Pop + Dutch Earns a 'Best Bite' Award for Their Sensational Chef Salad Sandwich

TheYearRounder bestows a Best Bite award on the innovative
Chef Salad Sandwich, piled high at Pop + Dutch in PTown.

When I walked into Pop + Dutch (say Pop and Dutch) on a rare afternoon off a little while back, starving, I had no idea what I would order. Everything they offer in this eccentric little neighborhood market is top notch. with nearly everything made right there, fresh, from scratch.

They bake their own buttermilk biscuits, along with pies made from fresh, seasonal fruits, and whatever other pastry, goody or dessert that might strike them at any given moment. They roast their own veggies, turkey and beef, too, so all of this keeps the Pop + Dutch oven working at a pretty constant pace, cranking out something tasty all day long.

So they don’t bake all of their own bread, but they do make the focaccia for their Myrna Minkoff sandwich, named for an off-beat fictional character in John Kennedy Toole’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel A Confederacy of Dunces. The Agent Dale Cooper sandwich is 
house-made turkey breast, with cheddar, smashed avocado, mayo, pickled shallots, tomato and butter lettuce on 7-grain bread. It’s named after the quirky FBI agent who has a nefarious alter ego, and an inordinate fondness for cherry pie, in the outré 1989 TV series Twin Peaks. Beginning to see what I mean by “eccentric,” aren’t you? That's part of the fun of Pop + Dutch. A certain lightheartedness is likely to overtake you upon walking through the door.

Behold the radiant sandwich! (from Pop+Dutch Facebook page)

When I asked what I'd have for lunch that day, co-owner Rebecca first determined that there was, indeed, nothing I don't like. Vegan, vegetarian or whole hog, I'm in. After a moment's thought, she suggested I try the Chef Salad sandwich, and repaired to the kitchen to whip one up for me. Just like it sounds, it brings all of the elements of a chef's salad together in a sandwich.
Tender leaves of butter lettuce, slices of sweet, ripe tomato and hard-boiled egg are layered between Swiss cheese, cheddar, Black Forest ham, and turkey that tastes like Thanksgiving, because at Pop + Dutch, they roast it and carve it right in their own kitchen. Stack all of this on a big, fresh Iggy's brioche roll, add a little ranch mayo dressing, and you've got a dandy of a sandwich. A distinctive taste, along with the superb quality and the inventive use of the ingredients, earned this sandwich a Best Bite award from TheYearRounder, because it was easily the best thing I ate in PTown during that entire week.

Owners Sean and Rebecca refer lovingly to their little market as "a sandwich shop and pint-sized general store" in Provincetown's West End, at 147 Commercial Street, right at the foot of Conant Street. It's in the midst of a little cluster of charming galleries, gift shops and antiques.

As I mentioned, nearly everything in their deli section is made right in their own tiny kitchen, including an unusual, spicy pimento cheese, and jams made from whatever beautiful fresh fruits the seasons bring. Either one can go on a fresh biscuit, right out of the oven, for your breakfast. Get here early; the biscuits sell out.

Fresh produce, bread and dairy, coffee filters, specialty pastas,
olive oil, cookies, crackers, lube… All the basics are here for you.

They get beautiful produce from local farmers any time they can, and they use cage free eggs from farms where the hens are treated well. They treat their customers, and their employees, like treasured friends. In short, their ethics are intact. That's another reason why we love this little shop.
Besides their phenomenal sandwiches, salads, desserts, vegetarian and vegan choices, and gluten-free options, you'll also find basic groceries and a few sundries here as well. 
They stock a small but thoughtful assortment of fresh, seasonal fruits and veggies, treats from local farmers when available, and Iggy's Bread, in Cambridge, brings fresh breads, croissants and sticky buns daily. Milk, eggs and other staples are here, along with a few basic housewares, like retro style enamelware plates, cups and coffee pots, just in case you find your condo a little lacking. And don't forget the lube.
Whether it's a great cup of coffee and a breakfast sandwich you need, or just the coffee filters, you'll find them here. Pick up the Sunday paper and some fresh strawberries, or a can of fine Italian tomatoes and a good olive oil, or an award-winning sandwich to take with you to the beach.
If you've not yet discovered this little jewel of a shop, it's worth the stroll to the West End. You'll be happy you found Pop + Dutch.

