A Bit of History Lies Beneath Fanizzi's Restaurant, Once Again Open Daily

Fanizzi's "Fresh Fried Sea Scallop Plate" is served for lunch or dinner.

We're so happy to have Fanizzi's up and running again after their recent 6-week closing for structural repairs to this cherished waterfront building, which literally sits right on top of Provincetown Harbor. Welcome back!
537-539 Commercial Street, where Fanizzi's restaurant and parking area sit today, was the location of a fishing empire known as Whorf's Wharf, built by Thomas Rider Whorf, Jr. in 1850, and later run by his son, Phillip A. Whorf.
These Whorfs shared an ancestor, generations apart, with the artists John, Carol and Nancy Whorf, though they were not direct descendants.
At one time this busy pier stretched 400 feet into the harbor, serving its own fleet of 16 boats engaged in various types of fishing, while shipping some of the catch to markets as far away as Chicago. 130 men were employed in the operation.
There was a windmill on the property, presumably part of a saltworks where seawater was pumped to a system of trays and troughs. The water was evaporated to produce the salt used in drying and preserving much of the fish caught by Whorf's fleet.

This 1890s photo shows busy Whorf's Wharf, employing some 130 fishermen, salt
workers, sailmakers and others in serving and operating 16 boats. The old
sail loft very likely became Fanizzi's Restaurant by the Sea, as we know it today.

The wharf also had its own sail loft for fabricating and repairing the many sails for its sizable fleet, and Fanizzi's building is almost certainly that old sail loft, still sitting on pilings at the edge of the beach.
The recent repairs, including new pilings installed beneath the restaurant, should ensure many more years of life for this historic building dating back to the height of Provincetown's great whaling and fishing era, often called the Golden Age of Sail.
Sitting in Fanizzi's dining room, above those pilings, with the waves and tides lapping below, is one of the great pleasures of dining in Provincetown. And the view! Cape Cod Bay winds along the distant shoreline of Truro, and becomes Provincetown Harbor as it reaches the tip of the Cape and the lighthouse at Long Point. Our picturesque beaches stretch both east, with a view of Beach Point, and west, offering a striking view of the Pilgrim Monument, and often a golden glow as the sun is setting. These and other stunning sights are easily seen from your table. That superb, 180 degree view of the harbor is unparalleled. There's even a view from the bar.

Fanizzi's Friday Night Fish Fry is a large serving of local cod with fries, slaw,
dinner rolls and salad, all for $13.99. Go early, before this great bargain sells out.

On my most recent lunchtime visit to Fanizzi's, I felt more like having a "dinner" sort of meal, so I ordered from a selection of entrées that started at just $8.99 for Eggplant Parmigiana baked in homemade marinara sauce and a blanket of cheese, served over campanile pasta. Fanizzi's is quite well-known for good food at very reasonable prices. Big, juicy, eight-ounce Angus burgers start at $10.99, while 16 sandwiches, specialties and wraps start at $9.99. There are daily lunch and dinner specials, too.
The meal I chose that day was among half-a-dozen seafood entrées on the lunch menu. I had the  fried scallops, shown in the photo above. This was a generous serving of ten plump, fresh, local sea scallops, lightly battered and quickly fried until just golden brown, served with Fanizzi's great French fries and their unique coleslaw. I believe the very light dressing on the coleslaw starts with a bit of rice wine vinegar instead of a mayonnaise-based sauce. It's fresh flavors give it just a hint of sweetness, and it's probably my favorite coleslaw in town.
Visit Fanizzi's at 539 Commercial Street, now open again every day, serving lunch from 11:30 AM till 3:45 PM, with dinner served from 4 PM till closing. Five Early Bird dinner specials are available from 4:30 to 6 PM for just $15.99. Catch their Friday Night Fish Fry for $13.99, and don't forget Sunday Brunch, 10 AM till 2 PM, serving all you'd care to eat for $14.95, $8.95 for kids. But be sure to save a little room for one of their mammoth-sized, homemade desserts!
We welcome back Fanizzi's Restaurant by the Sea, and their thoughtful, friendly staff.

Fanizzi's Friday Fish Fry

One of the greatest PTown dinner deals is Fanizzi's Friday Fish Fry (say that five times fast,) available Fridays from 4 PM until 9:30, at just $14, served with a truly stunning view of Provincetown Harbor in the bargain.
It starts with your seat in a dining room built on pilings at the edge of the beach, so each table has a view of the harbor, with the waves lapping at the timbers beneath you. Sunsets, moonrises, and even storms can provide breathtaking views that you will long remember.

