Know Your Appetite? Head for Van Rensselaer’s

Last year so many guests reported fine meals at Van Rensselaer’s that I decided it was about time Sven and I ate there. I noted the handicapped ramp as we entered the Route 6 restaurant, opposite the traffic light at Marconi. Owner Peter Hall greeted us at the door, then showed us to our table. The restaurant can accommodate 150 people and is always full in season. We were seated in a side dinning room where it was quiet, perhaps due to the soundproofing in the ceiling? Since we struggle to hear each other in many local eateries, this feature felt especially welcome. “We can actually talk!” Sven exclaimed.

Gretchen, our waitress, was extremely gracious in assisting with the menu, which offered a number of options, including three vegetarian entrées. I chose the tofu stir-fry, after salivating over the lobster ravioli, one of my favorites. Sven chose crusted salmon with fresh spinach and sweet potatoes. Gretchen said one of the most popular dishes is the Seafood Linguine, but some guests rave about the Baked Stuffed Lobster. Since we were ordering an entrée, the salad bar was available for an additional $4.95. (Vegetarians can also choose salad bar for $9.95 as a main course or soup/chowder, plus unlimited salad bar trips, for $13.50. I was very impressed by the freshness and variety, which included massaged kale, dressed with tahini-miso.)

Many of the entrées came in two different sizes, one a few dollars more than the other, a clever idea that no other restaurant owner in town has duplicated, unfortunately. It’s a feature that guarantees food is not wasted and makes doggy bags unnecessary.

For dessert, Sven had crème brulée. I went for the homemade bread pudding. We chose the “bistro” portions again. I felt like Goldilocks, with my mini-portion, smaller but just right.

Van Rensselaer’s has been in Peter’s family for forty years. He and wife Diane took over in 1980. We were able to admire a portrait of ancestor Luther Hall, a sea captain in Dennis, on the wall. I applaud the fact that the couple recently obtained Level-One Green Certification. (Kudos, Peter & Diane!)

We signed up for a fidelity card, which provides an instant discount and the possibility of amassing points towards prizes.

“I wouldn’t mind going here again,” Sven said as we left.

He’s right. Great food, great ambiance, speedy service.

Don’t wait as long as we did to discover Van Rensselaer’s.

How About Dinner at PB BoulangerieBistro?

When Sven and I picked up French bread on Friday at PB BoulangerieBistro, we were able to appreciate the magnificent decorated pumpkins, outside. Inside, the mood was somber after the death of a favorite customer, Larry Peters, VP of the Wellfleet Historical Society. There was a short line for buying bread and a long line of chocolate eclairs in the pastry case. I spied a pate en croute in the vitrine and decided we had to have a piece. While it is still necessary to make a reservation ahead for Saturday night, I bet there's room on Sunday nights. We ate at PB two weeks ago. The risotto with butternut squash was to-die-for...

Which Wellfleet Restaurants Are Open This Fall?

Every fall presents a new conundrum as I seek to advise our guests on where to eat supper. Which restaurants are open? When do the multi-season establishments close for a well-earned vacation? In order to answer this question, I started my research at PB, which sports a new porch-like structure to protect customers who wait in line, as well as intricate tiled and brick parking spaces, instead of the oyster shells of last summer: PB will close January 2 and re-open right before Valentine's Day.

Here's a list of four other all-season restaurants, with their closing dates:

Wicked Oyster: Open Thanksgiving weekend, then closes that Sunday or Monday. Reopens mid-January.

The Bookstore: Closes after New Year's and remains closed until Valentine's Day.

The Lighthouse: Closes the third weekend in February and will remain closed until Patriots' Day.

Finally JPs: Closes the first weekend in December, then reopens Martin Luther King Weekend. (Will be open Thursday through Sunday in early 2012.)

Why Catch of the Day Caught My Attention

When our German guests returned from dinner and declared they had experienced “spectacular seafood” at Catch of the Day, I decided Sven and I could put off no longer a trip to the Route 6 restaurant located close by the Marconi Beach traffic light and already open daily. I noted the clam-basket lampshades and kid-friendly atmosphere as we settled in at our table. Surprise, surprise! Bob from Sweet Liberty B&B sat nearby with several friends. A couple minutes later Peter Hall walked in with his wife Marike. Before even glancing at the menu, I had understood Catch of the Day must be doing something right.

