Visit Spindler's for Their 1922 Dinner Special Before it Ends

The 1922 dinner special at Spindler's starts with your
choice of soup or salad. This French onion soup was terrific,
topped with a blend of Swiss and Gouda cheeses.

I visited Spindler's the other night and ordered their 1922 special, which runs for about another week, but perhaps not much longer, so put this dinner bargain on your short list of things to do by May 15th. Squeeze it in one night while you still have the chance. Let me explain…
Spindler's has had a few things to celebrate during the last few months. First, the restaurant reached its first anniversary on December 29th. They had opened briefly at that unusual time of year in 2015 to give us a preview of what they'd offer when they would get into full swing, as we got into last summer, and they proved to be a worthy addition to PTown's lineup of great eateries.
The restaurant opened on that particular day because that was the anniversary of the British cargo ship Annie L. Spindler, running aground on Provincetown's shoreline in 1922, in the height of America's prohibition era, carrying about 600 cases of Canadian whiskey. Not much of the contraband was "recovered" or turned over to officials by scavengers along the beach that day, though there were many of them.
It seems, though, that a few hundred bottles were recovered by the authorities, and were then locked in a storage shed while the Coast Guard, Customs and the courts decided what to do with the liquor. When the decision was eventually made and officials finally opened the shed to carry out their duty,  they found that most of the whiskey had mysteriously disappeared. Although a house-to-house search was conducted, not a single bottle was found. Meanwhile, a particularly cheerful attitude seemed to have overtaken the town, and that good cheer lasted far beyond the time when officials gave up looking for the missing whiskey.
Spindler's, of course, was named for this ship, and the exuberance it brought to town, in a wreck that was fairly amusing rather than completely tragic. Read a bit more about the wreck of this ship, dubbed "the Rum Runner" by Provincetown folks in that day, for its numerous trips along the seaboard, carrying one sort of liquor or another. Read more in my December post celebrating Spindler's first anniversary. There you'll also find my review of the charcuterie offered at Spindler's. It's still the best I've found anywhere in Provincetown.

Seared scallops over wild mushroom risotto was the entrée on this
evening's 1922 special at Spindler"s, at the Waterford Inn.

Spindler's has also been celebrating their new status as a year-round restaurant, gaining approval from Town boards over the winter.
So, to celebrate their first anniversary, along with their new year-round license, and the anniversary of the Annie L. Spindler "arriving" on the back shore in 1922, Spindler's has been offering their 1922 special, which is different every day.
This is a three-course meal that starts with your choice of a salad or the featured soup, followed by a daily entrée chosen by the chef, inspired by the freshest and finest local ingredients to be found on any given day. A choice of desserts will follow, with the entire meal costing you just $19.22.
To startt my meal there last week I chose the soup, which was a lovely French onion on that particular night, with croutons made in-house, with a blend of Swiss and Gouda cheeses melted over the top. The light broth was quite tasty, and seasoned to bring out the sweetness of the onions.
The entrée served this night featured seared scallops served on a creamy mound of wild mushroom risotto, and topped with sautéed ramps; the cousins of green onions, available in the early spring. The dish was accented with roasted tomatoes. This was a satisfying plate that I would surely order again, given the chance.

I chose the very tasty strawberry/rhubarb tart for my dessert.

Desserts offered included various gelatos made in-house, and, of course, a decadent chocolate choice, which might normally have been what I would select, but when  I heard the waiter mention  the strawberry/rhubarb tart, I was a goner.

