Cafe Heaven

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While always a good standard when we visit, Cafe Heaven with it’s new Bar area, has a new vibe to it, that definitely works. We stopped by for dinner one night and couldn’t have been happier. The food was dead on. We started with my favorite dish in most resturant’s – but one that I know is big enough here to serve as lunch or a lite supper. The Antipasto, nothing on it feels tossed on, cheap or low end. For dinner we went to basics with my having the Shrimp  & Grits; with aa sweet, sour, sticky glaze meets sauce spicy with chorizo and Paul jumped in with a broccoli & chicken penne pasta. Now Paul being Paul, the only comment I heard was; “it could use more broccoli”. Him and that green stuff.

I can honestly say these shots don’t do the dishes credit – so get you butt over to find out!

For more on Cafe Heaven:

199 Commercial St, Unit 10, Provincetown, MA 02657-2126, (508) 487-9639

 

Is it Thursday already?

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While the weather overall of the first week has been good – Thursday was one of the ones that started and ended with the sun yet not so overwhelmingly humid or hot.

But it did mean we had a few activities that would be perfect; the ride out to Race Point on the bikes, beach & Ssun time and of course then obligatory “Ice Cream” walk after dinner and yes – for those of you who follow me on Swarm, will notice that we did indeed eat again at Local 186. Paul opted for the El Guano Burger (hint -it had as egg on on, go figure) and I went with the Tuna, severed reformulated as a burger seared and laid on top of a scallion pancake. But were good – but El Guapo still takes the win for that meal.

But first – it all started with a little homemade breakfast.. in the “hmm what kitchen tools do I have to fake it with” kitchen. Part of the vacation fun is figuring out how to repurpose leftovers at the same time also use what ever utensils happen to be around. on some occasions – its been a real “how-dunnit”. But this yesterday mornings as well as this morning seemed to work. the secrete to the eggs with our lots of butter or cooking spray on a pan that has seen better years and no spatula is low heat. add what little butter you have, add the eggs first to form your layer, then add the toppings. Then let it heat  through slow. Once you notice it start to brown on the bottom – it should form a thin crust; bump the pan against your palm to loosen it and do the “flip”. The end result is it should do a flip of the entire “omelet”  and let it cook for a few more minutes and its done!

Later that night we walked down to the Nut House for an ice cream sunday (for Paul) and got presented with a new flavor; Burnt Carmel. One little sample had me, and I knew my reserve about eating dairy via ice cream which I almost always avoid was going on the window. Thank good need for my lactose pills. Of course I did use some moderation and went with the “kids cone” size and only had enough to satisfy my taste..

It ain’ t always pretty.. but it hits the spot!

 

Don’t let its “tourist” appeal fool you…

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This is an annual favorite for us and they nail it each time. Think of it a the place to get your fried seafood fix, your lobster roll and chowder. For a change up go with the Portuguese Kale soup or one of the salads. They offer some brilliant adaption for appetizers as well. Portions are sturdy, service is quick, friendly and efficient. Plan ahead – the line and waits can be long – so try for the early lunch or dinner to miss the crowd or eat at the bar!

321 Commercial St, Provincetown, MA 02657-2202

The Lobster Pot

Missed notes at Devon’s – but not ready to toss’em out yet..

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I have been a fan of Devon’s in both the old location and when they opened in this one. So was excited for dinner tonight. Now first off let me tell you the new look is great. its a quirky bit of glam in P’town.

When we first walked the the smell hits you. So many rich and diverse odors greet you, you can’t wait to jump on the menu. We started off with the Frisée Lettuce Caesar, and the Sweet + Spicy Coconut Curry Mussels which was slap your face good; for our main course we ordered the Grilled Hanger Steak, (w/Guajillo Vinaigrette, Cilantro Purée, Roasted Fingerlings, Tomato, Asparagus) and the Double-Cut Berkshire Pork Chop, (w/ Soft Polenta, Blackberry Gastrique, Rhubarb Jam, Asparagus).


On the plus side of the night – the smells and individual flavors of everything was great.