Another Best Bite Award for The Canteen, Now Open Year-round in Provincetown

Kristen brings my breakfast, warming the room
with her characteristic charm and genuine smile. 

It's been great to have The Canteen, at 225 Commercial Street, open all winter. This offbeat little spot (in the most joyous meaning of offbeat) brought our extremely varied native population and what seems like a growing number of winter visitors together for great food and good fun in their Holiday Market event these past two winters.
I was delighted to find them open this winter beyond the festivities of food and drink, music, theater, handmade crafts and gifts of their expanding winter celebration modeled on European holiday festivals.
These folks are actively working to build community in this little spot in the heart of Provincetown, and they are attracting many more year-round visitors as well. They're also providing year-round jobs, with 15 employees in the winter and some 60 workers from around the world in the summertime.
Kristen, seen above, lights up the room with her smile, and her friendly, thoughtful service contributes to the ambience of this homey little counter-service café. She is here with her boyfriend, up-and-coming writer Tom Macher, who is enjoying his second fellowship at the Fine Arts Work Center, and is currently finishing a book which has already been sold to Scribner. Congratulations! The two will be here until May, with hopes of returning.

The Canteen wins TheYearRounder's Best Bite award for
this huge, wonderful Classic Breakfast Sandwich, just $5.50!

On a recent cold and stormy day I found The Canteen warm and cozy, and filled with a mix of visitors, Townies, and local people from neighboring towns who had sought out a welcoming spot for a good meal and a little atmosphere. As some were having lunch, I wanted to try the Classic Breakfast Sandwich, which turned out to be a big, tasty bargain, and I promptly bestowed upon it TheYearRounder's Best Bite award.
That designation goes to a meal or dish of outstanding taste or value, and often both, found in a PTown restaurant, clam shack, deli, pizza joint, gelato shop, or any other sort of eatery offering something quite exceptional. In fact, The Canteen won two Best Bite awards on my very first visit there, on their opening day in 2013.
On this blustery day I had ordered at the counter and settled in at a table, listening to Van Morrison's Into the Mystic, completing the perfect, mellow atmosphere for folks reading the newspaper or chatting with friends. Soon Kristen brought out my breakfast. It was a  huge, huge grilled ciabatta with cheddar cheese, slow-roasted tomatoes, 2 eggs over easy (or served omelet-style, if you'd like,) topped with two big, thick slices of applewood smoked bacon, for just $5.50. This is one of the greatest meal deals anywhere in town. That rustic, crusty bread and those slow-roasted tomatoes make this big, satisfying sandwich my new breakfast craving.
I love a nice, beefy cup of coffee, but I can only have it just once in a while, so when I do order a cup, it has to be great. The Stumptown coffee served at The Canteen hits the spot, with a robust flavor and body, yet it's exceptionally smooth, without a hint of bitterness.

Julia and Mary both love The Canteen's Matzo Ball Soup.

Julia and Mary were in town this day for lunch. These two PTown expatriates, each now living in Wellfleet, often come into Provincetown together for a meal at The Canteen. Today it's Matzo Ball soup, which they'll likely follow with the Crispy Brussels Sprouts, and maybe another favorite or two…

All of these folks appeared to be visitors, here to spend a winter day
or two shopping, eating and seeking out things to do in our off-season.

Even with snow on the ground this past winter, the warmer days found the front patio at The Canteen packed with people eager to enjoy a little al fresco dining. Plenty of sunshine, fresh air and good food rewarded those who were fearless enough to venture to Provincetown on a winter's day.
The more businesses that are open in the off-season, the more folks come to spend time here. We salute The Canteen for working so hard at becoming part of the solution in Provincetown's efforts to bolster our year-round community, and congratulate them on their third Best Bite award.

Best Dessert Ever? Taste this 'Best Bite' Before the Summer is Gone

The lemon curd cheesecake parfait with blueberry compote at
Devon's Food Bar is in stiff competition for Best Dessert Ever.