The crust was made with a short pastry, dense and crispy at the same time, without being heavy, and filled with a blend of rhubarb and strawberries that was just tart enough, and not overly sweet. It paired nicely with a scoop of smooth, vanilla bean gelato. A garnish of fresh strawberry and mint, with a doodle of strawberry coulis, finished the plate.
The 1922 special is different every day, always made from fresh, local ingredients, as the chef finds them. It's available from 5 till 6:30 PM Wednesday through Friday, and from 3 till 6:30 PM on Saturday and Sunday, but this special will be ending very shortly, so take advantage of this great offer while you can. Right now, Spindler's is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, but that will change as they gear up to open daily all summer.
The menu will change a bit as seasonal ingredients become available. Also new on the property this summer will be a different sort of meal offered at the tiny building next to the first floor bar, where casual food will be available to eat there or to take out, and I'll be checking that spot out once the season gets rolling. Currently Spindler's winter brunch menu is available only on Sundays, but watch for that to change for the season, too, with daily Fun Brunches planned, to be added once the season is in full swing.
Every dish I've tasted here has been a winner, right down to the terrific bread served with your meal, accompanied by fresh butter from Vermont and honey from New England beekeepers, including hives in Truro and Wellfleet. The other night the chef served a delightful wildflower honey from New Hampshire.
Little details make Spindler's a delightful spot for a good meal, and they have guest rooms available as well, in an old sea captain's home that dates back to the mid 1800s. The Waterford Inn features that same attention to detail, with contemporary decor and amenities in a lovely, historic home. It's tucked away just off Commercial Street, right behind the restaurant, at 386 Commercial.
For information on the Waterford Inn, or Spindler's restaurant, dial 508 487- 6400, or visit the website at www.thewaterfordinn.com/spindlers.

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.

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.

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

We'll miss Fanizzi's while the restaurant closes
till March for necessary structural renovations.

After this Sunday, January 22nd, Fanizzi's Restaurant by the Sea will close for about 6 weeks for tricky structural repairs designed to stop the building from very slowly sinking into Provincetown Harbor. With a bit of luck, they hope to reopen in time for the first weekend in March, on Friday, the 3rd.

New pylons need to be pounded into the surf and sand beneath the structure, with steel beams added to hold the weight of the building. That means dismantling the entire kitchen and cutting away the whole floor to get to the space beneath it. Yikes! What a job.

I was just there last weekend, for their famous Sunday Brunch. You'll have one more chance to enjoy this favorite PTown meal before they close for renovations. 

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

Fanizzi's mussels are a brunch favorite, steamed in
white wine, butter, garlic, tomatoes and fresh herbs.

Certainly, a good brunch always includes foods that are more "dinner" oriented as well. Among those were a pasta dish, different every Sunday, this one served with vegetables and a creamy sort of Alfredo sauce. There were mildly spicy "fingers" of boneless chicken breast, as well as plump, fresh mussels steamed in white wine, garlic and herbs. Fanizzi's lovely salad of mixed field greens was also among the choices in this boundless lineup.

My favorite dish may have been the little breakfast burritos, made with beef sirloin, seasoned rice and veggies. I'd never tasted these before and really liked them. Fanizzi's huge brunch buffet array offers so many choices that I've actually never been able to try them all. 

Brunch runs Sundays from 10 AM to 2 PM, with the bartender ready to add a festive Mimosa or Fanizzi's renowned Bloody Mary to your brunch, or anything else you might choose from their full bar. Their regular lunch menu is also available from 11:30 till 3:45, as it is every day of the week. Dinner starts daily at 4 PM, and Early Bird Specials can be ordered from 4:30 until 6 PM.

So this weekend you can have Fanizzi's lunch, dinner or Sunday brunch, but you'll have to wait for these folks to return from hiatus before you can get in on their extremely popular Friday Night Fish Fry again. It was jam-packed last night before this temporary closing, many of those folks being Friday night regulars.

Of course, one of the best things about eating at Fanizzi's, besides their huge, absolutely legendary homemade desserts, is that jaw-dropping view of spectacular Provincetown Harbor. This place is literally right on the water, with Long Point and its lighthouse in the distance, and sunsets frequently lighting up the late afternoon sky. Get there today or tomorrow, before they close the doors for six weeks. We'll certainly miss this place, and their terrific staff, until they open again in March.

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.

It's Souper Saturday! 25 Great PTown Restaurants Benefit Our Soup Kitchen

More than two dozen Provincetown restaurants will offer some of their favorite soups
at Tin Pan Alley on Souper Saturday, benefitting the Soup Kitchen In Provincetown.