If you order the Fish Fry your dinner will begin with a nice salad of mixed leafy greens garnished with a few garden vegetables and a choice of dressings, served with a couple of the tastiest dinner rolls in town.
Next comes a very generous serving of fresh, local cod, flaky and tender and fried to a deep golden color, served on a mound of very good French fries. There's lemon and freshly made tartar sauce, or malt vinegar if your taste runs toward an English-style fish and chips. Fanizzi's unique coleslaw, made with a bit of sweet bell pepper and carrot added to finely shredded cabbage, and dressed in a light, rice wine vinegar with just a touch of sweetness, completes the plate.
I've been known to wrap up about half of my dinner to take home for a snack later on, just to make sure I'd have enough room to order one of Fanizzi's famous, over-size, decadent desserts. It's hard not to order the big chocolate brownie topped with French vanilla ice cream, hot fudge, toasted caramel walnut sauce and whipped cream every time I go there, but I'm determined to branch out on my next visit. There are eight other choices waiting for me to give them a spin. At $8, desserts are a bargain, too, and these very generous servings are often shared between tablemates.
Fanizzi's is in the Far East End, at 539 Commercial Street, with a cozy bar, and a tiny bit of free parking, but it's also fairly easy to find street parking nearby at this time of the year. The dining room is accessible, but the restrooms, unfortunately, are not large enough to accommodate a wheelchair.
I didn't mention their lunch menu or Sunday Brunch Buffet, or nightly Early Bird specials, but I'll get around to telling you about those, too, and you can find all of their menus at http://www.fanizzisrestaurant.com. In the meantime, check out Fanizzi's Friday Fish Fry.

Connie's Bakery Earns TheYearRounder's 'Best Bite' Award

Connie's veggie omelet with ham and cheddar on a multigrain bun hits the spot.

I got up early the other morning so I could make it once more to Connie's Bakery for another great breakfast sandwich before they close for the season, in just about another week or so.
The old aquarium mall has no heat, so in the fall each year, PTown loses one of its great little eateries as the temperature begins to drop with the autumn leaves.
My choice for breakfast at Connie's is often "the works." It's a sort of veggie omelet with peppers, onions, spinach and tomato folded into the eggs, topped with your choice of cheese and/or meat, and served on your choice of fresh breads, a bagel or a croissant from Connie's oven, or rolled in a spinach-whole wheat wrap.

I believe this light, airy quiche is the best I've ever had.

The tough thing about having breakfast at Connie's is finding so many wonderful choices each time I walk in the door, so I seldom end up having whatever I had planned to order on my way there.
This gorgeous quiche was one of two varieties in the case this particular morning, among a large array of other beautiful pastries, sweets and savories, each one crying out for me to taste it.
This cheesy ham, onion and broccoli quiche won out this day, served warm in its tender crust, and it turned out to be the best I've ever had. That earns TheYearRounder's Best Bite award for Connie's Bakery, for this truly outstanding breakfast pastry at a reasonable price, enjoyed in the stunning ambiance of the deck at the Aquarium Marketplace, looking out over the sparkling water and the sun rising over magnificent Provincetown Harbor. The faint squawking of a couple of gulls up the beach added a buoyant touch that completed the harmonic mood that started my day.

I had this lovely blueberry-peach tart for my lunch.

Upon finishing off my breakfast I decided to grab one of Connie's legendary street pies to take along for my lunch later. These savory, hand-formed pies (kind of a free-form tart) make a great lunch that can be eaten on the go, munching on it while you're walking down Commercial Street.
If you can actually get time to sit down for your meal, you can order your street pie with a salad and a cookie, making a great brown bag lunch to take with you to the edge of the beach or to one of PTown's little neighborhood parks.
While I was trying to decide which variety of street pie to take for my lunch, my eye fell on this sort of tartlet, you might call it, stuffed with juicy, fresh peaches and blueberries, and I couldn't resist. I took it with me, but it didn't make it all the way to lunchtime. By 10 AM it was a fond memory, and I had resolved to get back to Connie's for another one before the season ends.
Be sure to visit Connie's Bakery, on the edge of Provincetown Harbor at 209 Commercial Street, before the doors close, soon after the coming Columbus Day weekend.

Provincetown Inn's Early Bird Dinner Special Garners a Best Bite Award

Provincetown Inn's Barbecue Braised Pork is one of their four great
Early Bird dinner specials, each one well prepared, and a terrific value.