This creamy lemon curd cheesecake parfait, with a wild Maine blueberry compote, whipped cream and a toasted graham cracker crumble, is the best dessert I've had all summer, and that makes it a Best Bite. Find it at Devon's Food Bar, at 31 Bradford Street, in PTown's West End.
Chef Melissa Ettinger thought up this euphoric delight one afternoon as a dessert du jour at this little culinary hotspot at the corner of Bradford and Pleasant Streets, but everyone who tasted it insisted that it be given a permanent home on the nightly dessert menu, and I haven't been able to make myself order anything else since. That smooth, lemony tartness is perfectly accented by the fruity sweetness of those plump, wild blueberries.
I've been wanting to try the flan with fresh berries, but I'll have to order it to start my next meal there, because I already know I'll be unable to resist the parfait for dessert. There are also a few other things on the menu I want to get to before they wind down for the summer, in about three weeks.
This is the time of year when you get a last chance to squeeze in some of the things you've wanted to see, do or taste before they are gone with the season. I went out the other night to see two shows that I realized were ending in just a few more days, and had dinner with a friend at a restaurant I've been trying to get to all summer. Next on my list is an actual day off, spent at the beach.
Don't let the summer get away from you. Go for a swim at the breakwater, see a couple of shows, get out for a memorable meal or two, and taste this sublime dessert before this glorious summer is gone.

Ross' Grill Earns 'Best Bite' Award

The complex, delightful flavors of Executive Chef Omar Neil's
fennel bisque earn a Best Bite award for Ross' Grill, in the Whalers Wharf.

TheYearRounder's Best Bite award is given to recognize a really good dish or meal, or a restaurant that is consistently outstanding, or a genuine bargain in a Provincetown eatery. A Best Bite award goes this week to Ross' Grill for their phenomenal fennel bisque, drizzled with a little chive oil.
This velvety soup has a depth of flavors that defies description. It is simply the best thing I've tasted in PTown restaurants over the last couple of weeks. We hope to see this soup du jour appearing again on Ross' menu, soon.
It's the creation of Chef Omar Neil, in the kitchen at Ross' Grill for the past 8 years, now in his 2nd year as executive chef. Bravo!

Lunch at Far Land Hits the Spot

Far Land's terrific Herring Cove sandwich is big, delicious, and only $7.

I stopped at Far Land Provisions the other day to get something to eat, and I tried their Herring Cove sandwich. It's made with a pile of tender, lean roast beef, just a bit on the rare side, tasty and perfect in a sandwich.
Next comes the roasted red pepper, then the garlic herb spread. I ordered it with the standard lettuce and tomato, and added thin-sliced red onion. All of that went between a couple of hearty slices of impeccably fresh multigrain bread, with a pickle spear on the side, and it was the best sandwich I've had in quite some time. Better still, it was just $7.
I like their Wood End sandwich, too, with grilled, marinated vegetables, sprouts and their homemade hummus rolled in a wrap. Their Head of the Meadow is no slouch, either: brie, apple, sprouts and honey mustard. Delish!

Desserts and sweets are a specialty at Far Land, made daily, from scratch.

It's hard to walk out of Far Land without something from their bakery case, too, with freshly baked muffins, cookies, bars and brownies in an endless variety. My dessert this day was made with pineapple, cashews, macadamia nuts and coconut, with a crust that was something akin to a shortbread. Did they call this a Congo Bar? I don't know, but I got the last one in the case.
I ate my lunch at a little table looking out the window onto Bradford Street, amongst a bunch of folks who had taken refuge from Wednesday's killer rain storm, but you can get your order to go, too. Check out Far Land, at 150 Bradford Street, for their award winning sandwiches and goodies, and for lunch to take with you to the beach.

Move Over, Pucci, There's a New Wing in Provincetown, and a Best Bite!

When chefs Tom Pucci and Rob Anderson opened their new kitchen at The Canteen a couple of summers ago, they brought back those legendary Pucci Wings of days gone by, and the town rejoiced. Those amazing wings won TheYearRounder's Best Bite award that summer because they are unique, and, quite simply, the best Buffalo style chicken wings on the planet.
Now, skip forward a couple of years to the seasonal reopening of The Central House at the Crown & Anchor, at 247 Commercial Street.

