Box Lunch Celebrates 40 Years Serving Hungry Cape Codders, 35 Years in PTown

This A-frame style sign lists just a few of the specialty
sandwiches, salads and soups offered by Box Lunch.

It was good to see recently that Box Lunch is open again, tucked away just off Commercial Street, down a wide, sloping, red brick walkway. It's right across from the Provincetown Public Library.
It's worth the effort to find this great little sandwich shop. Julie and her crew are among the friendliest folks in town. They truly do go out of their way to serve their customers in any way they can.
And the food is not only terrific, but it's different from any other sandwich shop or deli in town. Box Lunch is home of the Rollwich, a name that is copyrighted, to perfectly describe the roll-up style sandwiches invented in Wellfleet by a school teacher during summer break, back in 1977.
That's right… This spring Box Lunch is celebrating its 40th anniversary, making unique, delicious, rolled sandwiches that are easy to eat on the go. These have also proven to be some of Cape Cod's all-time favorite sandwiches, winning multiple awards from Cape Cod Life magazine and others.
There are four Box Lunch shops, from Provincetown to Eastham. Sandwiches start at just $5.49, with dozens to choose from, or you can come up with your own combination. Kids have a menu of their own, too, with a choice of six Kidwiches. Gluten free, vegetarian and vegan folks will also find plenty of choices.
Owen MacNutt created his sandwiches by rolling his fillings up tightly in big, round, thin discs of fresh Syrian flatbread. That way you can easily carry them with you, to the beach or on the bike trail, without the sandwich suffering in transit. These are easy to eat while you're working, or walking down the street, or through the forrest, without all the spilling and dripping that can tend to make a conventional sandwich too difficult and messy to eat while you're doing something else. You can eat a Box Lunch Rollwich with one hand, without all the filling falling out.

Julie told me about a customer who comes in every day for the Gilded Lobster,
above: Succulent lobster, melted Swiss, avocado and a bit of mayo. Perfection!

My first sandwich from Box Lunch was more than 25 years ago, at the original Wellfleett location, which is still run by Owen and his wife, Kathryn.
I remember I had a hard time choosing from their huge menu that day, but finally settled on Porky's Nightmare, made with ham, three melted cheeses, tomatoes, onions, mayo and Durkee's mustard vinaigrette. It was so good that I don't remember ever trying anything else in all these years. Turns out it's their number one seller. Except in Provincetown…
Here, the best-selling sandwich at Box Lunch is the Gilded Lobster, pictured above, which Julie got me to try a couple of days ago, on my first visit there this year. It's stuffed with plenty of fresh lobster, mild, melted Swiss cheese, avocado and a little mayo. I'm not normally a fan of Swiss cheese, but this inspired combination was really good!

This excellent version of a hearty tomato soup, made with fresh basil and
crumbled feta cheese, was one of three great soup choices offered on this day.

Another unusual thing about Box Lunch's PTown location is the tremendous number of salads they sell; far more than the Turo, Wellfleet or Eastham branches, and again, a gazillion choices.
I was there on a cold, drizzly day, so to warm up a bit, I had one of three soups offered that day. Clam chowder is always on the menu, with other favorites popping up on a daily basis. Each is made right there, in the tiny kitchen at Box Lunch, from scratch, just like everything else they make. That chilly day, I ordered the tomato/basil/feta soup, which was perfect on that blustery afternoon. Those bright flavors make me want more of this hearty potage as I am writing this.
Provincetown, by the way, was the second Box Lunch location to open, and celebrates its own 35th anniversary in PTown this year. After five years of hard work, with the popularity of MacNutt's Rollwiches steadily growing as more people discovered them, he opened a new Provincetown location in 1982, at the Pilgrim House complex. It later moved to the old Whalers Wharf, then it moved to its current location in 1998, when the Whalers Wharf burned to the ground. Oddly, the Pilgrim House had also gone up in flames in 1990, in a suspicious, four-alarm blaze. Happily, the third incarnation of Provincetown's Box Lunch has been thriving for nearly 20 years in its present spot.
Box Lunch does breakfast, too, for under $5. They open by 8 AM. Right now they stay open until late afternoon, and hours are bound to be extended as the summer season gets into full swing, so you'll be able to get a quick, tasty, inexpensive supper, not to mention a great breakfast or lunch.
The Provincetown location is nestled under the trees in a little courtyard, down that wide, red brick walkway at 353 Commercial Street. Choose the sunlight or shade with relaxed, comfortable outdoor seating at tables or benches, or you can take your food with you. If you're in a hurry, or dashing between jobs, you can call ahead at 508 487-6026 to have your order ready to pick up.
This spot is only a few steps off Commercial Street, but you could walk right by without seeing it. Look for their bright red, A-framed blackboard sign, shown above, to lead you to this unusual, award-winning little PTown eatery, popular for all the right reasons.