One of the greatest dinner deals in PTown is the Early Bird special at the Provincetown Inn, at 1 Commercial Street. From Sunday through Thursday, 5 PM to 7 PM, they are serving your choice of four terrific three-course dinners for just $15.95.
Dinner starts with your choice of a hearty New England clam chowder or a small salad of mixed greens accented with cucumber, tomato and onion, along with a basket of warm dinner rolls.
The dinner pictured above is the Barbecue Braised Pork with Southern Comfort barbecue sauce. It's served over mashed potatoes, with mixed vegetables. Other choices include a Teriyaki Glazed Grilled Salmon, a Chicken Marsala, or a Baked Lasagna served with garlic bread. All four dishes are very good.
Dessert choices include the Chocolate Blackout Layer Cake, an authentic New York cheesecake, or a great bread pudding drizzled with the chef's secret sauce, which is a little different each time it's served. That one is my favorite.
Dinner is served in a large, airy dining room looking out over the beach and Provincetown Harbor, with the view taking on that pinkish sort of golden glow as the sun gets low in the sky. Most nights the windows are open for the breeze coming off the water. There are other menu choices available as well, with prices that are very reasonable, and your meal is served by a thoughtful waitstaff eager to please.
For the quality of the food and the outstanding price, along with that beachfront view, TheYearRounder names the Provincetown Inn's Early Bird Dinner as a Best Bite.
Order your dinner before 7 PM, have a leisurely meal looking out over the harbor, and then simply walk across the hall for great entertainment in the Mayflower Room. Forever Blonde is a concert style musical dance review updated for its third season on the Provincetown Inn stage, featuring a wonderful, high energy dance troupe and the live vocals of Darlene Van Alstyne.
That show is followed by Salcetera, a Latin dance review, at 9:30 PM, now in their second season here. It highlights eight very athletic, energetic dancers in numbers ranging from the tango to salsa to the classic paso doble. Both shows feature lively dancing in many styles, stunning acrobatics, lots of costume changes and great music. Stay for both great shows and get a discount on your admission. Enjoy the Provincetown Inn's free parking while dining or seeing the shows as well.

PTown Breakfast at Connie's Bakery

Connie's Bakery makes their excellent breakfast sandwiches
on their own breads, freshly baked from scratch every day.

I got a chance the other day to get to Connie's Bakery in time for breakfast, so, naturally, I wanted to try their breakfast sandwich, which starts at just $4.50 for two eggs and your choice of cheeses, served on your choice of fresh baked breads. They had a breakfast special that morning that suited me just fine, with spinach, tomato, peppers and onions.
I ordered it with cheddar cheese, on their homemade-from-scratch herbed focaccia. I could have added bacon, ham or turkey for another $1.50, but I stuck with the meatless version, and it was great.
They blended the veggies right in with the eggs, the cheese was a good cheddar and the focaccia was tasty, tender and a little bit crusty, just the way I like it. Writing this makes me want another one.
Breakfast at Connie's also includes a different quiche every day, along with their homemade granola, served either with milk or with fruit and yogurt, and a changing variety of daily scones and muffins, with their famous blueberry muffin (clobbered with juicy blueberries) served every day. How about a warm slice of coffee cake, or toast with butter and jam, or maybe a bagel, a donut, or their huge cinnamon roll?
Grab a nice cup of coffee as well, and take your breakfast out onto the deck. There's no better way to start your day than enjoying a great breakfast while you take in that stunning view out over magnificent Provincetown Harbor.
Connie's will also make you lunch, with great sandwiches, salads, and their legendary, savory street pies, along with an endless array of desserts, cakes, pies, cookies and other sweets. In fact, the Cape Cod Times has named Connie's among the top ten bakeries anywhere on Cape Cod.
Find Connie's Bakery at 205 Commercial Street, in the Aquarium Marketplace, open daily at 7 AM in season. Call ahead at 508 487-2167 for pickup orders.

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!

Bayside Betsy Bids PTown Farewell

Bayside Betsy's welcomed one and all.

If you are a fan of Bayside Betsy's Commercial Street restaurant, near the beginning of Provincetown's West End, you'll want to get there quickly for one more meal and that fantastic view out over the harbor, and to give Betsy a hug…
Betsy is retiring. She's selling, and giving up restaurant life after 15 years of feeding hungry visitors and residents alike in this busy little spot right on the edge Provincetown's magnificent harbor. In fact, she's been feeding us for the past couple of decades.
I first met Betsy Melamed back in the '90s when she and husband Steve, who passed away in 2010, were running Stormy Harbor, a popular restaurant and nightclub at the corner of Commercial and Ryder streets, across from Town Hall. When their lease on that space ran out they found the building at 177 Commercial Street, which would become the home of their new restaurant, Bayside Betsy's, and a cozy little bar they named Mixers. Both developed a following and quickly became a "must" for many people returning for their vacation escapes to PTown each summer.
Betsy is always a gracious host, and there's a pretty funny two-part YouTube video where she manages to remain affable in an interview with Stephen Holt (quite a character,) who hosts a small TV series on a New York cable access channel. Stephen, God love him, bungles Betsy's name on camera, and misspells it on screen, while he dips his lobster in the ketchup meant for his fries. Click these links to find Betsy, along with legendary server Mrs. A., on the Stephen Holt Show at Bayside Betsy's, and part two explains how "Mrs. A" got that name.