“It’s early enough to get our Early Bird Specials,” announced our waitress with a genuine smile.

Actually, the time was five minutes to six. We hastened to accept Raimi’s generous offer.

“It’s a great little place,” I overhead one of Bob’s guests say.

In summer, it’s possible to eat lunch or dinner on the terrace where a raw bar was recently constructed. No sooner had we ordered than the dishes appeared. Sven had the mussels, I chose salmon. I asked Raimi about the buckets of shellfish, which were featured last year at extraordinarily low rates.

“We couldn’t keep that going,” she said with real regret. “Shellfish prices went up. But we have some great new desserts.”

The waitress promptly brought over a slice of cheesecake and some sort of yummy but rich chocolate mousse layer cake and showed them off with such pride that it felt as if she must have helped write the recipes.

Manager Jason Kew stopped by the table to say hello. I asked him about the swordfish sandwich and fish tacos, which several guests raved about last year.

“We sauté them,” he specified. “They’re the most popular. Fresh corn sauce.

I was perusing the menu again. Wellfleet Fisherman’s Stew cost $21. A Cape Cod clambake, priced daily, also attracted my attention.

As Sven says, when you go to a foreign country, check out where the locals eat. Catch of the Day sure scores on that criterion. Affordable cuisine, pleasant atmosphere, cheerful staff. This is a place I will continue to recommend to guests.

Two Thumbs Up for PB Boulangerie Bistro

This week I received an email from Larry in Washington: "I've been happily following your blog since first finding it early in the year. I'd been trying to locate information about the progress of my friend's business in Wellfleet and yours seemed to be the only place it was mentioned. It's since opened and from all I can tell (from you) has been a smashing success..... The place is PB Boulangerie/Bistro. I know they're swamped with bakery business....what about the Bistro? Have you eaten there yet? Enjoyed the food as much as the baked goods?"

We have not yet been brave enough to affront the crowds, so the answer to that question is no. We are waiting for September. But, but, but ... yesterday evening Sven and I were chatting with our Liberty Coin Suite guests, about to leave for dinner.

"You know where we really enjoyed?" Carmen said. "PB Boulangerie Bistro, the ...."

Oscar finished her sentence: "French bistro."

Carmen's face brightened at the memory.

"We sat at the bar, because we did not have reservations. The chef, Philippe, spoke to us and served us pate de campagne." She kissed the tips of her fingers. "Oscar had cod. I chose a salad. For desert, mousse au chocolat. And, of course, champagne."

"The best food we've had here by far!" Oscar added.

There you go, Larry. Straight from the mouths of Europeans. Give our French bistro two thumbs up! Your friends are doing extremely well. Did you really have any doubt about that?

Update 8/12: Great article in the Boston Globe.

Update 8/13: More amazing press in the Washington Post.

Update 8/17: Further mention by a New York Times food blogger.

Has anyone else had a chance to eat dinner at the Wellfleet bistro over the past three weeks since it opened? If so, would you care to share your opinion here?

Wellfleet on Dwellable

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?

PB Boulangerie Bistro to Open for Dinner

I snapped the photo above one year and one week ago. When I stopped by, Philippe Rispoli and Boris Villatte had begun tearing down the walls at the old clam shack on LeCount Hollow Road themselves, unable to wait one day longer to start their project. The right-hand wall of the small shop is now covered with baskets. Each basket contains a different type of bread. A line of customers snakes out the door toward the parking lot. Today I bought bread with my daughter, who grew up outside Paris, and she commented, "Makes me nostalgic. Smells like France in here ..."

