Saturday, January 21, 2017

On Monday, Fanizzi's Will Close Until March for Needed Structural Work

We'll miss Fanizzi's while the restaurant closes
till March for necessary structural renovations.
After this Sunday, January 22nd, Fanizzi's Restaurant by the Sea will close for about 6 weeks for tricky structural repairs designed to stop the building from very slowly sinking into Provincetown Harbor. With a bit of luck, they hope to reopen in time for the first weekend in March, on Friday, the 3rd.
New pylons need to be pounded into the surf and sand beneath the structure, with steel beams added to hold the weight of the building. That means dismantling the entire kitchen and cutting away the whole floor to get to the space beneath it. Yikes! What a job.
I was just there last weekend, for their famous Sunday Brunch. You'll have one more chance to enjoy this favorite PTown meal before they close for renovations. 

This buffet offered oodles of fresh fruit, a couple of dozen types of breakfast pastries, muffins, bagels and croissants, along with yogurt and granola. I found French toast served with maple syrup, along with sausage and bacon, of course. Naturally, there were eggs done in several ways. They came scrambled, baked into a frittata, or served as eggs Benedict, with perfectly poached eggs and an extra creamy hollandaise sauce. Potato dishes included chunky home fries and a tasty corned beef hash. 

Fanizzi's mussels are a brunch favorite, steamed in
white wine, butter, garlic, tomatoes and fresh herbs.
Certainly, a good brunch always includes foods that are more "dinner" oriented as well. Among those were a pasta dish, different every Sunday, this one served with vegetables and a creamy sort of Alfredo sauce. There were mildly spicy "fingers" of boneless chicken breast, as well as plump, fresh mussels steamed in white wine, garlic and herbs. Fanizzi's lovely salad of mixed field greens was also among the choices in this boundless lineup.
My favorite dish may have been the little breakfast burritos, made with beef sirloin, seasoned rice and veggies. I'd never tasted these before and really liked them. Fanizzi's huge brunch buffet array offers so many choices that I've actually never been able to try them all. 
Brunch runs Sundays from 10 AM to 2 PM, with the bartender ready to add a festive Mimosa or Fanizzi's renowned Bloody Mary to your brunch, or anything else you might choose from their full bar. Their regular lunch menu is also available from 11:30 till 3:45, as it is every day of the week. Dinner starts daily at 4 PM, and Early Bird Specials can be ordered from 4:30 until 6 PM.
So this weekend you can have Fanizzi's lunch, dinner or Sunday brunch, but you'll have to wait for these folks to return from hiatus before you can get in on their extremely popular Friday Night Fish Fry again. It was jam-packed last night before this temporary closing, many of those folks being Friday night regulars.
Of course, one of the best things about eating at Fanizzi's, besides their huge, absolutely legendary homemade desserts, is that jaw-dropping view of spectacular Provincetown Harbor. This place is literally right on the water, with Long Point and its lighthouse in the distance, and sunsets frequently lighting up the late afternoon sky. Get there today or tomorrow, before they close the doors for six weeks. We'll certainly miss this place, and their terrific staff, until they open again in March.

Wednesday, January 11, 2017

Far Land's Townie Winter Meals Make a Great Lunch or Dinner


Far Land's Yankee Pot Roast is among their best-loved Townie
Winter Meals. This plate, from my archive of  favorite dishes, was
served with green beans, mashed potatoes and Far Land's trademark
tomato gravy. Today it will be served with roasted red potatoes.
It's lunchtime in Provincetown, and I'm starving. I can't think of anything I'd rather have than Far Land's Yankee Pot Roast, which happens to be today's Townie Winter Meal special. These popular homestyle meals offer generous servings at affordable prices, and have been such a hit that folks began asking for them at lunchtime, not just for the dinner hour.
Far Land was happy to oblige. These scrumptious, hearty meals are now available from 11:30 AM till 3 PM, served hot to eat in or take out, with a different style of food featured each day. Other meals this week have been spaghetti and meatballs with garlic bread, and BBQ boneless chicken thighs, served with steamed broccoli and Far Land's famous baked macaroni and cheese.
Far Land often puts a sign out front to point out
specials or to let you know about something new.
These great meals are available throughout the winter, with a different offering every weekday. For those who still might prefer to have them at suppertime, you may want to call in early at 508 487-0045 for an order to go, or "reserve" a meal to eat in, since they've been known to sell out.
There's usually a vegetarian option available, too, and you can always choose your favorite entrées and side dishes from their prepared foods case and have a plate heated up to eat it there, or have it packed to take with you, hot or cold. Visit farlandprovisions.com to find the list of weekly specials, or get on their mailing list to keep up with their current offerings.
Watch for a sign out front that may pop up to tell you about various specials or something new, like hot sandwiches offered through the winter, too, or a Sunday breakfast special. More about those soon...
And don't forget about Far Land's fabulous bakery case, brimming with fresh baked pies cakes, scones, brownies, bars, cookies and endless other goodies from their own kitchen, with a daily dessert special offered, too.

