Find Bargain PTown Meals at Governor Bradford, Before Spring Turns to Summer

Governor Bradford's Monday night slider special: BBQ Brisket, Cuban, fries, $2 each.

Enjoy PTown's great off-season restaurant specials before they come to an end. By Memorial Day, most of the winter and spring bargains in Provincetown's restaurants will be long gone.

Over the winter, the Governor Bradford bar is in full swing, while their restaurant offerings are very limited, but they offer terrific bargains on  weekday lunch and dinner specials.

For only another week, you can drop in at dinnertime for whatever meal is offered, at a remarkable price. The sliders and fries pictured above, for example, were delicious, and cost me a paltry $6 for dinner that night.
Tonight is Monday, slider night, so we all have this one last chance  to choose from three or four different sliders for $2 each, adding fries for just $2 as well. On the left, above, is tender beef brisket in BBQ sauce, topped with coleslaw. On the right is the Cuban sandwich slider, made with roast pork, grilled ham, Swiss cheese, pickle and a bit of mustard. Roast beef, burgers or other choices could pop up, too, since it's a little different each Monday night.

Tuesday is Taco Night at Governor Bradford, with a choice of fillings and hard or soft shells. Order as many as you'd like, mix and match fillings and shells, for $2 each. Every order comes with guacamole, salsa, sour cream and a bit of refried beans on the side, so you can dress up your tacos any way you'd like.
Pictured here are a beef and a chicken taco in crisp, corn tortilla shells. I think my favorite has been the BBQ beef in a soft, flour tortilla.

On Wednesday nights, the kitchen makes ribs, consisting of two barbecued pork spareribs, a mini cornbread muffin and a little coleslaw, at $3 per order. So a triple order gets you 6 tender, tasty ribs (isn't that about a half-rack of ribs?) with 3 cornbread minis and a large cup of slaw, all for just $9. This might be my favorite of all the weeknight specials.
Thursday is wing night, with an order of six pieces for $3; order more if you'd like.

The Friday night special draws quite a crowd, so get there before they run out of prime rib dinners for a mere $12.99! A salad and choice of baked potato or fries are included. If you're forgoing red meat these days, there's also a baked, stuffed shrimp dinner for the same price. Either way, you just can't beat it.
Monday through Thursday lunch specials are already done for the season, because the kitchen staff is so busy getting ready for the full reopening of the restaurant on Friday, but there's one last Friday lunch special. It's Bubbles' fish fry, and it always sells out.

Bubbles' famous fish fry offers a generous portion of golden fried fish served with lemon, tarter sauce, coleslaw and a big pile of really good French fries.

"Bubbles" came by her nickname years ago, when she worked as the shampoo girl at a local salon, but her greatest fame may have come from the amazing fish & chips lunch she has been turning out for years now, on Friday afternoons at the Governor Bradford, offered in the off season only.
Lunch specials run from 11:30 AM to maybe 2 PM or so, or not. A sell-out could easily close the kitchen early, so get there early. The same goes for dinner specials, which generally run from 5 to 8 PM, but if they sell out before you get there, you'll have only yourself to blame.

So get out for the last lunchtime fish fry of the season, the last of the weeknight dinner specials, and one last Friday prime rib or shrimp dinner, each of these meals at an unbelievable price, with the regular menu available starting Friday as well. Thanks to the governor, found in the heart of Provincetown, at 312 Commercial Street, for keeping us going over the winter, and we wish them a great 2019 season.

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.

Jimmy's HideAway Brings Winter Tavern Menu to PTown

Jimmy's HideAway is worth looking for.