It's Not Spring in PTown Until My First Visit to The Coffee Pot

Linda and Nelson have been welcoming folks to The Coffee Pot, and to
Provincetown, for more than 24 years. They're genuinely glad to see you!

For 24 years or so, Linda and Nelson have been opening the doors of The Coffee Pot at 5:00 in the morning (in the height of the season) and doing it with smiling faces. Every day of the season they get out of bed in the pre-dawn hours and make their way to the most popular coffee shop in the heart of Provincetown, at Lopes Square, by the giant anchor.
Within a few moments they're sliding  trays of bagels, muffins, croissants and cinnamon buns into the ovens, and putting on the coffee, and soon the aroma of fresh baked goods is wafting out the door as local fishermen, carpenters, cops, and anyone else who's up at that time of day stop in to get their morning started. Nothing beats a really good cup of coffee and fresh baked goods, right out of the oven.
My first order of the season was their giant breakfast sandwich called the Rescue Squad, which I had been jonesing for all winter. It's made with three eggs, three strips of bacon, two sausage patties and two slices of cheese on a freshly baked sub roll that's been split open and toasted on the grill. It's an entire meal that you can take with you.

The patio at The Coffee Pot is a great place for a little fresh air with
your meal, and a little people watching at the edge of Lopes Square.

If you want a sit-down breakfast in the dining room or out on their patio, The Coffee Pot can also accommodate you. Get a plate of eggs and toast for just $5.99, or  add bacon, sausage or linguica (say leen•gwee•suh,) the slightly spicy, extremely tasty Portuguese sausage. The also make omelets, brioche French toast and other great breakfast plates, and the menu for lunch and supper is sizable and tempting as well. For example, they make some of the best French fries in PTown, perfect with a burger, burrito, Gyro, panini or their huge lobster roll, served hot or cold. (Try the lobster omelet, too.)
If for some unknown reason you've never visited The Coffee Pot, it's time to give them a whirl. Generous portions and reasonable prices, and those smiling faces behind the counter, make this one of the town's favorite eateries.

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.

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.

PTown's Best Lobster Roll, Chapter Two

As I mentioned in chapter one of this series, choosing the best lobster roll from all of the dozens available in Provincetown is quite subjective, and depends on individual tastes. So I'll continue to describe them, and you can see which ones look and sound the best to you as we make our way around the town.
This week's chapter on lobster rolls is written entirely at The Red Shack, a little walk-up counter service joint at Lopes Square. It has no seating of its own, but you can usually find a seat on the benches that surround the square, or sometimes I'll carry my meal to the far end of the municipal parking lot adjacent to Lopes Square, and find a spot beneath the trees on the benches that span the width of a tiny town park that runs right along the edge of Provincetown Harbor, stretching between MacMillan Pier and Fishermen's Wharf. I'll watch all the whale watch boats, the ferries, and the Long Point Shuttle coming in and out of the harbor while I enjoy my meal sitting right at the edge of the water, with a seagull or two waiting to see if I drop anything.
Each of the lobster rolls in this week's chapter comes from The Red Shack, serving it five different ways, each one having 4 ounces of choice lobster meat, mostly the claws and knuckles. Each sandwich sells for $13.95, and each is served on a large Portuguese roll, made daily at the Portuguese bakery, right around the corner at 299 Commercial Street. That's a great spot to stop for a little dessert after your lobster roll, too.

We'll start with The Red Shack's Classic Lobster Roll, simply lobster dressed in a just a little mayo, with a bit of chopped scallion, served with leafy green lettuce and sliced tomatoes.

Next is The Connecticut, served hot with just the naked lobster, drizzled with melted butter on a toasted bun, plain and simple, one of their best selling lobster rolls.

The Californian has a bit of mayo and crumbled bacon mixed in with the lobster, served on leafy lettuce and sliced tomato, and topped with sliced avocado.

The Moroccan has a bit of mild, yellow curry and a touch of mint mixed in with the mayo, along with a few chopped scallions and a bit of pineapple. This one's served on a toasted bun, and a tasty way to have your lobster if you're a bit adventurous.