One of the great traditions of Provincetown's annual Holly Folly celebration is Souper Saturday, with more than two dozen restaurants, delis, caterers and even a guesthouse or two bringing kettles of their best soups to the table, benefitting SKIP, the Soup Kitchen In Provincetown. This year's event takes place at Tin Pan Alley, where just about any kind of soup you can think of will be available at just $5 a bowl, from 11:30 AM till 3:30 PM.

The Canteen makes a great clam chowder.
Will this be their Souper Saturday offering?

Throughout the event there will be a number of choices available at any given moment, and each time a kettle is sold out, another great pot of soup from a different restaurant will be brought out of the kitchen. Chowders, bisques and potages of all sorts will change throughout the day. It's bound to be tough to decide between all the mouthwatering choices, so you might want to try more than one.

Will Mistralina bring a minestrone?

All the money that's raised will go into the coffers of the Soup Kitchen, found at the Methodist Church, at 10 Shank Painter Road. SKIP serves hot, nutritious meals every weekday, from November through April, and provides a welcoming spot for those who are in search of community.

The Mews' chicken with Thai and Mexican
chilis is a soup I hope to have again one day.

I can't predict exactly what soup each restaurant will bring, but I can predict I'll walk out happy after this event, with a warm feeling inside. So to help keep our Soup Kitchen running, come and join us for a great lunch you can feel good about, at Tin Pan Alley, at 269 Commercial Street, on this Souper Saturday, December 5th.

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.

Enjoy Far Land's Townie Winter Dinners While You Can

Far Land's dinner specials for this week offer
great diversity, something for everyone,
and reasonable prices, as always.

There aren't many nights left to get in on Far Land's popular dinner specials, unless we can persuade them to extend their Townie Winter Dinners into the spring…
Monday through Thursday, till the end of March, Far Land Provisions, found at 150 Bradford Street, offers special dinners to eat in or take out, with a choice for meat-eaters and one for vegetarians.
This week's menu is at the left. I'm torn between Tuesday's Mediterranean Night selections, and the Wednesday night choice between Southwest Favorites.
I crave ethnic foods, and I don't know why more PTown restaurants don't offer more culturally diverse foods like these. But then, I'm also a sucker for a good Yankee pot roast, and the mushroom fettuccine Alfredo sounds delicious, too… Add a dessert, with a different one featured every evening, for just $5 more.
Of course, you can choose from their entire deli case of prepared foods as well, and desserts available usually number about two dozen, so that might make your choice easier if you have a favorite, or maybe harder if you want to taste everything, the way I always want to.
It's been great to have these dinners available this winter, for weeknight choices when very few restaurants open beyond just the weekends, and we thank Far Land for their innovative, creative support of PTown's little year-round community.

Crown & Anchor Shovels Out, Reopens with Celebrity Chef

The Crown & Anchor's Central House restaurant is now open, Thursdays through Sundays.

It was good to see the restaurant sign dug out of the snowbank at the Crown & Anchor not long ago. That means they've returned from their annual brief winter vacation, and that means there's once again a bright spot on Commercial Street for those in search of a good meal. The Central House at the Crown is now open Thursday through Sunday, with lunch and dinner on an "all day" menu, with favorites like their baked lobster mac and cheese, and new dishes featuring seasonal ingredients.

Executive Chef Michele Ragussis and Sous Chef James Cunningham
will put a new twist on dishes served at Central House at the Crown.

I've been eager to get there for a meal and taste the food of new Executive Chef Michele Ragussis. You may know her from a number of appearances on The Food Network, or from many New England restaurants where she's been Executive Chef over the years.
We welcome Michele, along with Sous Chef James Cunningham, and can't wait to see what they have in store for us.

Winter Brings PTown Lunch Specials

"Bubbles" fish fry is likely to sell out, so get there early.

