Underground Cape Cod

Tumi - Just slightly off the beaten path.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 09 Jun 2016 19:25:00 +0000

But so worth the journey!

Tumi Ceviche Bar & Ristorante isn't well known (yet) but it will be. It opened a couple of years ago, I discovered it last summer. I ran into my friends, Dave and Christine at Home Depot and they gave me the scoop about it. Since the discovery, I've been there many times.

It's set just off Main Street in Hyannis (592 Main Street - Rear). There is a walkway with an arbor, right next to Cellar Leather. Head down that walkway and Tumi is on the left.

They have a lovely outdoor patio and a really nice, cozy interior. A great bar and an open kitchen. They are currently open for lunch and dinner.

They bill themselves as Peruvian-Italian. You might be asking yourself what sort of food is that? It's damn good food! According to sources Peruvian cuisine is among the most varied and best in the world (I bet those sources are from Peru!). Not only do they combine indigenous food like corn, potatoes, tubers, beans, and quinoa but their cuisine has Spanish, Italian, Asian, and African influences as well.

They have a lot of ceviche choices, which is a very popular dish in South American. Basically, it's raw or slightly grilled fish with an acidic juice (often lime), salt, sweet potato, onion, cucumber, and or other veggies. Now my mom doesn't eat anything raw, but she did try 2 of the ceviches and loved them! The acid from the lime juice chemically "cooks" the fish so it doesn't feel raw at all. So do try it (they have a veggie ceviche in case you don't eat fish).

They have many great apps, risotto, pasta and full dinners too. (and yes they serve meat too, steak, lamb, chicken and so forth). They have a great menu, check it out, it's all on their website here.

Now as most of my readers know, I have to be gluten free. My very favorite menu item is the GF Lobster Bisque. I rarely get to have soup in restaurants as most places thicken it with flour. Tumi's Bisque is really excellent.

When I first started going to Tumi none of their risotto's were gluten free, now the Lobster Risotto is GF and it's great. I'm not sure if the others are GF but if not I hope they will make more of their food GF. I want to try everything.

The only thing actually labeled GF on the menu is the soup and since many of my readers also follow a gluten free diet I want to tell them that I did get glutened at Tumi. Sadly it happens at most places now and then. It was a Saturday night and super busy and I think it was a slight cross contamination.

On the bright side, the day after it happened I emailed Tumi and they were beyond responsive. The manager told me she would look into it (they all say that, right?) and she got back to me the next day. We had exchanged a number of emails about what went wrong and we all came to the conclusion that it was a cross contamination. She (the manager) assured me that everyone in the kitchen would be retrained and was very apologetic.

The very next time I visited Tumi I searched out the manager and she was very kind, apologized again ,and I since have had many delish meals there all of which have been gluten free. No problems at all in the past year +. That being said I'd talk to the manager when I ordered if you want to be extra careful.

All in all, it's a great restaurant, great space, very nice staff, and wonderful food. I go there frequently. Coming soon they are opening a new Mexican Restaurant and Tequila Bar: Aztec City.

Nor'easter Restaurant, time to blow on by?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 10 Jun 2015 12:46:00 +0000

The Nor'easter Restaurant is in the space formerly known as the Paddock. I was there on Friday night with a group of friends for drinks, appetizers, and maybe dinner. They had valet parking, and that valet guy was the highlight of the evening. He was nice, outgoing, and funny. I should have stayed outside and chatted with him.

But I did go into the bar area and found my friends. Some were at the bar, a few playing pool, and a few more at various high-top tables in the bar. We were not one big group that overwhelmed the place but a few small groups that arrived at different times and ate and drank different things. It was busy but not overcrowded.

I had only been to the Paddock Restaurant once in my life so I can't make too many accurate comments about if it's changed much, but to me the bar area looked almost exactly the same as it looked before. There is a nice pool table room that I don't remember from the Paddock, but I'm not a huge pool shark (I actually have a pool table) so it may have been there before. The dining room seemed a bit freshened up but more or less to me it looks the same as it used to.

I sat at one of the high-tops, and it took 20 minutes for the server to get to our table. She was nice but clearly frazzled. She took drink orders and left. About 15 minutes later she began to deliver the drinks, one at a time. Not on a big tray, not one in each hand, but one drink at a time. It had taken about 45 minutes before I had a drink. Yikes.