The Mexican has a mild salsa and a bit of cilantro along with leafy green lettuce and sliced tomatoes. It's just a bit of spice, and different from any other lobster roll in town.





The Red Shack is open daily in season for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and they sell a lot of lobster rolls, with some choices that are very different from others in town, so stop in and give them a whirl.

PTown's Best Lobster Roll, Chapter One

There's some pretty stiff competition for best lobster roll in Provincetown, with some surprising differences between some of them, and the title of "best" is pretty subjective.
It may take four or five installments to taste our way around the town on a quest for the best. We'll start our odyssey with five of them, each served with a side dish, and three of these are among the largest lobster rolls in PTown. Here we go…

Pepe's serves a tasty, BIG lobster roll and excellent fries.

The lobster roll at Pepe's Wharf
is nearly the biggest in town, weighing in at 5 1/2 ounces of choice lobster meat, mostly the claws and knuckles, dressed in a tiny bit of lemon aioli and just a hint of Old Bay seasoning, and it's delicious, with a slightly different flavor than any other in town. No lettuce, just a sprig of parsley, on a roll that's been toasted a bit in the oven.
It's served with a lemon wedge and a mound of fries that have been barely dusted in a bit of flour, making them extra crispy on the outside with insides that kind of melt in your mouth. They're finished with a sprinkle of kosher salt, and are some of the best fries in PTown.
This plate filled me up, which doesn't always happen with the average lobster roll, which generally has 4 ounces of lobster, so at $21, this is a strong contender for the title of best lobster roll, at a good price for a filling meal. Open seasonally for lunch and dinner at 371 Commercial Street, Pepe's Wharf has table service indoors and out, on two decks right at the edge of magnificent Provincetown Harbor.

The Canteen's lobster roll on brioche bun, with slaw and pickle.

The Canteen makes their lobster roll with 4 ounces of impeccably fresh lobster meat mixed with a little mayo and a bit of chopped celery, served on a brioche roll, sprinkled with fresh chives snipped from their garden. It's served alongside their herby Asian slaw and a house made pickle spear. They'll also serve it hot, just the naked lobster meat drizzled with butter.
You can taste how fresh the lobster is. At the height of the summer, The Canteen has been known to have live lobsters delivered to them twice a day, steaming and shucking a batch in time to keep up with demand for this popular plate, which will cost you $18.99. Many folks name this one as their favorite lobster roll. Read my first blog about The Canteen on their opening day last year. The Canteen is a walk-up, counter service restaurant with seating indoors and out, with a new deck looking out over the harbor, open seasonally 11 AM till about 11 PM daily at 225 Commercial Street.

Mac's lobster roll has the barest little bit of dressing so far.

Mac's makes their cold lobster roll with 4 ounces of hand picked lobster dressed with barely any lemon aioli, a little shallot and a little celery. It's served on a crisp lettuce leaf in a hot dog style brioche roll, which you can have toasted or not. This is one of the least dressed lobster rolls found in Provincetown, and sooo fresh. It comes with a lemon wedge, a pickle spear, and a pile of their medium-thin, crispy fries for $19, and it filled me up.

At $27, this is still not the costliest lobster roll in PTown.

Mac's also makes a hot version of their lobster roll, with a whopping 6 ounces of lobster sautéed in garlic butter with lemon and parsley. It comes with that huge pile of fries and will set you back $27, not quite the most expensive lobster roll in town.
Mac's has a firm policy of buying as much of their seafood as possible from small, independent, local fishermen who each practice sustainable methods of harvesting the catch, so they're likely to spend a little more to bring you seafood of this quality and conscience.
Mac's is found at 85 Shank Painter Road, with table service indoors and out, and a busy takeout window as well. I got each of these orders to go. Mac's has plenty of free parking, open daily for lunch and dinner all summer.

Vorelli's great lobster roll is big, and a bargain at $18.95.

Vorelli's makes their excellent lobster roll with 5 ounces of lobster chunks tossed with a lemon infused mayo. It's served on crisp lettuce leaves in a big fluffy roll that's been toasted in the oven, with a pickle spear and a bag of chips for $18.95.
This sandwich has 25% more lobster than the average 4 ounce serving, and somehow more flavor than others I've tried. The texture of the bun is also part of the reason that this is among my favorite lobster rolls in PTown. Vorelli's is located in a charming, historic building at 226 Commercial Street, open daily for lunch and dinner in season.