Jimmy's HideAway begins offering their winter tavern menu this week, available Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays through February 18th. They're shifting to seasonal hours, taking Mondays and Tuesdays off.
The tavern menu features casual favorites at a good price, like the HideAway Burger (Angus beef) with hand cut fries, for $12.95. There's also a Pale Ale Battered Haddock, with cole slaw and fries.
The Shrimp Florentine combines baby spinach, capers, garlic, lemon and white wine, all tossed with linguine. The Spicy BBQ Ribs are roasted long and slow, served with cole slaw and your choice of French fries or Jimmy's amazing Smoked Gouda Corn Bread Pudding, my personal favorite. If you find yourself really ravenous, order the fries with your ribs, and a side of that corn bread pudding.
It's always tough to choose what to order at Jimmy's. I try to eat something different wherever I go, so I can tell you about more great dishes, but it's so hard not to order, for example, the mini Beef Wellingtons, every time I'm there, because that's one of the really great appetizers of Provincetown, served in portions that are meant to be shared. There are ten more salads and appetizers.
Among Jimmy's selection of entrées, ranging from $22 to $38, you'll find French Citrus Bouillabaisse, Grilled Fillet Mignon Au Poivre, Portuguese Cod, and a half-dozen others, including another favorite of mine: Pork Tenderloin is roasted with onion, mushroom, white wine, lemon and rosemary, all of which make for a delightful, savory pan gravy ladled over mashed potatoes, served with sautéed vegetables.
Find Jimmy's HideAway at 179 Commercial Street in Provincetown, tucked away down a charming little brick path, then down a few stairs, to this cozy, garden level restaurant, with a view of the harbor through the tall seagrass surrounding the back dining room. Call 508•487•1011 for reservations (recommended,) though seating is sometimes available at the bar, where Jimmy himself will pour you a beer or whip you up a delightful cocktail.

Provincetown's First Day of Winter Reaches 58 Degrees

Today is the winter solstice in the northern hemisphere, the first day of winter, and the shortest day of the year. We're not likely to notice the sunset this evening, though, if you can call 4:14 PM evening, since it's likely to be rainy and/or foggy on this unseasonably warm day in Provincetown.
So to mark the occasion, and to glean a bit of joy in keen anticipation of the few moments more of daylight we'll be soaking up over the coming week, I dug out one of my favorite sunset photos from last winter to enjoy in lieu of this afternoon's fog and drizzle. It's the sun setting in my rearview mirror one day last winter as I drove along the edge of the cemetery, on Jerome Smith Road.

I'd have missed this sunset if I had tried to pursue it, so I stopped smack in the middle of the road to savor it.

When I turned onto that little street precisely as the sun was setting, I knew I'd miss it if I tried to turn around and race out to the beach for the view behind me, and, after all, it is Provincetown, so I stopped right there in the middle of the road to luxuriate a bit in that gorgeous, evanescent moment.
In less than three minutes, that moment was gone, the sky was graying, and that, my friends, is the significance of the tiny bit of extra daylight we'll realize by this time next week. Coming down the road in three minutes less light I'd have missed that view, which turns out to be a moment I can recall to soften my heart and raise my spirits, and it's helped in every case where I've tried this little smidgen of therapy over the past year, which was a doozy, by the way.
In seven days the sun will be setting five minutes later, and by the summer we'll be gaining a couple of hours of morning light, and nearly 4 hours in the evening, so the thought of nearly six more hours of daily sunlight to enjoy the stunning beauty that surrounds us is raising my easily-tanked winter spirits.
This too-mild weather we've been having is really terrible for the planet, but when it's combined with a few minutes more of light day by day, and potentially just about enough money saved up this year to get through an uneventful winter without any major setbacks, (we can dream, can't we?) well, all that has me barely dreading the winter at all.
Now, if we can get away with something less than eight feet of snow over these next 15 weeks… we'll have it made.

Great PTown Lunch Specials Like Bubbles' Fish Fry Return for the Off-Season

Bubbles serves her famous $8 Fish Fry every Friday at the Governor Bradford.