"Bubbles" fish fry is the lunch special served every Friday of the winter at the Governor Bradford. It's quite a generous serving of fish, with lemon, tartar sauce,
a little coleslaw and very good fries, and it comes with a soft drink. This lunch will set you back a mere $7.50, just like all their lunch specials, offered Monday through Friday all winter long.
You'll want to get there early for the fish fry, or on days when some of the other Townie Favorites are on the menu, which changes frequently, except for Fridays. That's always fish fry day, routinely selling out, as do some of the others. When I called recently to see what that day's lunch special was, the roast pork had already sold out, which was even more disappointing for me since it's one of my favorites, and I haven't seen it roll around on the menu for a while.
Look for the sign in the window for the weekly menu, which changes often. It recently included a Chicken Cordon Bleu sandwich on a Monday, and their meatloaf with potatoes and vegetables on Thursday that week. Last week they offered a chicken enchilada, and their lasagna is always very popular. But even when the special has sold out, their regular lunch menu is still being served. They make a decent burger, for example, always cooked just the way I ordered it, and again, the fries are very good.
So watch the sign for changing daily specials and see what strikes you, or go early for the fish on a Friday for a great lunch bargain. The Governor Bradford is open for lunch year-round, found at the corner of Commercial and Standish Streets.

Twisted Pizza Reopens… Can PTown Spring Be Far Behind?

Twisted welcomes the spring, and visitors, to Provincetown.

There's more to eat on Commercial Street these days, at least Thursdays through Sundays, when Twisted is open to serve you thin crust, New York style pizza, their specialty, along with the occasional deep dish Sicilian pie, fresh salads, subs, wings and ice cream. From noon till closing you can get delivery, too, even ice cream. Dial 508 487-6973. It's easy to remember; Most of the town is still 508 487 - just add the NYPD (That's New York Pizza Delivery.)
They have a variety of subs on the menu (or create your own) and great salads, but my favorite here is the Meatball Parmigiana Hero Roll, a hot sandwich baked in the oven with hand tossed pizza dough wrapped around meatballs, tomato sauce and cheese. Ask for a little extra sauce to dip your sandwich in as you eat it.
It's great to see Commercial Street come back to life every spring, with restaurants and shops slowly reopening one by one. It's nice to have more choices when we're hungry, too. And even if you're not hungry, Julie invites you to stop in, at 293 Commercial Street, and just say hi. Visit Twisted's Facebook page and scroll down for a very funny video featuring pizza and the Dalai Lama.

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.

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.

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.

Friday is Fish Fry Night in Provincetown

Hot L bar & grille, now closed permanently, dished up a giant serving of
beer-battered haddock on a mound of curly fries, and more if you could eat it.

Update: Hot L is gone forever, demolished for new construction on the site, but there are still great fish fry spots to enjoy for lunch or supper. This article was part of a series, but soon I'll write one large article on all the fish fry spots I can find.


There are many spots in PTown where you can get a fried fish dinner special on Fridays, either for lunch or for dinner. Some feature cod, some haddock, and even scallops are available at a bargain price in at least two Friday Fish Fry specials in town.
I'm going to do my best to make my way around the town to try all of them over the next few weeks.
We'll start with Hot L bar & grille, at 350 Bradford Street. From 5 till 8 PM on Friday nights their Fish FryDay menu offers an enormous plate of beer-battered haddock, seasoned curly fries, cranberry coleslaw and homemade tarter sauce, and dinner at Hot L always starts out with hush puppies served with cranberry butter. All of this is just $13, but hold on; they'll bring you more fish, and more fries, and more after that if you want it.
This all-you-can eat dinner centers around a huge piece of fresh haddock that has been double-dipped in their special beer batter and a seasoned flour mixture, and then quickly fried just till it's golden and perfect. This process makes for a very light, crispy coating and an especially moist piece of fish with a mild flavor and a good crunch.
The haddock sits atop a mound of tasty, curly French fries, so the fish never gets soggy on the plate on its way to your table. Hot L's coleslaw has a really fresh taste with a few cranberries adding a bit of tangy sweetness. If you'd like more fish and fries, your server will happily bring you all you'd care to eat. All this adds up to one of Provincetown's best fish dinners, and one of the town's best bargains. Wash it all down with an ice cold beer or two and you've got the perfect Friday night meal to kick off your weekend. This dinner is a Townie Favorite.
The Friday night menu also includes a Fried Seafood Platter of haddock, shrimp and scallops, and, of course, more haddock if you like. You'll find a lot of friends there, too, whether you have your dinner in the dining room or at their sleek new bar. See you at Fish FryDay at Hot L!

