Jeff’s Hit Parade of Wellfleet/Truro Restaurants

One of Chez Sven’s guests this past week is the manager of Za in East Arlington. He and his partner, Rosemary, came to Wellfleet prepared to eat, with reservations at several local restaurants lined up two weeks ago. Each day they went biking or kayaking to work up an appetite, then to the ocean from 4 to 6. Yesterday I asked for a run-down of their favorite eateries. Here’s Jeff’s hit parade, starting from least to most appreciated:

7.) Blackfish
6.) Mac’s Seafood on the pier (“They could do better.”)
5.) Pearl (“We ate there twice.")
4.) Moby Dick’s (“We loved the outdoor dining area for lunch and thought they had the best oysters we tasted here.”)
3.) Terra Luna (“Great atmosphere and food!”) (See caveat.)
2.) Wicked Oyster
1.) The Juice (“Most personable.”)

Caveat? Well, Jeff and Rosemary arrived at Terra Luna on Wednesday, the night they had reserved, and found a sign on the door, indicating the place was closed. Intrepid, they called up Saturday, explained what had happened, and managed to get squeezed in. Apparently that dinner made up for the earlier inconvenience.

Note, not all restaurants in Wellfleet could be included in this impromptu survey, because it’s impossible, in one week, to experience everything. As they were leaving, Rosemary told me, “It’s going to be salads for a week for us, I’m afraid!”

I think they did a pretty good job of playing Gault & Milau. Speaking of French cuisine, these folks did not get a chance to eat at the bistro but they hit the bakery every morning at 7 sharp.

“Best croissants ever had in my life,” Jeff exclaimed.

Jeff liked them so much, he brought one for later and one for me! Nice of guests to think of the innkeeper, don’t you think?

Can you guess which restaurant, listed above, served up this superb clambake tray? Which restaurant, listed above, used recycled materials in the construction process? Do you know which restaurant had its lobster roll featured on the Food Network last year? Which restaurant did my son work at in the 1980s? (Trick question!) Which restaurant received a great write-up in the New York Times a couple years ago? Which restaurant boasts a chef from South Africa? Which restaurant was featured on Chronicle this spring? What’s your favorite Wellfleet restaurant and why?