I watched a lot of the food go by, and it looked fine, none of it look inspired, it was just decent looking seafood. If I remember correctly, the oysters on the half shell were over $2. a piece, even Naked Oyster is less expensive, so I thought that was a bit much. I didn't see any go by me so I can't comment on the presentation.

I asked the waitress if they had any gluten free food. She said she didn't know and that she'd check. As everyone who is GF knows, that's a very bad sign. If the server help isn't trained about gluten and cross contamination, it's probably not going to be a place I'd like to eat at. She came back 18 minutes later to tell me they could make me a dry piece of fish and mashed potatoes. Really? I was shocked. When I first had to go GF back 12+ years ago, that was the sort of meal I would have to eat when dining out. But in the ensuing years restaurants have now offer amazing gluten free meals.

In the same market that Nor'easter is in (Main Street, Hyannis) you can get GF pasta, GF french fries, GF fried fish, and so much more, so it was amazing to me that not only do they not have a GF menu, but they didn't really know much about what is and what isn't gluten free (or at least the server didn't). I asked the server if the oysters on the half shell were GF and she said she was told just the fish and mashed were. Well, we all know that plain oysters are too.

At my table was a big bowl of Portuguese Kale soup which my friend said was splendid. Of course, I couldn't taste it because it wasn't GF but it looked like it had a lot of potatoes in it (and because of that I'm not sure why they needed to add flour to it). Another friend also ordered a shrimp cocktail. I think it had four shrimp, they were big, fresh looking, and she said it tasted great, but it was just a shrimp cocktail. Even the presentation looked dated, tall bowl/glass with ice and shrimp hanging over. Surely there must be another, more creative way, to present it.

A few other dishes were ordered, it took ages to get them and not one person in our group decided to order dinner there, as a matter of fact we all went to another restaurant down the street to eat dinner.

There was another mishap when we asked for our checks. Not one of them at our table was correct. A few were under charged, a few over charged and it took 40 minutes for the server to figure out how to fix them. We left and that great valet guy chatted with us and we left. I know the restaurant is new and has a "few" kinks to work out, but this was by far the worst open I've ever been to.

My last gripe is that they don't have a website, who doesn't have a website? They do have a Facebook page with very few posts on it, and it's as uninspiring as the food. Some of you may know that my real job is doing media and marketing for businesses, Nor'easter your social media needs Rx.

I don't think I'll ever go back, with almost nothing I can eat why would I? Oh and one last thing, if you look at their sign at the very top of this article you can see that the "garden" under the sign is totally filled with grass and weeds. Right now I think this place is in the weeds.

Still Gluten Free on Cape Cod!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 20 May 2015 19:07:00 +0000

For years now I've maintained a gluten-free list of restaurants and markets on Cape Cod - many with reviews. The list is organized by town and the restaurant links are clickable. It's only $3.

Yes I know there are some free apps out there, I have them.

They are nowhere near as extensive as my list. I offer a money back guarantee (no one who has bought the list has ever asked for a refund) on the list so if you need to be gluten free on Cape Cod you should have this list. More than 3/4 of the places I have on the list are NOT on the free apps.

I have Celiac disease and have been gluten free dining on Cape Cod for 13 years. I've got the goods! So if you need to be gluten free on Cape Cod please try our list it's the very best there is. Buy it just to the right of this post, in the narrow right column, there is a Paypal link. Many thanks, enjoy the Cape!

The best information on being gluten free on Cape Cod!!

So-So Mexican in Mashpee

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 22 Mar 2015 20:34:00 +0000

I know, I know.... I'm almost non-existent as a blogger now, which is sad because I actually want to blog. I stopped writing because people keep telling me I can't write like I speak. So I've spent hours, sometimes days, rereading and rewriting blog posts. It took all the fun out of it, I got to the point where I dreaded doing it.

Since I want to blog a bit I decided I'm going to write like I speak. I'll do one quick reread and hit post. And if my English is crappy, something is spelled wrong, or a sentence would have made more sense structured a different way, tough. I hope you get the gist of what I'm trying to say. So on to my review:

El Colibri Restaurant, South Cape Village, Mashpee, MA

It's located in the old Oak & Embers location and owned by the same people (The Wicked Pizza group). My first thought was: do we need more Mexican on the Cape?

