are quite decent. Probably the best pizza on Ptown, though admittedly the bar is low.

Local 186 in the Enzo guest house, across from the ever crowded Bubala's, makes a credible but expensive burger. High quality ingredients.

Pepe's, on the Eastern side of the center of town, has glorious views, especially from the second floor. We didn't eat, only drank, but the never-ending stream of lobster rolls coming by looked tempting. Huge servings.

Lobster Pot, a venerated tradition, still packs people in. We have the best experience here at the bar (near the window overlooking the beach), ordering soups and appetizers. in my experience here, the mains are oversized and under flavored. The clam chowder here is very satisfying. Even in the middle of summer days can be cool and windy so soup is welcome. My partner liked the Portuguese soup. I had a cold salad of lobster, avocado and mango that is fresh and delicious and a great value at $15. Very generous portion of lobster. My partner usually gets some version of their sashimi tuna appetizers. Again, a good value for large portions of very fresh ingredients. if you want light and healthy, which is surprisingly hard to find in Ptown, Lobster Pot's appetizers have a lot to offer.

The Portuguese Bakery is one of the few vestiges of the Portuguese population who came here to fish and settled much of the area. Great selection of sweet and savory pastries, famous for masalada (fried pastry covered in sugar). Go before the family cashes in, gets priced out or retires. A real gem of a place in a town that is becoming less and less authentic every year.

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Any recommendations for the lower portion of the Cape? We're going to spend a few days, with a big group of adults and teens, in the south part of Barnstable (between Hyannisport and Osterville), so we won't be anywhere near places recommended above.  Mostly looking for casual food, especially lobster rolls and other seafood; also good ice cream. We might do one slightly fancier dinner.

Thanks!

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The Brazilian Grill in Hyannis on Main St. is good for the whole rodizio meat on sticks thing.

Sesuit Harbor cafe is a great Bay-side place for all the typical lobster, scallops, fried fish you could want.  One of my favorites and we drive down a fair bit to get there. http://sesuit-harbor-cafe.com/

Also, not to be pedantic, but if you ask locals for suggestions this will matter - the lower cape is Harwich, Chatham, Brewster, Orleans.  Eastham, Wellfleet, Truro and P-town are the Outer Cape.  Bourne, Falmouth, Mashpee, and Sandwich are the Upper Cape (like the upper arm), and Barnstable, Dennis, Yarmouth are the Mid-cape.  So you are really looking for Mid-Cape suggestions.  Again, not trying to be annoying, but these terms will matter when google searching, talking to locals, etc for suggestions.

 

 

 

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On 5/26/2017 at 5:27 PM, Rieux said:

The Brazilian Grill in Hyannis on Main St. is good for the whole rodizio meat on sticks thing.

Sesuit Harbor cafe is a great Bay-side place for all the typical lobster, scallops, fried fish you could want.  One of my favorites and we drive down a fair bit to get there. http://sesuit-harbor-cafe.com/

Also, not to be pedantic, but if you ask locals for suggestions this will matter - the lower cape is Harwich, Chatham, Brewster, Orleans.  Eastham, Wellfleet, Truro and P-town are the Outer Cape.  Bourne, Falmouth, Mashpee, and Sandwich are the Upper Cape (like the upper arm), and Barnstable, Dennis, Yarmouth are the Mid-cape.  So you are really looking for Mid-Cape suggestions.  Again, not trying to be annoying, but these terms will matter when google searching, talking to locals, etc for suggestions.

 

 

 

Thank you - I appreciate the clarification so I use the right term and search correctly!  Also the recommendations (and our slew of teenage boys would be happy to hit a Brazilian grill, I'm sure).

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