How far the two childhood friends have come since this photo! Their dream has been realized with the phenomenal success of their bakery, opened in February: (Un succes fou!) Several weeks ago the chef flexed his culinary muscles cooking breakfast and lunch for the bistro. Now the big moment has arrived: (Le grand moment!) Time for more serious activity: (Passons aux choses serieuses.) Philippe will offer up cuisine francaise starting Wednesday, which happens to be Bastille Day. Since the PB Boulangerie Bistro owners are sensible folks, they decided to stop serving breakfast and concentrate on dinner. Light fare will be available in the dining room and on the deck from 3 to 5. Then "le diner" will be served from 5 to 11. Escargots? Coq au Vin? Cuisses de grenouille? I have not yet been fortunate enough to get a peek at the menu, but I bet moules marinieres will be featured, as well as clever adaptations of French specialties, only featuring "Wellfleet" prominently in the name. Get your stars ready: (Preparez vos etoiles!) This is sure to be a class act. Remember that old French proverb, "Qui mange bien, vit bien." What?? That's not a French proverb? Well, it should be. A table!

The Juice Never Fails to Please …

Friday night Sven and I went, for dinner, to The Juice, which had opened the evening before. I sat there snapping my fingers in time to a Motown tune. Sven and I were reminiscing about past Juice dinners: awesome pizzas and smoothies, a particularly memorable broiled bass special, oysters Rockefeller. I took a sip of my “Cape Cod” beer, which offers “a vacation in every pint.” Looking around, I asked myself why I like The Juice so much. Was it the funky light blue floor? The crooked walls? The fresh roses and petunias on every table?

“Maybe we come here because the food is good?” said Sven, answering a question I had not yet asked, the way partners who have lived together for years are wont to do.

I could only agree, as Mare served my tofu entrée, which was yummy.

The casual atmosphere of a local restaurant, run by 20-somethings, also has something to do with the charm of the place, no doubt. Check out Sven’s fish tacos. We had a great meal, at a reasonable price. What more could one ask?

Winslow’s Tavern Starts the Season Off Strong

At the end of May, before the crowds descend on Cape Cod, Sven and I treat ourselves to dinner at a local restaurant. This year we chose Winslow’s Tavern on Main Street, in the center of town. In the past, Winslow’s has been advertised as a “Barry Family” restaurant, because owner Tracey Hunt is the younger sister of Moby Dick’s Todd Barry. For the past few years, diners may have chosen Winslow's because of its connection to the popular Route 6 eatery but, in my opinion, that is going to change. What they will remember now is the great cuisine, created by Tracey's husband Phillip Hunt, a chef from South Africa, who has really come into his own.....

Winslow's serves lunch, as well as dinner from mid-May to the day before Oysterfest, mid-October. By summer, people-watching will become the name of the game, and the view from the terrace can't be beat. I often recommend Winslow's to our guests and mention the crab cakes with sangria, to-die-for.

Before our meal yesterday, Sven and I had a glass of house wine, a Cabernet Sauvignon, which we had enjoyed last year. Our entrées were spectacular. I loved the swordfish, draped with diced tomatoes and served on a bed of braised lettuce. Olives brought subtle flavor to the sauce. Meanwhile, Sven was imagining a bistro in Toulouse thanks to his pork loin cassoulet. Phillip and Tracey joined us briefly for a glass of an unusual “Pax” Serrat. Tracey told us Winslow’s is one of just three restaurants in the USA to feature this incredible California vintage. It reminded me of rare wines I was fortunate enough to taste in France, stored in my ex-husband’s godfather’s wine cellar and served only on very special occasions.

I asked Tracey her impressions of the season thus far. Apparently Winslow’s filled up so fast over the past weekend that she had begun to wonder how to cope with only a skeleton staff. It so happened that Jacob, a former waiter, stopped in to refill his water bottle while out biking, so Tracey corralled him into service. “Go straight upstairs and put on a T-shirt,” she pleaded. Jacob must have been quite a sight, dressed in his biking shorts, but he managed to charm all the diners in the northern wing of the restaurant. Tracey said she expects lots day-trippers in this supposed end-of-recession year, which echoed my feeling after numerous requests for one night.

I asked Sven to sum up his impressions of our evening out: “I really liked the way they restored that beautiful place, putting pale yellow paint on the walls. Elegant tables, tall wine glasses. Great food, pleasant company, with my wife by my side. What more could a man want?”