'Tis the season for tasty lunch specials, filling portions and great prices as we head toward winter in Provincetown. The off-season brings some bargain prices to many local delis and restaurants, along with the time for most of us to finally sit, relax and enjoy a meal with a few friends.
One of the perennial favorites among these seasonal lunch offerings is Bubbles' Fish Fry, served every Friday between now and the spring at the Governor Bradford Restaurant and bar, at 312 Commercial Street. A hearty portion of golden fried fish with a mound of very good fries, with lemon, tartar sauce and coleslaw, will cost you just $8.
Lunch runs from 11:30 until whenever the cook declares the kitchen closed, which could be before or after 2 PM, so don't dawdle on the way there. In fact, on Fridays the Fish Fry has been known to sell out in short order, so get there a little early. You may have to put your name on a list, first come, first served, to make sure you get in on this very popular special, served only in the off-season.
When you walk in, ask the bartender if you're in time for the fish, or just head to the back corner of the room. You'll likely find Bubbles herself behind the counter, doling out plates and to-go boxes, keeping track of how many Fish Fries are left as construction crews, fishermen, cops and shop keepers swoop in to pick up takeout orders they've reserved over the phone. Don't let yourself get lost in the shuffle.
On Mondays through Thursdays, there's a weekday lunch special, something different every day, with a menu on a big board in the front window announcing the week's choices along with Friday's Fish Fry. The other day I stopped in for the BBQ pulled pork sandwich, served with fries and slaw. Sometimes you might find meatloaf or roast pork served with potatoes and vegetables, or a roast beef sandwich, or lasagna, or hot dogs. Could be anything, but it's always $8.  Check the board in the window, or call 508 487-2781 to see what's for lunch, or for to orders to go. Note that this special no longer includes a complimentary soft drink, but you can order those, or a beer, or anything else you'd like, from their full bar, and you still can't beat eight bucks for a hot lunch.
In the coming weeks we'll visit other restaurants, delis and neighborhood markets for more great PTown off-season lunches.

PTown Winter Breakfast Spots?

Breakfast can be hard to find in Provincetown in the wintertime, especially mid-week, and parking has been quite a challenge during this unprecedented snowfall we've endured since 2015 began. At this time of the year, and with the consistently snowy weekends and bone-chilling winds and storms that have kept visitors at home rather than here this winter, you'll only find a real, full breakfast being served in just a handful of PTown restaurants, and mostly just on the weekends, when a few hardy travelers still make the frosty trek to the tip of the Cape.

Slow-cooked pork, green chilies and tomatillos, with cheese and sour cream,
make a great omelet choice on Chach's menu. I added a side of black beans.

But you can find yourself a tasty, hearty breakfast any day of the week, if you just know where to look, so here's the scoop. Let's start with spots offering a full meal...




 
   • Chach, at 73 Shank Painter Road, is making her famous breakfast, with eggs, hash browns, omelets, breakfast burritos, a killer French toast, muffins and, of course, her stellar blueberry pancakes, all from scratch, available Friday through Sunday. A Townie Favorite and a current Best Bite. Free parking, too, in their small lot.
   • Governor Bradford, at 312 Commercial Street, does breakfast Saturday and Sunday at this time of year, with their central location, at Commercial and Standish streets, being their primary appeal. Parking is free right now half a block away at the town's main parking lot, near MacMillan Pier, or sometimes found on Commercial Street.
   • Napi's, tucked away at 7 Freeman Street, does a couple of brunchy sort of egg dishes, like an eggs Benedict, but only on Sundays, and not till 11:30 AM when they open for lunch. The artwork and decor enhance the meal, and you'll find there's plenty of free parking in their lot.
   • Bayside Betsy's, at 177 Commercial Street, is open this winter Thursday through Monday, beginning at 9 AM for breakfast. Lots of selections, like steak and eggs, pancakes or choice of three french toasts; frittatas, omelets or seven Benedicts, including a veggie version with grilled Portabellos, roasted reds and sautéed baby spinach. On my last breakfast visit there, the homemade Hollandaise seemed not to be their forte, but that was before the new owners took over, so I will try them again. The splendid view out over Provincetown Harbor to Long Point, from any table in the dining room, is perhaps reason enough for a visit. Parking might be found on Commercial Street.
   • Fanizzi's, at 539 Commercial Street, offers their all-you-can-eat Sunday Brunch Buffet from 10 AM till 2 PM, with over a dozen dishes like French toast, scrambled eggs, frittata, Benedict, corned beef hash, bacon, sausage, chicken wings, steamed mussels, pasta of the day, assorted pastries, fresh fruit, green salad, yogurt and granola, with a full bar available. The panoramic view of Provincetown Harbor is superb. There is limited parking on-site, and perhaps on Commercial Street.

