Sunday, November 30, 2014

Last Call at the Coffee Pot

The coffee Pot's lobster rolls, hot or cold, are a great value at $13.95!
Tomorrow will be your last chance to gobble up favorite meals at the Coffee Pot, the last hold-out of the great seasonal eateries at Lopes Square, as usual. They'll close their doors for the 2014 season on Monday, December 1st.
I may have to dash over for another 6 ounce hot lobster roll drizzled in butter on a toasted roll for just $13.95, one of the best deals in town. Or maybe one more gyro before they close, or one of their famous paninis, or their fabulous fresh fruit smoothy, which stands among the best in town.
This will likely be my breakfast tomorrow, one last time for the season.
In the summertime I can seldom get away from work for lunch, so the meal I have most often at the Coffee Pot is my breakfast. I'll call ahead so my order is ready when I swoop in and grab up my breakfast sandwich to go, like my favorite eggs and cheese with grilled ham on a toasted roll, or if I'm seriously hungry, I'll order the Rescue Squad, made with three eggs, bacon, double sausage and double cheese on a toasted sub roll. Wow! Fresh baked goods and pastries and a great cup of coffee are found here, too, beginning at 5 AM daily all season long.
I'll likely be there for breakfast tomorrow, for one last visit before they close up until very early spring, when they are always the first to open for the new season, to the delight of hungry Townies and those hardy souls who visit us in that chilly early season.

Thursday, November 27, 2014

Champion Clam Digger?

"Carl" the Champion Clam Digger is a mystery man.
I've had the digital image of this vintage Provincetown postcard in my collection for years, and this morning I decided to find out what I could about "Carl" in the image above. I've googled every possible combination of key words I can think up, and I can't find a thing. I also tried the Althea Boxell scrapbooks on the Provincetown History Preservation website, also to no avail.
Clam digging by individuals rather than by seafood companies was common in earlier days, when quahogs, steamers, sea clams and even razor clams were easily dug on nearly any beach in Provincetown. Clams were found in many traditional Portuguese recipes, as well as in the ubiquitous clam chowder, and were often used as fishing bait. They weren't expensive, and many families simply dug their own.
You can still dig your own clams today, at the proper time of year, which is now. Stop by Town Hall and get a recreational shellfishing permit, allowing you to gather clams and oysters, seasonally, once a week, either on Fridays or Sundays. Residents and non-resident property owners are charged $15 for this annual license, while non-residents will pay $50, and seniors age 65 and older pay nothing at all.
You'll need a 10-quart pail, a clam rake (found at the local hardware stores) and a shellfish gauge, which you can pick up at Town Hall when you get your license. They'll also give you a copy of the rules, such as sizes of steamers, quahogs and oysters you can harvest, hence the need for the gauge, which is required for you to set out on the tidal flats. Rubber boots will help keep your feet dry as you slosh through wet sand on your quest for delectable seafood, yours for the digging.
Visit the town's Shellfish Regulations page on their website for more information. Be sure you know the rules, gather your mollusks only in designated areas, and be sure to report your catch to the shellfish constable, who keeps statistics on the town's annual harvest, as you leave the beach. Mussels, by the way, can be taken any time of year and require no permit, along with sea worms and periwinkles.
Meanwhile, who has information on "Carl" in the photo above? Call, text or phone TheYearRounder with any insights. My contact info is near the right corner above.
Happy digging!

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Thanksgiving Eve is Provincetown's Annual Pilgrim Monument Lighting

The night before Thanksgiving more than 3,000 lights, strung from the top of the Pilgrim Monument to the ground 250 feet below, will light up this famous Cape Cod landmark for the holiday season, giving the appearance of a sort of gigantic Christmas tree shape that can be spotted all the way across the water from Boston on a good, clear night. Below is a blurb from the Pilgrim Monument and Provincetown Museum website inviting us all to join with hundreds of Townies and visitors alike who will enjoy free admission, music and refreshments as we usher in the 2014 holiday season with this annual community event.


Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Provincetown's Radient Fall Foliage Just Won't Quit

Trees on this tiny dune slowly turn from red to rusty colors.
Autumn colors are still blazing in the bits of forest surrounding Provincetown. The pond at the edge of Provincelands Road catches the reflection of the trees when the wind is low and the water is high, making for a glassy mirror image of the trees now turning brilliant gold and orange colors, with just a few real reds remaining in this gorgeous foliage season. Even though many trees have lost their glorious leaves to the wind, there are still plenty of fronds clinging to their branches as the colors turn predominantly to shades of bronze and russet.
I don't remember a foliage season that has lasted this long, with so many trees keeping their leaves through several subtle changes in their colors. Stroll, bike or drive down to the Far West End and Province Lands Road. Just where the trail leads off to the southern end of Herring Cove Beach, this resplendent sight lies right across the road. I took this photo late yesterday afternoon, as the sun was getting low, and the water was fairly high and calm. Take your camera with you.