Saturday, January 7, 2017

Impending Storm Cancels Today's Community Luncheon at Saint Mary's



Saturday lunches at Saint Mary's always include live music. Here Wellfleet's
John Best on guitar and Jean Sagara on fiddle are joined by Provincetown
musician April Baxter, playing her traditional Irish drum, the bodhran. All sing.
The Church of Saint Mary of the Harbor has announced that its first Community Luncheon of 2017, scheduled at noon today, Jan 7, will be cancelled due to the impending snow storm. Barring further inclement weather, the first lunch of the season will be held next Saturday, January 14th, continuing weekly at 12 PM each Saturday through February.

This chicken dish, made with colorful peppers, tomatoes, onions, mushrooms and
celery is a perennial favorite, even bringing back out-of-towners from Yarmouth.
Folks look forward to savoring Priscilla Jacket's Tandoori Chicken every year.

For many years now, Saint Mary's has held a series of off-season get-togethers each Saturday in January and February, when the holidays are over and the snow is usually beginning to fly, and spirits may begin to flag a bit among PTown's tiny population of  year-round residents. Many of us become rather reclusive at this time of year, and these great meals and live music can help to get us out of the house to socialize a bit, enjoy the company of our neighbors and meet new friends.
Desserts are made by the volunteers, who help out in the kitchen, serve the
meals at your table and clean up afterwards. Thank you!
After lunch people linger over a cup of coffee and trays of desserts, usually bite-sized brownies, bars and squares of cake, each one cut small enough that you can sample several while enjoying the music and the conversation around your table. And you simply can't beat the view of Provincetown Harbor from Saint Mary's, situated right on the beach at 517 Commercial Street, in the East End.
These saturday social hours are great fun for all, and, of course, everyone is invited.
I hope to find you all at a few of these luncheons over the winter.

Tuesday, January 3, 2017

Polar Bear Plunge in Provincetown Harbor Raises Funds for ASGCC Programs Throughout the Cape and Islands

115 people donned swimsuits for the Polar Bear Plunge in Provincetown Harbor on New Year's Day, captured
in this video by David A. Cox of droningprovincetown.com. Click the first link below to watch this film.

The Polar Bear Plunge has become part of Provincetown's First Light celebration, leading 115 very brave souls to run into the 45 degree waters of Provincetown Harbor for a momentary swim in this New Year's Day fundraiser for the AIDS Support Group of Cape Cod. Serving clients for well over 30 years, the ASGCC works to assure that comfort, care, housing and a variety of vital services are available in every corner of Cape Cod and the Islands to individuals and families affected by HIV/AIDS.
As in a number of other locations around the world, where folks will jump into a freezing cold river, lake, ocean or stream in a New Year's Day ritual, Provincetown has seen a number of folks take an icy holiday dip in various waters surrounding our town. But this year, the folks at Harbor Lounge, Yolk by 8 Dyer, and the 8 Dyer Hotel, had an idea…

Some of these "Polar Bears" dressed in hats or costumes.
They wanted to create a New Year's tradition that could raise money every winter for a number of local nonprofit organizations, so they decided they would launch, coordinate, orchestrate and promote the Polar Bear Plunge, and they chose the ASGCC to be the recipient of the money raised through this first officially organized fundraiser. We thank them for sponsoring this wonderful event.

Trampolina Glenellen, dancing with her trident, was a great cheerleader.
Participants began assembling on the beach at the Johnson Street parking lot around noon on Sunday, with a few hundred spectators gathering to cheer them on.
DJ Chris Racine was on hand, spinning tunes to get the crowd dancing.
At about 1 o'clock, when the tide was high, the signal was given and the swimmers ran into the calm but frigid water in Provincetown Harbor, most for mere moments, and then they turned and ran back out again just as quickly, each having happily paid a $45 registration fee for the privilege.