Angel Foods' generous, overstuffed breakfast sandwich
is probably the best in Provincetown.

If you can do with a breakfast sandwich, you'll find three spots that serve them every day, and one just on Sundays...





   • East End Market, at 212 Bradford Street, makes breakfast sandwiches on their grill from 8 AM daily (9 on Sundays) till 11:30 AM, despite what their website says.  Freshly baked muffins, too, and other pastries. They've recently reopened after remodeling, offer seating, limited parking is usually sufficient.
   • Far Land Provisions, at 150 Bradford Street, makes a great breakfast sandwich every day, with lots of choices, including the options of cage-free or organic eggs, and a lighter turkey sausage. Some days they offer a pancake special, with real Vermont maple syrup as an option, and fresh baked goods are always available. They open daily at 7 AM, 8 on Sundays, and serve breakfast only till 11:30 AM, when they switch into lunch mode. Homey seating, free wi-fi, great music, friendly service, ample parking make this spot another Townie Favorite.
   • Angel Foods, at 467 Commercial Street, serves a very generous breakfast sandwich, and probably the best in Provincetown. Eggs beaten with a little milk make a sort of big, fluffy omelet folded around lots of ham, bacon or homemade sausage, with a choice of 4 cheeses, on a Portuguese muffin. Open daily at 8 AM, with seating only on outdoor benches, or walk 40 feet down onto the beach on one of those warmer days we're starting to get. Limited on-site parking is usually enough, or park on Commercial Street at this time of year.
   • 141 Bradford Natural Market is doing a breakfast sandwich, but only on Sundays, from 9 AM till 1 PM. You can get 2 organic eggs with cheese, avocado and chipotle mayo on a fresh roll, for example, or have it with other ingredients that might be in the kitchen on any given Sunday. They're quite flexible. They also offer a sort of Sunday Brunch Buffet from their hot bar, ready by 11 AM, with varying choices, like last Sunday's brioche French toast bake, sweet potato hash, egg in a cup, maple vegan sausage, broccolini with shallot and dill, or roasted zucchini.  Choose what, and how much, you'd like, and pay for it by weight. Fresh baked goods daily. Seating, limited on-site parking.
 

Art is served in a cup at the Wired Puppy.  Photo from their website.

If you've got to eat and get moving early, or if all you need to get you going in the morning is a cup of coffee and a muffin, or if you want a designer latte or cappuccino made by a talented barista, there's a choice for you, too...



   • The Wired Puppy, at 369 Commercial Street, is open daily from 6:30 AM till 6:30 PM in the winter, with a wide variety of fancy coffees and teas, and depending on the day, perhaps a muffin or scone of one variety or another, baked in their oven. A favorite with early morning caffeine junkies as well as those who want a certain sophistication in their cup, and a light, continental breakfast. Free wi-fi, and even a couple of computers for the public to use. Seating, parking may be found on Commercial Street.

You'll also find early morning coffee, breakfast sandwiches, muffins or donuts, yogurt and so on, available all day, at three local convenience stores over the winter months...

   • Highland Farm (The Gulf Station) at 130 Bradford Street, open at 5:30 AM daily, usually till midnight, but occasionally closing about 15 minutes early, so don't push the clock. This is a small, local business, not a corporate chain. No seating, but friends gather in front to shoot the breeze and sip their coffee, even on a cold winter morning. Limited parking is usually adequate.
   • The Tedeschi Station, at 137 Bradford Street, 6 AM till 11 PM daily. Seating only on an outdoor bench, with parking sufficient for a grab-and-go.
   • Cumberland Farms, at 100 Shank Painter Road, open 24 hours every day. Read the label if you want to know about the long list of ingredients in their "egg patty" or other items inside that pre-assembled muffin or croissant. No seating, plenty of parking.