Writer's Voice Cafe Helps Provincetown Get Back to Normal Following the Blizzard

As we're all digging out from the Blizzard of 2013, some of us are just a little bit desperate to feel "normal" again.
I don't know about any of you, but that would definitely be me. Even though it was only a few days of serious disruption in my life, this storm changed me.
I'll be writing about the blizzard and its effects on me in a couple of days, once I can sort of digest some more of the feelings I'm having about the whole experience. When we lost power again on Monday I immediately got a big knot in the pit of my stomach, my heart sank as it started beating a little faster, and a clammy anxiety began slowly expanding from the center of my body. As the hours passed and the house began to grow cold, again, I began to grow despondent. I've got to figure out how to reshape this new automatic gut response I seem to have developed, given the way the electricity goes out so often around here.
In the meantime, one way for me to feel more "normal" is to get back to writing this blog on a regular basis. Funny, in the summertime when I was up to my eyebrows in the struggle to make enough money to survive another season in Provincetown, I was out every day taking photos, sampling food, visiting beaches, trails and attractions, and writing every day about things to see, do and taste in PTown. Oddly, when my schedule changed at the end of the summer, and the pressure was off, everything sort of shifted a bit, and I got out of the habit of writing. Taking up this blog again is a great way for me to gat a little of that rhythm back, and to shake off some of the trauma of the storm, along with some of the feelings of such vulnerability to the treacheries of Mother Earth. Besides, I have something great to turn you on to, just in case you don't already know about it...
Life in PTown gets back to normal again tonight at 7 PM. Every second Wednesday of the month, from the autumn season through June, the Writer's Voice Cafe meets upstairs at Napi's Restaurant in Provincetown, at the corner where Freeman Street meets Standish. Writers of every stripe gather to read anything they've written, anything that strikes them. We're midway through the sixth season of this monthly showcase for local writers. On any given night you might hear, or read yourself, anything from a comic monologue to an editorial on gun control, from a work in progress to a finished poem, or any other sort of written piece. Each week there's a featured writer, followed by an open mic session for any kind of written work. 

The mission of Writer's Voice Cafe is to provide writers of all media with the opportunity to share their work and to connect with others in the community by providing a public forum for writers, for support and inspiration. The Cafe has featured writers as diverse as members of the Truro Memoir Writers Group on one evening, and 2012 Provincetown High School valedictorian Angela Martinez on another night. The evening is sometimes recored for local cable TV, and you can click on this link to see Angela's reading. Find more of these readings on Vimeo or at provincetowntv.org.

Maria Nazos, tonight's featured writer, lives and
works in Provincetown and in Mal Pais, Costa Rica

Better still, come to Napi's tonight at 7 PM and hear from tonight's featured writer, poet and lyrical essayist Maria Nazos, author of A Hymn That Meanders, published by Wising Up Press. Maria earned her MFA in Writing from Sarah Lawrence College and has been awarded a number of scholarships and fellowships from prestigious organizations such as the Santa Fe Art Institute, the Vermont Studio Center, the Squaw Valley Community of Writers, and our own Fine Arts Work Center, here in Provincetown.

Settle in with a nice cup of coffee and listen as Maria reads this evening's selections, followed by the open mic section and the work of other writers. Or sign up to read something of your own. There's no admission charge. Sometime during the evening the hat will be passed to gather contributions which will go to the featured writer.

If you go early you can have dinner downstairs in the dining room, where you'll find some unusual menu items, and you'll enjoy one of the town's most eclectic collections of art, ranging from fine paintings by John Whorf and many others to the brick mural by Conrad Malicoat and the cartoons of Howie Schneider. We thank Napi and Helen Van Dereck for offering the space for this event, and for their ongoing support of the artists and writers of Provincetown.