The smoky chicken wings served at The Central House earn TheYearRounder's
Best Bite award for the Crown & Anchor, and Executive Chef Michele Ragussis.

Coming on the heels of the snowiest winter in recent PTown memory, Chef Michele Ragussis creates a cozy culinary oasis on Commercial Street as the town begins to thaw out, and she brings us an entirely different sort of wing. And, once more, the town rejoices.


With a flavor and character that is, again, unique, these smoked chicken wings will give Pucci's a run for their money. These are very different from Buffalo wings. Personally, I'll be eating them both, because the two recipes are so diverse, but I know I'll be unable to resist stopping in at The Crown for a wing fix, often. There's no reason not to, since these lip-smacking, smoky wings aren't fried, so they're a bit healthier for us, too.
To get all of that audacious flavor into these splendid chicken wings, Michele seasons them up with her special, mildly spicy blend of seasonings, and slides them into the oven to brown. Then, she finishes her wings by smoking them, right on the grill. You can't get this kind of flavor any other way.
She serves them with her chipotle bleu cheese sauce, which gives this dish's piquant flavors that final little kick, making this plate one you'll want to order again on your next visit. In fact, it's that robust flavor that makes this dish the winner of TheYearRounder's first Best Bite award of the 2015 season, and it's all I can do not to order them every time I walk into the joint. It takes real discipline on my part, folks, to order something different every time, wherever I might eat, so I can really discover the best of Provincetown, and share it all with you.
Right now, the Central House at The Crown & Anchor is open Thursday through Sunday, with an "all day" menu, so you can order these Smoky Wings for lunch or dinner. Great chefs generally like to change up their menus with the seasons, or even more often, but I'm hoping the Smoky Wings will become a staple, remaining on the menu. In any case, you'll want to get yourself to The Central House and taste these glorious Smoky Wings, found on the "small Plates" section of the menu, while you have the chance.
These wings also make a great accompaniment to a drink at the bar. In fact, I'm pretty sure I'll find myself at The Crown again soon, for another plate of wings. I'll ask award winning sommelier Peter Miscikoski to recommend one of his unique wines to go with them, and next week, I'll tell you about the wine he chose for me.
As the saying goes, it just doesn't get much better than that.

TheYearRounder Names Front Street's Caramelized Key Lime Pie as a 'Best Bite'

The Caramelized Key Lime Pie at Front Street is the best thing I tasted in Provincetown all week long.

During the average week in a Provincetown summer I'll taste somewhere between 20 and 60 dishes served in restaurants, takeout joints, bakeries, neighborhood markets and delis. Out for dinner with friends the other night, as usual, we all tasted around the table with each course that came out of the kitchen, so I sampled 9 appetizers, soups, entrées and desserts that night. That brought my total number of tastes around the town to about 42 for the week.
This week I sampled everything from breakfast sandwiches to late night-night menu items served after 10 PM. I tasted things ranging from a chilled gazpacho to a hot apple crisp. I had striped bass, stuffed clams, three different lobster rolls, and the ubiquitous clam chowder. I ate Portuguese kale soup, Jamaican jerk chicken, Mexican chile rellenos and Chinese dumplings. I tasted everything from pizza to roasted duckling.
Without a doubt, the best thing I ate during the entire week was the Caramelized Key Lime Pie served at Front Street restaurant, at 230 Commercial Street. We all tasted it, and the next day we were all still talking about it. It had a thin, crisp, buttery graham cracker crust filled with a firm, sumptuous, custardy mixture that perfectly balanced the sweetness with the vibrant tartness of Key limes. A bit of sugar had been sprinkled on the top of the pie, and then it had been torched to caramelize it, à la crème brûlée. It was topped with a thick dollop of whipped cream and a couple of slivers of candied Key lime peel.
A generous slice of this splendid pie was surrounded by a velvety pool of mango coulis, adding another stratum to the flavors in this flawless dessert. It was perfection on a plate. That’s what earns it TheYearRounder’s Best Bite award. I hope to find it appearing frequently on Front Street’s ever-changing menu of Chef Donna Aliperti’s Mediterranian-American fusion delights, featuring the superb desserts created by Chef Kathy Cotter. This was, hands down, the best dish I tasted anywhere in Provincetown all week long.