So there you have it. As always, there are more choices in the off-season than you might think of right away. Call a friend, get out of the house, and go try someplace you might not have visited before, or return to an old favorite. Support these local businesses that have stayed open for us during a very lean, tough winter.

Where Are We? (Hint: You Only See This Door in Provincetown's Off-season)

This rustic old door is a sight not seen for most of the summer, when it stays open nearly all of the time.

Get out your camera and carry it with you, and really notice how many things you can see in the off-season that you won't really see again until after the summer. The door above is a good example. One day last week, as the sun was getting lower in the sky, I noticed it shining on this charming old door, with its weathered brass porthole from an old ship long abandoned, and I realized I'd never really noticed it before. How could I have missed it, I thought? And then I realized I just might have never seen it before, though it's been here for years, as have I.
Most of the time I'm passing by this spot it is at the height of the summer season, and this door is propped open most any time you might walk past it. Can you place it?
The vast majority of the hundreds of people that visit this building every single summer afternoon use the driveway rather than this door, walking down the incline that leads beneath the Boatslip and out onto its deck for its world famous Tea Dance. And although I've walked through this door many times on my way to the bar, or to the restaurant when it was operating, I've never really seen these gorgeous old wooden planks of varying widths, the massive, old-fashioned strap hinges, and that marvelous brass porthole of a window, because I think this door has been propped open on every single occasion when I've walked through it.
The winter may not be Provincetown's favorite season for a lot of us, but the snow has provided some beautiful sights for us this winter, and at this time of the year there are lots of things to notice as the season changes, so look for them, enjoy them, and snap a photo or two as you make your way around the town. You'll be much richer for it.

Provincetown's Off-season Public Art

Delightful murals adorn many closed shops, brightening PTown's off-season.
Click on photo for a better view of the art spanning John's and Turner's fronts.

A beautiful mural of Provincetown Harbor stretches across the entire front of the building where the order and pickup windows at John's Footlong and at Turner's Candy and Ice Cream are boarded up for the winter. You'll find this bit of off-season public art right in the center of town, on the west side of the street, across from Lopes Square.
There are a few other spots where you'll find artwork rather than just plywood protecting windows of shops and restaurants closed for the winter, if you look for them. Most of them will be found on Commercial Street. This kind of public art makes it a lot more fun for visitors to walk through our streets in the off-season as they look for a spot open for lunch or a shop that's open for business at this time of the year.
More of this sort of art in the streets would begin to attract more visitors, too. And how nice it would be if more businesses gave us something pleasant to look at while they were closed for the season.

Pizza Hits the Spot Year-Round, Now With Lunchtime Delivery From George's

A mushroom slice from George's Pizza always warms me up.
Open year-round, they now offer delivery from noon till 10 PM daily.

It was past noon, about 22 degrees, and windy to boot,
so I needed to warm up a little.
Nothing sounded better than a hot slice of pizza fresh from the oven.
In the summertime Provincetown offers some 90 restaurants, coffee shops, delis and takeouts where you can sit down for a meal or grab a quick bite to go, but winter leaves us with just a handful of year-round eateries, and in the off-season there's not always something to eat nearby.
So when I walked into George's Pizza (275 Commercial Street) and ordered my favorite mushroom slice, I was happy to find that they had just begun offering delivery service during lunch hours in addition to their usual evening delivery service. Now you can get salads, hot or cold sandwiches, lasagna, soft drinks, and of course, pizza, brought right to your door from noon till 10 PM. For a delivery charge of $2 you can gat a meal delivered anywhere between the Provincetown Inn and the North Truro police station.
You can see in the photo above that I like my pizza sprinkled with all the condiments: crushed red pepper, oregano, garlic and a bit of parmesan cheese. If you remember to ask for these seasonings, George's will tuck them into your delivery order.
Of course, you can drop in for a meal at a table or at the full bar, where you can watch sports or other TV events, play video games or chat with the assortment of Townies that can randomly be found here at any time of day. Or call George's Pizza at 508 487-3744 for delivery day or night.