But... the timing out of the kitchen was off. The time between courses felt longer than I would have expected and since I was sitting the bar area I watched as my chop was up up under the warmer for almost 10 min before the steak was put up. This meant that my medium chop – was well on the way to dry (but still hot) by the time it was served to me. Luckily the sticky sweet glaze was so good – but I was disappointed that after such a long wait I didn’t finish my chop – it was simply too dry. The steak was good – perfectly done and the sides too perfection. Lord knows how many times a kitchen has managed to ruin asparagus – but they were dead on tonight.
To the waiter’s credit, he did offer us desserts on the house as an apology when I let him know, that because the timing was off – my dish was no longer medium etc. But we both declined, mostly because we were full enough and while the sweets coming out looked good – I wasn’t in much of a mood to wait any longer.

My recommendation – try it for yourself – It may have been simply an off night, mid week. So I am not ready to tank them – instead I would give them the benefit and chalk it up to an internal hiccup.

31 Bradford St, Provincetown, MA 02657-1351 (in the old Tip For Tops’n)

Ptown date 08.01.16

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Sorting out our “must sees” this am; already top on the list is my pal, Varla Jean Merman’s “A Little White Music” and Varla & Ryan’s “Brown is the new Pink“. Last night, we took in Dina Martini’s show, to a full crowd at the Crown & Anchor.

Also on the list is several new shows & restaurants we had wanted to check out is Saints & Strangers (a take on the book, Saints and Strangers – Being the Lives of the Pilgrim Fathers & Their Families, with Their Friends & Foes: & and Account of Their Posthumous Wanderings in Limbo, Their Final Resurrection & Rise to Glory, & the Strange Pilgrimages of Plymouth Rock),  as well as  a few old favorites like a grown up date night  at Jimmy’s Hideaway and hopefully next week dinner at the Red Inn

One we won’t be able to see is The Calamari sisters  at the Sage Inn, as we found out they had been cancelled for the summer due to health issues.

Capped off last night with one of our favorite Monday night activities by hitting the Showgirls show at the A-House. While you never know what will happen – even tonight took the cake when a “sword swallower” came up on stage…

Getting down to the business of vacation.

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After a truly crazy last few months; traveling between San Francisco and Washington DC on the assignment I am on for the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues the last week of getting ready for our annual Provincetown vacation almost put me over the edge. Luckily the knowing that in a few short days we would once again be in one of our favorite places to essentially do little else than relax, eat, ride bikes, catch up for pals and in Paul’s case, sleep. But before I could leave; finish a few work projects, get the house cleaned, Dino had to be taken to Hightail, finished laundry, write the “house rules” up for a guest house-sitter and pack.

Getting an early start on Friday, I took off out of SFO on a 7:00 am Virgin flight, and while a crowded flight, it was essentially uneventful. I made sure I have my treats for the ride and enough juice on the Kindle Oasis that I recently acquired, with its extended batter cover – I was all set to go.

The nice thing about the west coast to east coast flight is that if you leave early enough, you can get in mid afternoon and have enough time to settle in. After getting my bag, I grabbed a cab over to meet Paul at the Residence Inn Marriott’s Downtown/Seaport facility. The renovated urban building, is clean, bright and well worth its hefty night fee – but its no more expensive than other hotels in the area. Figured I earned all those points, might as well get some use of them. We also found that by staying in Boston overnight – we can take the Saturday afternoon ferry to P’town and already be on the way to relaxing.

Once we got settled – the unspoken plan, is pizza! One of our favorites is Regina’s Pizza. This little, mad-house is not for the “faint of heart”. It’s busy, the wait staff robust and full of personality and the pies rock. The other best part is after, you get to walk the neighborhoods and hit some of the older Italian pastry shops for some regional fav’s I miss, not to mention the occasional “on no they didn’t” item…

One that we often stop at is Brova’s Bakery, with it’s wide assortment of cookies, cakes, and cannoli’s as well as savory treats like stromboli’s.

 

Waking up early, had a lazy morning with breakfast at Flour, and I stopped next door to check out the Bees Knees Supply company, we packed up and took a nice walk over to the ferry. Couldn’t ask for a better travel day – the weather in the east coast has been hot and sticky but it broke the other day and we lucked out with sunny, humidity in the 60’s and temps in the 80’s.