My second thought was: why did they choose to do Mexican? I'm a business person, I actually work with small business. I help them make good decisions that will in turn make them more successful. I'm not sure El Colibri was a great decision.

Had I been hired to come up with a concept for a restaurant on Cape Cod it would not have been Mexican. I don't think people come to the Cape to eat Mexican food, they come to eat seafood. My advice would have been a take off on a clam shack. Just a tiny bit more upscale so it would have table service and alcohol.

Sort of like Jasper White's Summer Shack in Boston. Very casual, the best lobster roll in town, oysters, clam chowder, grilled, fried and baked seafood. Maybe served in baskets with newspaper. Fantastic slaw, fries, corn on the cob, and seafood. If you ask tourists why they come to the Cape, seafood is usually among their top 5 reasons (along with beaches, biking, ice cream).

OK, they didn't ask me for help and what we got was another Mexican restaurant and I guess that's what I'll review. I was there the other night with 3 family members. The dining room was busy (but not full) and the bar was about half full. The interior of the restaurant looks more or less the same as it was when it was Oak & Embers. They painted the walls an orangy color and hung up some Mexican decor, but nothing else has changed.

The experience didn't start out really well. We waited quite a while for a server to even get to our table. We ordered drinks and the house Nachos. The regular Margarita's were excellent. They really make a fantastic drink. However, they didn't come in a Margarita glass but in a plain bar glass (I believe it's all the same glasses, plates, etc. that they used in Oak & Embers). Either way they were really good.

The Nachos came and they were so-so. Heavy on the refried beans and cheese. Slightly greasy. My daughter, who has never turned down a nacho of any sort, ate some but said she didn't really like them. We ate half of them and the consensus was they were too heavy and nothing special.

We ordered dinner, Mahi Fish Taco, Smoked Pork Belly Taco, and Seafood Paella. The taco dinners only came with 2 taco's (most places seem to serve 3) which is fine by me but I would have expected more fish in mine since there were only 2 tacos.

My fish was in the shape of a fish stick, now please understand it was not breaded nor was it a fish stick, I'm just trying to give you an idea of the size. One taco had 1.5 of these "sticks" in them and the other had 1. The fish was "grilled" but so blackened that I am reasonably sure had you fed me a bite of one with a blindfold on I would not have been able to identify what sort of protein I was eating. The fish was almost flavorless. However the slaw and salsa in the taco were delish. I really enjoyed that slaw, along with the Margarita, is was the high point of the meal.

The Pork Belly taco was again only 2 tacos and they were overpowered by the barbeque/smoke and the pork belly was dry. Both meals were served with rice, beans, and a small nondescript salad.

The Seafood Paella was a bit dry as if the rice had been made way ahead of time and left to sit around. The seafood in it was fine, but it didn't look anything like the picture below, which I took off the restaurant Facebook page. The dish was predominately rice with a little seafood in the center.

So that's it, I'm not impressed. I don't think I'd go back for dinner again. I'd go to the bar with friends and have one of those yummy Margaritas. We spent $103.00 (not including tip) on our meal (we each had only 1 drink) so it's mid-priced, I guess. Honestly, 3 meals for $103 in a Mexican restaurant I'd have expected the food to be great. I do need to mention that they have a fairly extensive gluten free menu and I didn't have any problems at all with that. Everything I had was GF.

What slays me is that I love Wicked Pizza and go there regularly. How can they get one restaurant so right and the other is just ho-hum? I'd love to hear from any of you that have been there to get your take on it.

Pillsbury goes gluten free!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 23 Oct 2013 17:35:00 +0000

Not sure if you know this already but it's totally news to me. Has anyone seen these products?

http://www.pillsbury.com/products/gluten-free

On that page they also have a bunch of recipes you can use with their various products. I better start a pre-diet now before I find the products and start baking!

Also I keep hearing the Dunkin Donuts is going to have packaged GF muffins and donuts... has anyone seen any on the Cape?

Crisp - A New Osterville Hangout!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 10 Oct 2013 15:54:00 +0000

Osterville certainly needs more dining choices and we finally have one. Crisp at 791 Main Street in Osterville. In a former life it was a pizza place and a coffee shop. It is owned by the 5 Bays people.

I've been there twice. I'll say right off the bat, I do like it. It's got a great vibe. However, there are a few negatives to my review, so read on.