Souper Saturday Benefits SKIP

Have a nice bowl of soup for a great cause on Souper Saturday.

20 great PTown restaurants will bring their favorite soups to the Crown & Anchor on Saturday, Dec 7th, to benefit SKIP (that's Soup Kitchen In Provincetown) in their Souper Saturday 2013 event. From 11 AM till 3 PM (or while it lasts!) you can gat a delicious bowl of soup for just $5, choosing from a number of varieties which will change throughout the day. Spend another 5 bucks and enjoy another great soup from a different restaurant. This very popular annual event brings SKIP some much needed funding, helping their multitude of volunteers to operate a remarkable community resource.

Provincetown's Soup Kitchen will serve more than 10,000 meals this winter, and provide a warm, welcoming place for friends to gather and socialize, easing the isolation many people can feel over the off-season in this remote location. A sense of community can become even more important during the winter months, when many here can feel marginalized.
Every weekday, from November through April, a hot, nutritious, delicious meal is served at the Methodist Church, on Shank Painter Road. People start gathering around noon for the 12:30 meal, spending time talking with friends or browsing the thrift shop. Many linger around the large dining tables after the meal, socializing with friends and meeting new people, feeling a part of the community, and for some, filling the gap in a harsh winter economy that doesn't always leave enough money for food after paying the rent. All are welcome, and a tremendous cross section of Provincetown residents can be found here over the winter, any day of the week.
Come to the Soup Kitchen for a nice meal and a bit of camaraderie, and support the Soup Kitchen by coming for lunch at the Crown & Anchor on Souper Saturday.

Enjoy That Last Little Bit of Solitude Before The Season Really Kicks In

There's still time to be the only one out there for a walk on the West End Breakwater.

The signs of spring are all around us as we hear the calls of more and more varieties of birds winging in for the coming season, feel the winter air warming into spring-like temperatures, and see blossoms popping out steadily in the yards and gardens of Provincetown. Soon we'll see the boards come off the windows at Vorelli's, the awnings unfurled at the Mayflower, and the trolley taking its first few runs down Commercial Street to see where the tight spots will be this year.
For a short time longer we'll have the chance to enjoy the stunning natural beauty that surrounds us here at the tip of Cape Cod, without all of the visitors that flock here by the thousands in the summer to share it with us. We can still take a ride or a walk on a branch or two of the bike trail and be all alone when we stop near the pond to watch the young geese gliding through the water after their mother. We can hike out into the dunes and be the only one standing at the top of the hill, looking out beyond the tall grasses to the Atlantic Ocean, watching for humpback whales spouting as they amble into the bay to begin the summer season.
Walk out into the woods on the old railroad bed at Howland Street and Harry Kemp Way. Sit on the beach near Hatch's Harbor and listen to the waves rolling in and out. Climb to the top of the visitor center, looking out over Race Point Beach, for a 360 degree view of forest, dune and ocean. Even a stroll down any PTown side street will bring you the soft sounds, sights and aromas of the spring as it quietly unfolds all around us.
This week, before it's too late, get outdoors and enjoy a bit of blissful solitude, which is all too rare here in the bustling summer season.

Wintertime Activities Bring Townies and Visitors Out for a Fun Off-season Evening

There are a number of things to do in the evenings this week, and besides the great Friday fish fries, which I'll elaborate upon in an upcoming post, I can easily think of 5 things worth going out for in the next three evenings. Let's start with:
Tonight, Wednesday, March 13...

Provincetown Theater brings its popular annual Winter
Reading Series to PTown audiences through March 27th.