Once getting getting into P’town and checking in at the Fisherman’s Cove, our home away from home” for the next two weeks; we were unpacked, sorted out and “living” as if we hadn’t ever left. After running a few errands, like getting some “hair of the dog” coffee at Wired Puppy; we figured it a good time to eat before the crowds hit and we went with our old standard, Local 186 for burgers. Eating early meant that “someone” would be ready for an evening walk that was sure to include ice cream.

 

If you are interested in my  actual comments on the actual places; I generally review them in greater detail on my Yelp page and/or on Trip Advisor and when I can remember, I cross post here.

East Coast “Market Mall” meets Market Street

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Seems that Myriad Market Hall’s first vendors are in place and open for business. I stopped by on my way to Joe’s Barbershop for my usual saturday morning shave and had some extra time and (more importantly I found parking in front) so stopped in to check it out. 

Loved the space; it’s open and industrial meets an urban trendy type thing. Sorta reminds me of the old school classic  “indoor flea market stalls” gone hip (or hipster if you prefer). 

According to Inside Scoop , “the team behind the Myriad is Jordan Langer, Pete Glikshtern and Jeff Whitmore (Jones, Oddjob, Empire Room, the Midway). Rather than a glorified food hall, the inspiration for the project comes from places like New York’s Chelsea Market and market halls of Europe, where one can find a variety of small businesses under one roof.” Being a former east coaster; I got it immediately. 

The coffee offered at Cro was rich & dark, the crepes across the way were getting freshly wisked up as the coffee brewed. 

They have on deck craft cocktails (or take home cocktail kit) at Mrs. Jones and healthy snack options at it’s RAW Juice Bar, with more rolling in from Antonik’s BBQ, Church Street Flowers, and Gambrel and Co. Butcher opening in the coming weeks.

I’ll agree with the 2175 Market’s website on this; “Come, relax and enjoy the market hall vibe.”  Note: The do have a web site , but still seems to be under revision. 

Myriad Market Hall
2175 Market Street, San Francisco
Http://www.themyriad.com
http://www.2175market.com/

Oh Charlie

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Our Charlie Brown tomato plants keep growing.


Who knew these poor suckers weren’t gonna gondown without a fight.


Now to keep remembering to water them. Might be time to add the tomato cage..

Banana Bread Wednesday

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Ingredients:

  • Two xl eggs
  • Three well ripened bananas
  • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 2 cups of Flour (all-purpose)
  • One cup of Sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground Cinnamon 
  • 1 teaspoon of Salt
  • 1 teaspoon of Baking Powder
  • 1 teaspoon of Baking Soda
  • 1 teaspoon of Vanilla
  • 1 tablespoon of whole milk or almond milk or Mocha Mix brand nondairy coffee creamer. 

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees if you are using a clear, silver or silacone loaf pan, 325 degrees if using a dark pan. Adjust the racks so that you have one in the middle with enough clearance allow the bread to rise. 

Grease a loaf pan. 

  • I still use the butter method, but a good quality cooking spray will work as well.
  •  9 x 5 x 3 inch will work nicely.   

Mix the sugar and butter in a large mixing bowl until light and blended. 

Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.

  • You can use an electric or hand mixer, or the old fashion way, with elbow grease and mix by hand. 

In a smaller bowl, mash the bananas. A  strong fork works or or place the pealed bananas in a ziplock bag and mash by hand. 

Mix in the milk (note: Almond Milk or Mocha Mix  both work as well), vanilla and cinnamon. Mix till blended. 

In another bowl (or a large liquid measuring cup, the one with an edge to make it easier to pour) mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

  • After mixing the dry ingredients,  if you want add 1 cup of chocolate chips into the flour mix. 
  • By coating the chips with the flour, it helps them from sinking to bottom of loaf pan. 

Add the banana mixture to the blended sugar & butter mixture. 

Stir until combined. 

Add dry ingredients, mixing in just until flour disappears.

Pour batter into prepared laof pan. 

 Bake 1 hour to 1 hour 15minutes. 

  • When a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean its done. 
  • Start checking at 1 hour. 

Remove from the oven, and let the bread still in the loaf pan, cool on a rack for 15 minutes. 

Gently slide a toothpick around the edges of the loaf pan to loosen the edges so that nothing is stuck. 


Remove bread from pan, invert back onto rack and cool completely before slicing or wrapping in plastic wrap.