Great Seafood and Friendly Faces Welcome You at John's Footlong

 Marian, Shirley and Jeremy at John's Footlong turn out some of the best fried seafood on the Cape.
I'm having the scallop roll, piled so high with John's excellent scallops that you can't see the bun.

For more than 50 years John's Footlong hot dog stand has been feeding hungry PTown visitors and Townies, too. This is a favorite eatery for many, and part of what makes it special isn't just the great food and reasonable prices; it's the people behind the counter. Marian and Shirley have each been working at John's for about 25 years or more, and Jeremy has grown up here, working on the fryer and the grill for the last ten years. It's great to see these friendly faces reappearing behind the counter each spring as John's opens up for the summer season.
John's Footlong is found at Lopes Square, near he corner of Standish and Commercial Streets, where the giant anchor sits in the square amidst the benches and all the people who have stopped to rest for a moment, or who are eating something from one or more of the little takeout joints that line the street there. John's customers will also find seating on the roof deck above the takeout windows, reached by the stairway at the South end of the building, and a view of the harbor from some of those tables.

John's terrific lobster roll is a PTown favorite, and a Best Bite.

I've written about John's before, and their great fish sandwich for about $6, their Portuguese kale soup, and their lobster roll, which I believe might just be the best in all of Provincetown. In fact, I gave it TheYearRounder's Best Bite award for its excellent quality and bargain price.
Stop by John's, have something great to eat, and enjoy the friendly service and these smiling faces behind the counter. We're happy to have them back at Lopes Square for another summer.

Red Shack's Stuffed Clam is a 'Best Bite'

The Red Shack's gigantic baked stuffed clam is the best I've found in PTown.

When I heard that Mylan and Pamela had sold The Red Shack, my heart dropped perceptibly. But it perked right back up again when I learned that the new owner wasn't some out-of-town rich guy swooping in for a quick buck, but a local man who's been here for years, and working hard all the while, who's finally gotten the chance to own and operate a business of his own.
Scott Munson bought the business, and he's been working alongside Mylan to learn the secrets of The Red Shack's recipes. Mylan, a hometown boy who was a personal chef and cooked for various country clubs in California before returning to Provincetown, is happy to pass his knowledge on to Scott.

Scott and his ever-present skateboard in Lopes Square.

We're happy, too. I stopped in last week for my favorite dish there, the enormous baked stuffed clam, and it was as good as ever; full of tender clams, linguica and chourico, and a nice bread stuffing with a little spice to it… I went back again for another one a few days later.
Having tried nearly every stuffed clam in all of Provincetown, I name this humble Portuguese peasant dish, served up in style by The Red Shack, as my first Best Bite of the season, and talking with a friend the other day, neither of us could think of a better one we'd ever had. If you have a different nomination, please let me know. I'm always happy to find, and taste, something new.
If you don't know The Red Shack, it's at Lopes Square, across from the Chamber of Commerce and John's Footlong (also a recipient of TheYearRounder's Best Bite award for their lobster roll,) near the corner of Commercial and Ryder Streets. In the height of the summer season The Red Shack makes breakfast, lunch and supper, with a wide and varied menu of seafood, burgers, sandwiches, pizza, and lobster rolls served 6 different ways.
Stop in, try the stuffed clam, or dozens of other choices, like their homemade lemonade, and wish Scott good luck in his new endeavor. Call ahead, at 508 487-7422, and he'll have your order ready for pickup.

Chach's Blueberry Pancakes are a Best Bite

Chach's giant blueberry pancake, with genuine maple syrup,
is chosen by TheYearRounder as a Best Bite. Add a side of bacon
and you've got one of my all-time favorite Provincetown breakfasts.