Put the Polar Bear Plunge on your First Light calendar for next year, register
early, and get the next commemorative T-shirt, celebrating your daring feat.
A party at Harbor Lounge followed the swim, where folks thawed out with cocktails and chili, and those who had registered early enough, by Dec 15th, got this year's official T-shirt.
All evidence shows that the whole affair was a great success, with a record number of swimmers taking the plunge while spectators gathered on the beach, on the decks at Pepe"s Wharf, and on the pier at Harbor Lounge, to get a good view of the fun and festivities.
Again, our thanks to 8 Dyer Hotel, Yolk by 8 Dyer and Harbor Lounge for sponsoring this terrific event. We encourage everyone to put the plunge on their calendars for New Year's Day 2018, register early, and support a local nonprofit while enjoying a fun afternoon and sharing in a growing Provincetown New Year's tradition.

Monday, January 2, 2017

Tin Pan Alley's Closing Party is Tonight, Benefitting Provincetown's Soup Kitchen

Support SKIP,  the Soup Kitchen In Provincetown, at this buffet style feast where the chef will
just keep cooking, and sending food out to the dining room, until all the food is gone!
Tonight at 5:30 PM, food of any and all descriptions will begin rolling out of the kitchen at Tin Pan Alley, destined for a brief moment on a long buffet table set up in the dining room, before every last morsel of food in the kitchen is eaten up in a benefit for Provincetown's remarkable Soup Kitchen. Folks will be milling around, conversing with friends, enjoying all they care to eat as the chef simply cooks and cooks and cooks until al the food in the restaurant is gone.
For a donation of $25 per person, we'll all be feasting on any or all of the fish, fowl, beef, soups, salads or any other dishes the chef might come up with as coolers and pantry are literally emptied, right down to the bare shelves. As one of the town's favorite restaurants prepares to close for the season, their generous donation of the proceeds from this event will help to support an important community resource.
In the average winter season in Provincetown, SKIP (the Soup Kitchen In Provincetown) serves more than 10,000 hot, hearty meals to folks from Provincetown and beyond. This year, the number of meals, served at SKIP each weekday from November through April, is rising. Lack of employment opportunities, coupled with the outrageous rents charged by many landlords, results in more people helping to make ends meet by having some, or all, of their lunches at the Soup Kitchen.
Located at the United Methodist Church on Shank Painter Road, SKIP is also simply a welcoming place for people seeking community, and the chance to socialize at a time of year that can be a bit bleak for many of us. All are welcome, whatever the reason they come for lunch. No questions are asked. Housing outreach and assistance are also available as a state housing expert shares SKIP's office there on Thursdays.
From upscale delights to home style comfort foods, Tin Pan Alley serves some
of PTown's best meals, complete with live music in a welcoming atmosphere.
So turn out tonight at Tin Pan Alley, across from Town Hall, for one last great meal before they fold up for the winter.
If you've been very good, eaten all your vegetables, and played well with others all year, you might be lucky enough to taste TPA's wonderful seared scallops, or maybe a steak from a grass fed cow, or their lovely roasted local chicken.
Chef Raul likes to spice things up a bit as well, so I'm always eager to try any unusual dish he might whip up. You know, though, one of my real favorites here is Jack's own recipe for turkey meatloaf, made with a little dried fruit and a few surprises mixed in, and one of the greatest comfort foods ever. That's a meal many of us miss when the place closes for the season.
Tin Pan Alley has also brought back the "supper club" aesthetic to Provincetown, offering live music just about every night of the week, and tonight will be no exception. There will be entertainment, of course, beginning at 6 PM.
Come and enjoy Tin Pan Alley's closing party, do a little good for the community at the same time, and wish all of the friends you'll find there a happy and prosperous new year.

Sunday, January 1, 2017

Provincetown's 2nd Annual "First Light" Celebration Rings In 2017!

Happy New Year!

It's out with the old and in with the new as First Light Provincetown continues to herald the coming year with celebrations of music, food, art and community here at the very tip of Cape Cod. Be sure to get to a harbor beach by dusk to enjoy the fireworks that will cap the festivities. I wish us all a joyous new year, and may we all survive and prosper!



Fireworks photo courtesy of noppasinw at FreeDigitalPhotos.net. Thank you!