Sunday, April 19, 2015

Restaurants, Shops and Galleries Open as Provincetown's 2015 Season Begins

Linda and Nelson start their 26th PTown season at The Coffee Pot, at Lopes Square.
Besides the crocuses popping up, one of the surest signs of spring is the door opening at The Coffee Pot for each new Provincetown summer season. They always seem to be the first to offer something good to eat, and,
of course, lots of coffee choices, as tourists begin to wander up toward Commercial Street from the parking lot, usually hungry after their long drive to get to the very tip of Cape Cod.
Linda tells me The Coffee Pot got its start in 1989, spending their first season in Small's Court, just around the corner from their current location. The next spring they were able to move to the edge of Lopes Square, where they've expanded their business every season since, and won their share of awards over the years. They now offer a full breakfast, lunch and dinner menu in the summer. Hours currently begin at 7 AM, but very shortly will move up to 6 AM, and then 5:30 AM for the rest of the season.
Besides our growing numbers of visitors, we also see Townies eager to get out and enjoy things they've missed while favorite restaurants, shops and galleries have been closed for the winter. And it's especially nice to get out of the house this spring, after that incredible winter kept many of us indoors far more than it usually does.
One of my favorite Provincetown breakfasts is The Coffee Pot's
famous Rescue Squad Special. It's like a three-egg omelet
on a big hoagie bun with cheese, 2 sausage patties and bacon.
Is it just me, or does it seem like there are suddenly many more businesses springing open than usual for this early in the season? I just took a spin on Commercial Street so I could tell you about spots that are now open, but it turns out there were far too many to mention in a single article, so we'll get to more of them over the next week or two.
Suffice it to say, there are plenty of things to do, and things to eat, on and off of Commercial Street.
The Lobster Pot is open, as is the Portuguese Bakery, Tin Pan AlleyTwisted PizzaVorelli's, Cafe Heaven, Spiritus… those are just a few.
And things just a few steps off of Commercial Street, like The Coffee Pot, are opening, too. Look for the spots that are found in little alleys or side streets. If you're new to town, don't miss the great things that are not always in plain sight, or right on Commercial Street, such as…
   • Box Lunch, an award winning sandwich shop, tucked away in a tiny alley across from the public library, at Commercial and Center streets.
   • Cafe Maria, returning with breakfast, lunch and ice cream, open daily at 7 AM. From Town Hall, at Commercial and Ryder streets, Maria is a few steps down the road, toward the pier, on the right.
   • One Love, serving terrific Jamaican food. Stroll down the footpath beneath that annoying digital time-and-temperature sign on Commercial Street for a great meal.
   • Kung Fu Dumplings, now open daily and offering much more than just the dumplings they began with last season. Find them on the other footpath, next to the Bank of America cash machine, and have a little Chinese food.
   • Ross' Grill, open Friday through Sunday for their Tapas and Raw Bar Happy Hour from 3 - 5 PM, and dinner from 5:30 till 9. Find them on the second floor of Whalers Wharf, overlooking magnificent Provincetown Harbor.
All the highlighted text above leads to websites or Facebook pages where you can look for current hours for all these spots, but some of the information may need a little updating, so it's a good idea to call before you go, since hours and days open are likely different than they'll be during the season. Vorelli's, for example, is open tomorrow for the Patriot Day holiday, but will be closed on other Mondays until the season really gets underway, and I'm not sure if they're serving dinner yet, but you can get one of the town's best burgers, or great lunch specials, as well as their famous Bloody Mary, made with their own, secret, amazing, infused vodka.
Heading out into the spectacular sand dunes surrounding PTown.
The folks at High Pointe Inn, in West Barnstable, have this photo
on their website. They're big fans of Arts Dune Tours.
You'll also find The Pilgrim Monument and Provincetown Museum are now open daily, from 9 AM till 5 PM at this time of year, and Art's Dune Tours are up and running again, with daily trips through Provincetown's stunning sand dunes.
So many art galleries are opening that it's hard to keep track, with some new ones in the mix, so more info on those will be coming soon, too. Just take a stroll down Commercial Street and you'll find plenty of different kinds of art. I also spotted a new gallery on Bradford Street. Remember to check those alleys and side streets, too. I can think of several galleries that are tucked away, off the beaten path, but you'll find them easily if you try.
So get out and do something fun, visit a few galleries, have something good to eat, and help kick of Provincetown's 2015 season.

4 comments:

  1. Nice Work! Thank You for keeping us up to date!

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    1. Thanks for reading my blog! I try to visit all the spots that open each year, but it's tough to get to them all while still having to go to work and so forth. And I eat EVERYWHERE! Help me out... When you taste something great, let me know about it. Hope the summer finds you somewhere in PTown, visiting the galleries, taking the dune tour, and eating something great.

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  2. One must not forget the biggest week of the year! http://ptown.org/carnival/

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    1. Nobody can forget Carnival week, because it has something for everyone, with the parade, folks walking the streets in costume, all the parties, not to mention Drag Bingo and other great fundraisers that benefit the town and our wonderful nonprofits and charities. Carnival is always great fun for all, and I'll certainly be talking about it when the time gets near. Have a great summer!

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