They do have a small parking lot, a plus in Osterville but small is the operative word. I've been lucky to get a space on the street each time I've gone but I suppose one could park in the big lot by Wimpys. They have a great outdoor seating area that has 2 fire pits and last night even the outdoor area was full.

The inside is an inviting, warm bistro. With a large marble bar, nice wood high top tables and a couple of booths. There is an open fire pizza oven that makes the place seem cozy and it smells like a wood fire. This is the sort of place I love.

My first visit there was last Friday. I met a bunch of people there from our "Friday Night" group and we all sat at one of the high top tables. A few members of our group had one drink and left because Crisp only serves beer and wine and I guess they can't live without mixed drinks. I'm fine with that and they have a nice wine list and some interesting beers.

I split my dinner with a friend and had the Caprese Salad and Shrimp Aglio e Olio. As many of my readers know I have to be gluten free and Crisp has GF pasta on hand. Both dishes were good. And the GF pasta was a linguine and was cooked al dente. Very nice. I guess if I had to make a complaint about either dish it would be that the Shrimp dish was not as visually appealing as I would have liked, everything was pale in it. But it tasted great.

I was there again last night, same great crowd and I'm still loving that wood fire smell. This time we sat at the bar. The bartender (Liam?) was adorable and I'd go back just to look at him. (ok I'm old enough to be his mother but so what!?) The place was quite crowded for a Wednesday night and I knew a few people in the crowd so that was fun.

Again I split my meal with a friend, we had the Rocket Salad and gluten free Margherita pizza.

The salad was fine but the greens are so...thin that you can't stab them with a fork. So you have to shovel them all on to your fork with a knife or your finger. I'd have liked it better if there was some other type of lettuce mixed in there that was a bit firmer so I could actually stab the arugula against it. Small complaint but it was hard to eat.

My real problem was with the GF pizza. I've been GF for about 11 years now so I get how hard it is to make a really good GF pizza. That being said, it has been done. Prior to ordering it we did ask if it was a thin and crispy crust. We were told yes.

The first problem arose when it took more than 45 minutes after we ordered it to get it. Maybe they make the GF dough to order but if so they really should tell people that order it there will be a LONG wait.

The next mistake was the size. It's tiny. The other pizza's they serve there (made with flour) are large. So we should have been told up front that the GF pizza was very small. And the bottom of it was almost raw. It was certainly not crispy. I wouldn't exactly call it a thin crust either.

Worse I don't think we got the Margherita pizza we ordered. It was more like the Pollo without chicken. It had the balsamic drizzle on it (which you can clearly see in the pix here) which is not mentioned on the menu for the Margherita pizza but balsamic vinegar is listed for the Pollo pizza. Maybe it was a hybrid but I don't especially like balsamic vinegar on my pizza which is why I ordered the Margherita. (I know it's the latest thing but when did they start putting vinegar on pizza?)

However; by that time we had waited so long for the pizza I was starving and just wanted to eat.

The very best GF pizza I've ever had is at the Risotteria in NYC. It is to die for. (hint hint Crisp, they sell their pizza dough frozen and in a mix). It's so good it really isn't fair to use it as a comparison to anyone else (but I do because if the folks at the Risotteria can make GF pizza dough that tastes so wonderful then really other people should be able to as well). I actually go to NYC just to get pizza.

However, there is one place on the Cape that has really good GF pizza and my feeling is the chef at Crisp should sneak over to this place and try their GF pizza. In terms of goodness it's close to the Risotteria, not equal, mind you. But close. (drum roll) It's at Wicked Pizza in Mashpee.

First of all at Wicked their pizza is big, like the non GF pizza's they serve. And the dough is rolled very very thin. This is important with GF pizza because in my experience it is very difficult to cook it thru and get it crispy on the bottom if it isn't super thin. When you get a pizza at Wicked its very thin, cooked all the way thru, and boy is it crispy. That's how a GF pizza should be.

That is not close to what we got at Crisp. I don't know for sure, but I bet the chef at Crisp does not have to be GF and I'm also betting that he/she has not had a lot of experience with GF pizza. I can only hope they take my advice and try a few so they can make some adjustments to their recipe.

And sadly it really didn't taste that good. The crust was just sort of chewy and tasteless. My friend who dined with me does not have to be gluten free so it was a bummer for her. She did get to taste the non gluten free pizza from a friend that was sitting near us and said it was good (it looked good, big pie, thin crust and crispy)

I'd suggest that you stick with the GF pasta and skip over the pizza until they make some improvements.