So there's the first chapter in our search for PTown's best Lobster roll. Next week we'll visit The Red Shack, which serves lobster rolls five different ways. Call TheYearRounder at 424•23P•TOWN, or e-mail me at theyearrounder@gmail.com with your favorites, so I can try each one for future chapters. Soon we'll also make the rounds for PTown's best breakfast sandwiches, so call, textl or e-mail with your faves.

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.

Get it While You Can...

As the little casual dining spots in Provincetown get ready to shut down for the season, I'm making the rounds to enjoy some of the great food and bargain prices that we'll miss over the winter...

Mojo's grilled swordfish platter with mixed vegetables, salad and their signature round fries. Mojo's has a HUGE menu with some of the best prices in town.

The Red Shack lobster mac & cheese became a new favorite when I tasted it this summer. I'll miss their gyro, pastrami, sausage and peppers, and their giant breakfast wrap with a whole meal rolled inside.

Provincetown Portuguese Bakery has the best fried dough in town, hands down. Breakfast and lunch from their grill are bargains, as are dozens of sweet or savory pastries and traditional Portuguese treats.

John's Footlong fish sandwich is among the best in town, along with their fried clams, kale soup, scallop roll and oooohh, the lobster roll. And don't forget the footlong hot dog in a grilled bun.

Lewis Brothers Ice Cream is the last real, homemade American ice cream in Provincetown, despite the "homemade" signs you might see in other windows. It's not. The brothers make it right there in their shop, churning out several flavors every day. I love their small sundae. I'm not sure I could finish the big one.

Native Cape Cod Seafood is one of the spots I miss most over the winter. Everything they make is absolutely fresh, delicious and reasonably priced. You could throw a dart and be happy with anything on the menu. I order an ear of corn with my linguine and clams. And the lobster scampi rivals any in town, at a great price.

Blondie's portobello mushroom burger comes with caramelized onions, roasted red peppers and feta cheese, and it's one of my favorite vegetarian meals in Provincetown.

Uma Loucura brought Brazilian flavors to town this summer with daily specials like Bobo De Camarao, made with yucca, peppers, fresh tomato, coconut milk and a mountain of shrimp. Everything is made from scratch, and I loved everything I tasted there.

The Canteen brought great seafood, sandwiches, homemade linguica and a variety of ethnic flavors to Provincetown this summer. Their homemade sodas, and the return of Pucci Wings, were highlights of my summer. I'm jonesing for them already.

I Dream of Gelato makes more than 200 flavors of the best homemade gelato (the Italian version of ice cream) you're ever likely to taste, from simple fruit flavors to gourmet delights. My very favorites are the pineapple basil and the black sesame.

The Coffee Pot has a line of people every morning getting their coffee, fresh baked goods and an array of great breakfast sandwiches. When I'm really famished I'll order the Rescue Squad, with three eggs, three slices of bacon, two sausage patties and double cheese on a sub roll.

ScottCakes are the best cupcakes in the world, period. This fluffy vanilla cupcake topped with that distinctive swirl of pink buttercream frosting is one of the greatest sweet treats ever invented.

Get out and enjoy some of these great PTown eats before these little joints fold up for the season.

What's New? Hawaiian Breakfast Sandwich at the Coffee Pot

The Hawaiian breakfast sandwich is a new Coffee Pot choice to start your day.

Leave it to the folks at the Coffee Pot to come up with a breakfast sandwich like the Hawaiian: it's spam, pineapple cheddar cheese and egg on toasted Portuguese sweet bread, and it's not bad. Linda told me her son-in-law came up with the combination. It tasted good, and everyone who tried it liked it, so it went on the menu.

Try the new peanut butter hot chocolate as the mornings get cooler.

Have it with a cup of their new peanut butter hot chocolate, topped with a little whipped cream. Really decadent, but really tasty. Try it. You'll find the Coffee Pot on Lopes Square, across from the Chamber of Commerce.
Linda and Nelson and the gang at the Coffee Pot celebrate their 20th anniversary this summer. There are a gazillion things on the menu for breakfast and lunch, even for supper, and fresh baked muffins, croissants, cookies, brownies, bagels and other tasty things come out of their oven each morning. They make all kinds of coffee, and one of the best smoothies in town, with real fruit, and there's always something new coming out of the kitchen. Stop by to wish them a happy anniversary, and try something you've never tasted before. Call ahead at 508 487-2580 and they'll have it ready for you.