Playwright John Greiner-Ferris says that he "... wrote Turtles for so many reasons. Family and identity, two themes that are prominent in Turtles, mean a lot to me. Family isn't the traditional family anymore, mine isn't, and I wrote what family is like for me." Actors on stage tonight at the Provincetown Theater will read Turtles as part of their 2013 Winter Reading Series, which has just three more readings to go before the end of this very popular annual string of play readings, featuring a different author and subject matter each week. A wide variety of plays and works in progress are read for the public in this PTown winter tradition which offers us all a chance to get out of the house, socialize a bit with like-minded folks (or at least other theater enthusiasts) and support playwrights with a broad range of viewpoints and backgrounds. The reading will begin at 7:30 PM. Admission is a suggested donation of $5.

The Squealing Pig has reopened for 2013.

Also tonight, the Squealing Pig has their weekly Trivia Night, with the contest beginning at 8 PM. The Pig closed for several weeks, as it does every winter, allowing a little break for the staff and a chance to spruce up the place a bit as well. A new coat of paint really sets off the large black-and-white photos which were hung in the dining room a while back, giving a classy feel to this cozy little neighborhood pub.
Take advantage of the wintertime opportunity to sample seasonal dishes that you won't find here in the summer, like the Shepherd's Pie, a hearty lamb stew made with root vegetables and topped with their homemade mashed potatoes. Then team up for a fun night of trivia.

Hilde Oleson celebrates her 90th birthday by reading
at Provincetown's monthly Writers Voice Cafe.

Also tonight, the audience at the Writers Voice Cafe will join in the celebration of Hilde Oleson's 90th birthday. She will be tonight's featured reader, so this promises to be a wonderful, entertaining evening, upstairs at Napi's, with Hilde taking the "stage" at 7 PM. There's no admission fee, but a small contribution would be welcome when they "pass the hat" sometime during the evening. As always, the featured performer will be followed by an open mic session for anyone who wants to read anything they'd like. Any type of writing will be embraced by an enthusiastic, supportive audience. See my February 13th post about the Writers Voice Cafe, which, for a number of years now, has been offering a place for local writers, whatever their style or genre might be, to get feedback from the public as well as from other writers. Get out of the house and enjoy a great evening.

Lorraine's offers dinner Friday through Sunday, and their
Tavern Menu along with Trivia Night on Thursdays

Thursday, March 14th...
It's Trivia Night at Lorraine's every Thursday in the off-season, beginning at 7 PM. Drinks are available, of course, along with a tavern menu. The good-natured rivalry between trivia teams has been going on for a number of winters now, bringing folks out to watch or to participate in this ongoing, weekly contest where everyone is welcome, and all have fun. Categories can cover a wide range of topics, and you'll no doubt learn a thing or two during the evening. Put your own knowledge of arcane information to the test by joining a team of competitors. Lorraine's is open Thursday through Saturday at 5:30 PM.

Friday, March 15th...

Painter Alexei Biryukoff shows his controversial
work at PTown's new Patty DeLuca Gallery

Patty DeLuca has moved her art gallery to 432 Commercial Street, in the heart of Provincetown's gallery district in the East End. A new show of works by Alexei Biryukoff, banned in Russia because of his very explicit style often depicting male nudes, begins Friday and runs through April 5th. Born in Kyrgyzstan, he moved to Russia as a young man, launching his first solo art show in his early twenties. Biryukoff says that his approach to his artwork changed dramatically with his experience in the United Kingdom in 2002.
In 2008 ArtsLink, NYC sponsored his Art Residency at Provincetown's Fine Arts Work Center, where he exhibited a dozen paintings he created there. His work is also in the collection of the Provincetown Art Association and Museum, as well as important collections in New York and Liverpool, and in private collections in nearly a dozen countries. You can meet the artist Friday night at an opening reception for his work, from 7 till 10 PM at the Patty DeLuca Gallery, which, in its new location, continues to offer some of the most exciting artwork to be found on American shores.