So there is my review, a bit mixed. I'll certainly go there again but I'm not going to order pizza. You can see the Crisp menu here.

(click on the pix to see larger versions)

Restaurant News you can use....

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 13:49:00 +0000

I know, I know, it's been a long time since I've posted. I am sorry, way too much has happened and I've had trouble managing it all. I've sold my home and bought another one. Making that happen was a new cliff hanger a day. It was a difficult sale but without the help of my agent, Michelle Tucker at William Raveis Realty in Osterville, I wouldn't have had a sale. And she helped me find the perfect new house too. Thanks, Michelle!

I've had a very sick family member and my dog almost died from DKA and is now diabetic. Thank you so much Dr. Tom Burns and staff at Veterinary Associates of Cape Cod for saving him and helping me thru this. My schedule has been filled up with school and modeling jobs. Somehow life got in the way of writing. Many of these things are still on the table, along with a new home rehab that is underway. Forever indebted to Jim Bird and crew at Windjammer Building and Remodeling for making this as easy as it can be. But seriously, I am going to really try and start posting again.

So my first post is mostly about gluten free restaurant news. However if you are not gluten free, please keep reading as I talk about food and who doesn't love that?

Let's start with the Beach Tree Cantina on Main Street in Hyannis. I raved about that place last spring, I really enjoyed it and one of my favorite bartenders from The Islander at Crosby Boat Yard, Caitlyn, started working there (not any longer sadly). The food was great, the crowd was fun, and I had a lot of GF choices to nosh on. However once the huge outdoor area opened and the weather warmed up, I didn't go as often. I don't know what happened to me... I use to love big noisy crowds (when I was like 21!) but it was just too loud and crazy for me outside, not to mention I hate plastic cups. Something about getting a high priced margarita in a plastic beer cup that doesn't appeal to me. And that margarita didn't taste as good as it use to. Did they change the recipe or was it the plastic?

One night I went with friends and we sat outside, which was fun until the crowd picked up. I noticed that that crowd quickly got a lot younger. Then we had to yell to hear each other, the noise level went way up (outdoor area was mobbed and there was music). Every 2 minutes people would cut in between us to get their drinks (we always sit at the bar) which invariably would spill a little bit on me. By the end of the evening I was hoarse from yelling, sticky from drink spills, and bruised from all the jostling. Maybe I'm chilling out more as I get older but I didn't go back there all summer long, I was hoping that after Labor Day it would settle down a bit.

And it did, so I was hopeful because it's a nice place with decent food. I was inside at the bar with a friend and went to order a few of the items on the menu I knew were gluten free. As usual I told the bartender there I needed to be gluten free and he said, "I'm sorry we don't have anything that is gluten free." Huh, you use to? Another employee came over to talk to me and said the only thing I could order was a salmon salad. I did order that and it was great but I'd like a few more choices. I find this a little bit odd because Mexican food almost always has naturally gluten free options, like chips and salsa, or enchiladas which are made from corn tortillas. But no, now nothing is gluten free. I don't know when they made that decision but I'm not happy with it. I hope this isn't a trend.

I'm always astounded when a restaurant makes a decision like, we won't do any allergy meals or gluten free meals. That is leaving out a huge percentage of the eating population. Which brings me to The Lanes at Mashpee Commons. I was so excited for them to open. My mom lives near the Commons and I have a few friends in Falmouth so we always meet in the middle in Mashpee. I love the restaurants that are already at both sides of the Commons but I'm always happy to welcome a new place, especially one that has something else to do in it - bowling!

I was there with my friend Linda and my daughter a few weekends ago. We had had dinner at Siena (they do wonderful gluten free) and we walked over to see what the Lanes looked like. It looked fun! There was a huge, fun crowd (but not so huge that it put me off) that included people of all ages. All of them were having fun, eating, drinking, mingling and bowling. We had just eaten dinner so we decided to check out how long the wait was for bowling - over an hour. I think this place is going to be a hit. It is owned by the folks that own Bobby Burns.

I was looking forward to going again soon, earlier so we could eat there and then bowl. Therein lies the problem. I emailed them about what they might have that is gluten free and they got back to me saying that they don't do gluten free at all. They said that it is a small kitchen and they felt it would be difficult to control cross contamination, that they didn't not want to offer it if they couldn't do it right.