Visitors and Townies enjoy their last meal at Bayside Betsy's.

I was recently at Bayside Betsy's for breakfast myself, and I met this group, who lucked into a lovely, warm day in the midst of this chilly spring weather we've been enduring.
A bunch of friends who had been invited by a couple of part-time PTown residents to come and spend the weekend had arrived from Boston, New York and as far away as Michigan (or was it Minnesota?) for a get-together at the tip of the Cape. They were enjoying cocktails and brunch, and, of course, the view of Long Point, the very tip of Cape Cod, just across the harbor from Betsy's panoramic windows.
Townies and visitors will all miss Betsy and her kindness, and that easy charm that has made us all feel so welcome at Bayside Betsy's over the years. We wish her well.

Fanizzi's Supports the "Provincetown Fitness Challenge" with Healthy Meals

Fanizzi's delicious Lemon-Basil Baked Cod weighs in at just 340 calories.

Through March 22nd Fanizzi's restaurant is offering their "fitness friendly" entrées in support of the annual Provincetown Fitness Challenge.
More than 100 local folks from all walks of life have committed to the 12-week program designed to help them get stronger and healthier through making changes both in the way that they exercise and in the food choices they make. Fanizzi's is helping out by offering your choice of four meals emphasizing greatly reduced fats, lots of veggies, and whole grains.
I tried the Lemon-Basil Baked Cod, served with sautéed spinach and mushrooms and mixed steamed veggies. It was a very satisfying dish with hardly a drop of fat and only about 340 calories in the entire meal. I'm lobbying to keep this offering on the menu even after the end of this wintertime fitness challenge, which finishes on March 22nd. Other special menu choices during the event include a whole wheat pasta with veggies, a baked salmon dish, or an Italian herb chicken.
Fanizzi's sits right on the beach in the East End, at 539 Commercial Street, offering an unparalleled view of Provincetown Harbor. They are open daily year-round, closing only on Thanksgiving and Christmas. They have space to park just a few cars, but in the off-season parking isn't difficult. Lunch and dinner are served daily, along with their famous Sunday brunch buffet. Early Bird specials are available from 4:30 PM till 6 PM, with a very popular Friday night fish fry for $13.99.
There's a cozy, well stocked bar featuring over a dozen specialty martinis and that gorgeous harbor view. Desserts are homemade, served in legendary portions. Call for reservations at 508 487-1964, or take a chance and just drop in, and do me a favor…
On your way out, ask them to keep this cod dish on the menu permanently.

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.

El Mundo's Chicken Fajita Platter Makes TheYearRounder's "Best Bite" List

Fresh ingredients shine in El Mundo's chicken fajitas; a Best Bite.

My quest to traverse the entire menu at El Mundo led me one day last week to their fajita al mojo de ajo, which means "with garlic," with each of your filling choices smothered in slow-roasted garlic. Choose from a coffee & chili-rubbed flat iron steak, Mexican BBQ shrimp, or chicken breast, each grilled to perfection. You have to be hungry to order this dish, though, because it comes as a huge platter of fixings for you to assemble into three fajitas, however you like 'em.
Here's what's on the platter, starting at 6 o'clock, at the bottom edge of the plate: First, I unfolded a warm, soft, flour tortilla to begin making my first fajita. Clockwise from there I found beautiful, fresh field greens, then a mound of Monteray Jack cheese, followed by
El Mundo's chunky salsa fresca. At the top of the platter, at 12 o'clock, there was lovely, fresh guacamole. Next was a scoop of mildly seasoned black beans (El Mundo makes a spicy black bean and chipotle dip, too,) followed by a mound of Mexican style rice. In the center of the plate was the star of the dish, a generous portion of nicely seasoned, grilled chicken breast, with a wonderful flavor from that slow-roased garlic, sliced and ready to pile into my tortilla. I ate the beans and rice on the side, between munching down my fajitas, but I think next time I might slip a few beans into a fajita or two as well.
This dish has a lot of flavor, and it's a decent value at $16.95. This was the best meal I'd eaten all week long, a real stand-out among the various foods and treats I had tasted all around Provincetown that week, and that's what makes it a Best Bite.
Find El Mundo right across the street from Town Hall, at 269 Commercial Street, with a lively bar serving a dozen different margaritas, Mexican beers and a number of specialty cocktails, along with two dining rooms, a nice water view, and outdoor seating looking out over the beach and the harbor.