Chach is a terrific little diner style restaurant out on Shank Painter Road, serving up a wonderful breakfast or lunch, either one, from opening until about 2 PM, when they close for the day, so don't get there late.
The menu is full of comfort food and favorites such as pancakes, omelets, soup, sandwiches and chili, and there's a blackboard full of choices that are a bit more upscale, too, changing daily at the whim of your chefs, Chach and Sharon. There's always something interesting coming out of the kitchen, whether it's in the vein of simple, traditional comfort foods or something a bit more sophisticated.
On any given day you may find a breakfast dish like a smoked oyster benedict or maybe a creative omelet special on the blackboard, and there's usually a daily scramble, like the ham, swiss and onion, sprucing up your basic plate of scrambled eggs. You may find a French toast special with raspberries and lemon curd, and another day it might be made with pecans, caramel and bananas. There's often a pancake du jour, like the recent pecan pancake w/ bananas and whipped cream.
I'm a real sucker for Chach's stellar blueberry pancakes, a staple found on the regular menu, but I order just a single pancake since these overstuffed beauties are roughly the size of the plate, fluffy and golden and absolutely clobbered with blueberries, and actual New England maple syrup completes the dish. These are quite likely the best blueberry pancakes you'll ever taste, and that is how they come to earn a Best Bite award from TheYearRounder. Just throw a smoky side of bacon right on the top and I am as happy as the proverbial clam.
Chach was recognized by Cape Cod Life magazine not long ago, too, winning their award for "Best Breakfast on the Outer Cape," and many Townies will tell you this is their favorite PTown breakfast spot, but Chach also has a great lunch menu. There's a choice of daily lunch specials on the board as well, like a prosciutto, brie and tomato sandwich served on ciabatta, or perhaps a special salad of the day. Chef Chach's Mexican heritage might land a shrimp tostada w/ guacamole on the blackboard, or any number of other tasty Mexican-influenced selections to tempt you.
Each day as many as half-a-dozen freshly baked muffin choices roll out of the oven as well, like banana bread, pistachio, blueberry buckle and many others. They're perfect with a robust cup of Chach's excellent coffee.
Chach is found at 73 Shank Painter Road, with parking on site. In the summer they're open nearly every day, but they close a few days of the week in the shoulder and off-seasons. Right now they're open Friday and Monday at 10 AM, and 8 AM on Saturday and Sunday, but after Saint Patrick's Day they'll be closed for vacation before re-opening in the spring, so drop everything and get to Chach before they go on hiatus. Remember, they close at 2 o'clock, so don't be late.

2014 Oscar Shorts Come to Provincetown

All of this year's Oscar nominated shorts can be seen
this week at Waters Edge Cinema, in the Whalers Wharf.

There were 16 short films nominated for this year's Academy Awards in the categories of documentary, animation and live action. Each nominated short, including the three winners, can be seen this week at Waters Edge Cinema, at the Whalers Wharf. There will be three separate programs, each screening all of the shorts nominated in one of those three categories.

Documentary Shorts (running a total of 135 minutes) screen Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Wednesday and Thursday at 4:30 PM.
Live Action Shorts (113 min.) can bee seen Friday, Sunday and Thursday evenings at 7:30 PM, with a matinee Saturday at 2 PM.
Animated Shorts (103 min.) will play Saturday and Wednesday at 7:30 PM with a Sunday matinee at 2 PM.

Click on this link to see an Oscar Shorts Teaser with just a tiny snippet from many of these wonderful films. Then click the following link to see a trailer for Documentary Short winner The Lady in Number 6, but only if you're prepared to fall completely in love with a 109-year-old woman. Alice Herz-Sommer lived to see her remarkable story make it into theaters last year, to great acclaim from all who saw this 38-minute little gem of a movie. But just over a week ago she passed away quietly at the age of 110, just a week before this brilliant, joyous film about the world's oldest known Holocaust survivor, and pianist, would win the Oscar at the 86th Academy Awards ceremony last Sunday.

If you google "2014 Oscar shorts" you'll find other trailers as well, and some compelling reasons to see each of these three programs of Short films. They haven't been rated, some are just a few minutes long, some are in a foreign language with subtitles, and each one is worth seeing.
We thank the folks at Waters Edge Cinema for bringing these three programs of terrific short films to Provincetown.

Striped Bass at Native Cape Cod Seafood takes TheYearRounder's "Best Bite" Award

Native Cape Cod Seafood's simple grilled striped bass is a terrific value.