Ten years ago I would have said, "well that makes sense." Today, not so much. When I first went gluten free very few places offered any sort of gluten free food many because they were afraid of that cross contamination issue. However since then I have gotten more restaurant savvy and I can name many places that have tiny kitchens and still offer a few gluten free choices. It isn't difficult to have a pan or two that you use to cook a piece of fish in or a chicken breast in. A baked potato is gluten free, a salad, even a bunless burger.

I can specifically name 2 Cape pizza places that do mainly pizza - pizza made from wheat flour and they offer gluten free pizza too. There is flour flying around their kitchens every day, all day and yet they easily manage to serve me gluten free pizza every week and I've never ever been glutened at either of them (and one has a tiny kitchen too). So when a restaurant tells me it's too hard to do, I'm confused. I can't remember the last time I went into a restaurant and they couldn't offer me even one GF choice... it was at least 8 years ago (heck even Beach Tree has that salmon salad).

So I won't be going to the Lanes very often, I'm very sorry to say. Maybe they will let me bring in a take-out pizza from one of the pizza places I go to. But for those of you that don't have to be gluten free or have any allergy issues it looks like a lot of fun. It's cool and hip, check it out.

Next up is Bistrot de Soleil on Stevens Street in Hyannis. They are in the spot that use to be Harry's. I think, since Harry's closed, there have been a couple of restaurants or businesses in this spot that didn't make it. So with that bias I went in to meet my gang of friends there one night because one of them was having a birthday. I was pleasantly surprised. The set up of the place is jazzed up but basically the same layout as the "new, old Harry's" (remember the old one was torn down and they built and opened in the new one?) It's very nice inside. The bar area is small but lively and the bartenders are good. They greet you right way, the bar table service is fast, all good.

I'm pretty sure I've seen ads in the Cape Cod Times for them that says they do vegetarian and gluten free food. They do and they are indicated right on the regular menu (which you can see online). I've been there twice now and both times I liked it. The food was good too. I had a Risotto the first time and the other night I had the Short Rib with a great red wine sauce, it was excellent. The service was great, food was very tasty, atmosphere was cozy and warm. The first time we were there it was a Monday night and not very busy. This last time was a Friday night and I'm glad I got there early. Both the restaurant and bar were full. The crowd was a good mix of people of all ages. I'll be going back again soon.

Last but not least is Columbo's on Main Street in Hyannis. When it first opened I went there a number of times and over the years have been a customer but they were not hugely gluten friendly back then. They always found things for me to eat but without any sort of GF menu it involved a lot of back and forth with the kitchen and not a lot of options.

Well that has changed they now have a GF menu. It isn't extensive but it is good. I've always liked the restaurant, it has ample parking, and it's just a nice space. It always has been a lively crowd with a good vibe and it still is. I've been there a few times in the past couple of months and have really enjoyed it every time.

The bartender also worked at The Islander at Crosby Boat Yard (a fav of mine in the summer) a few years back and sadly I'm drawing a blank on his name (I'm so sorry, I honestly have name dyslexia) but he's a really nice guy and a great bartender. He recognized me right away from The Islander and was attentive all evening long.

It is my understanding they have had the GF menu for a while now and they use to also offer GF pasta but they don't any more, very sad. I have asked for it each time I've been there and I hope you do too because maybe if we keep asking they will bring it back! After all it can't be that hard to store a couple of boxes of GF pasta, right (I'm not in the restaurant business so it probably isn't quite that easy but I hope they reconsider the pasta thing)?

The first time there I ordered a few items directly off the menu and they were all excellent. The second time I noticed a couple of dishes on the specials menu that should be GF so I asked if they were. After a trip to the kitchen and a conversation with the chef the answer was yes, so I had a risotto special. Excellent! The chef clearly knows his business... both GF and good food. I'm a regular there now and looking forward to going back again soon.

It is my understanding that Columbo's is owned by the same "family" that owns the Black Cat, the Roadhouse and Beach Tree Cantina! I don't know if the Roadhouse and Black Cat currently have GF menus, I'll have to check that out soon but I can tell you I've eaten at both places and they have always worked with me to provide me with great GF options. So why can't they do it at Beach Tree Cantina? Maybe being owned by the same "family" isn't the same as being run by the same people. Shrugs. Either way, I love Columbo's now.