You might know I've been out nearly every night recently on my summertime search for the best striped bass in Provincetown, having had eight or nine over the past week or so, each at a different restaurant. The price has ranged from under $20 to well over $30, with the size of the bass portions also varying from smaller to larger servings, but not necessarily correlating with the cost of the dinner. More ingredients in a recipe does not always result in a better dish, just as a more renowned restaurant does not always turn out a better meal.
A higher price has sometimes brought a more complex preparation, or more elaborate side dishes, but perhaps a smaller serving of bass, and each of these dishes has also achieved a certain level of success on the proverbial scale from 1 to 10. This summer I've not been served a single plate of bass that was hugely disappointing, as has sometimes been the case in the past, and often with a $36 price tag for a hapless bass that was tragically overcooked, or for one that had been unmercifully sauced beyond the point where the taste of the fish could still be recognized. On the contrary, the stripers I've found this summer have all been well prepared, with only a couple of them leaning just slightly toward the frufru of over-complicated preparations.
My striped bass at Native Cape Cod Seafood was grilled perfectly with a little lemon, salt and pepper, served on a paper plate with a sort of rice pilaf and fresh zucchini brushed with a tiny bit of oil and a dash of sea salt and grilled until just tender. This uncomplicated plate of simple flavors let the taste of the bass shine through, and I ate it sitting in the open air of the Aquarium Marketplace deck, looking out over magnificent Provincetown Harbor. It was among the best of all the stripers I'd had during the week, the ambience was stellar, and the price of just $18.95 pushed this dish all the way to the top of the list, earning it a Best Bite award. That's two now for Andrew and the crew at Native Cape Cod Seafood. See my August 22nd post of 2012 about their fabulous Lobster Scampi, which won them TheYearRounder's Best Bite award last summer for one of PTown's greatest seafood dishes.
When the striper runs out for the season, Andrew will continue to bring in the best fish available every day, serving it blackened and a little spicy or simply grilled, along with fish pockets (kind of like a deluxe fish taco,) shrimp, fried clams, oysters, many others and, of course, the scampi. Andrew raises his own shellfish, trades throughout each week in the Boston area both buying and selling while he's delivering shellfish there, and has solid connections for the freshest and best seafood in New England, most of it from Cape Cod waters. When there is no more striped bass available, which may be any day now, I may suffer withdrawal symptoms, so I asked Andrew if he could cook me up a 4 or 5-pound lobster for my dinner one night next week and he said no problem, and I know the price will be fair as well. I can't wait.
If you've never visited Native Cape Cod Seafood, you owe yourself this treat. It's worth the effort to find this little counter service joint tucked away in the Aquarium Marketplace at 205-209 Commercial Street, in the old aquarium building. It sits kitty-corner across Commercial Street from the corner of Carver Street, at the back of the food court at the edge of the outdoor patio and the waterfront deck, where they also run the raw bar. Give them a try. The food is delicious, top quality and one of the best values in PTown.

West End Salon Gears Up for 30th Season

Dougie Freeman started the West End Salon in 1983.

The West End Salon and Spa is getting ready for a busy summer when they typically will be open from morning until late night every day. When I stopped in for a haircut and a few highlights the other day they were in the midst of ordering new towels for the salon and new sheets for the spa, getting ready for the summer crowds.
Whether you want to enhance your health and well-being or improve your image, or simply to look your best for a special occasion, there are highly trained experts here who will offer you a wide variety of treatments and services that will simply make you look and feel great.
Entire wedding parties will book the West End Salon for hair and makeup for their big day. Folks who regularly vacation in PTown return to the salon each summer as well for a relaxing massage using a variety of techniques, or for a facial, a cut and style, or for a whole new look. You can be invigorated or relaxed, get a paraffin treatment or a salt scrub, have a manicure, pedicure or any number of other professional treatments and services.
You can get get a spray tan, henna or glitter tattoos, or full-color airbrushed body art done by the expert staff at the West End Salon and Spa. Click on this link to visit the West End Salon online or dial 508 487-1872 for an appointment. You can also just drop in at 155 Commercial Street to find out more about their many services, or to congratulate Dougie on the upcoming 30th anniversary of the award-winning little salon he started in Provincetown's West End way back in 1983. More later about their colorful history and coming anniversary. For now, stop in and do something nice for yourself. You deserve it.