So, that's my latest update. I'm updating my gluten free dining on Cape Cod list too and working on a guide for going gluten free when you are first diagnosed. If you have any restaurant news please let me know!

** PS: Since I mention Harry's I want to tell you that they are on Willow Street now. I haven't been there yet but I heard it was the same chef and good music. I have no idea of they do GF but I'll try and find out!

Cape Cod Real Estate

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 16:27:00 +0000

The hunt for small and unique is on......

I've always loved real estate... maybe because my mom's hobby is moving. Growing up we moved a number of times (every 4 years on average). And once I got my driver's license my good friend Robin and I use to go to open houses on Saturdays when we were 16!! Go figure.

My mom is now in her 80's now and is still doing it like clock work, every 4 or 5 years... she picks up and moves to a new place. As a matter of fact I've been looking at houses with her lately, this time we are both moving.

I've been in my current home for 15 years. It was bought when 3 people and 2 dogs occupied this space and now that number is greatly reduced. The house just seems like too much. Too much money, gardens/landscaping, maintenance, house, cleaning, time.

So I'm in the market for a small house on a small yard (maybe a condo but it would have to be really special) but in a nice neighborhood. And the house has to be unique in some way.... different and eclectic. I'd like it move in ready but I'd be willing to do some work. I've been looking at all sorts of small homes and cottages. I'd prefer 1 floor living or at least a master on the first floor. And tiny.

Apparently my criteria makes for a really tall order and I've been looking for months with no luck. Not a lot of unique out there. Or "it could be unique with an influx of $$$$$." If you know of any house that is for sale send me an email!

One of my favorite RE places (other then zillow.com) is Curbed Cape Cod. They have a great bunch of homes there and yes, mine is there too. My favorite realtor: Michelle Tucker at Wm. Raveis

Enjoy!

I'm a Busy Body....

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 17:32:00 +0000

at Busy Bodies - Yoga Shack and Spa in Marstons Mills.

As anyone who knows me will tell you, I'm not a gym rat. As a matter of fact I dislike gyms.... I am something of a germaphobe and I've always felt that gyms are a breeding ground for them. That being said, I've been taking yoga classes at various yoga studios on the Cape for a number of years. I suppose they are germy too but they somehow feel less so and most yoga studio's are very relaxing (something I seriously need).

Lazy, but loved, Connor

I do exercise. I am a committed, devoted, passionate, dog walker. I take that beast out for a 4 mile walk, rain or shine. I literally have to be flat on my back to miss walking him. Rain? No problem, I've got rain gear. Snow? I've got snowshoes, we've been out in blizzards. Wind? Love it. You may be saying... "wow what a great dog owner she is." Truthfully, I walk him so I can eat whatever I want and not gain weight. That's my weight loss secret... a young, active dog. However... I am a good dog owner as this picture of Connor on my good chair, with a pillow, and his toys, attests too.

After tearing my meniscus and MCL last fall I've done a lot of physical therapy rehab. And it was my physical therapist who told me: "At your age you need to do more then just dog walking." (When did this "at your age" thing start?) So now that my knee has healed I've set out to find some more exercise for this aging body.

I knew there was a little gym in the Mills and I had even taken kickboxing there with my daughter many years ago (let me say, I am not a kickboxer). So when I heard they had yoga classes, I thought I'd go check the gym out again.

Busy Bodies

First of all it's called Busy Bodies - Yoga Shack and Spa now. And it has a lot of activities rolled into one location and I've been really enjoying it. They have weight machines on the lower level. It's a small weight training area but it looks complete and clean. I have not tried the weight machines yet but since I have to "do more then walk" I'm going to try them out soon. They have a spinning room on the lower level too. I am definitely going to try that. Spinning (I think it's just a fancy name for stationary biking) is really good for your knees and since that's my trouble spot I need to keep them in shape. So spinning is on my list as well. Upstairs they have a big, bright, airy studio where they do all sorts of classes.... Body Sculpt, Pilates, Tap Dance, Pole Fitness (gonna try that one!), Body Blast, Dance, Core and more (and yes they still offer kickboxing).

The yoga studio

They recently opened a separate yoga studio in another building adjacent to the Busy Bodies. It isn't a large space but it is very pretty and serene. They call it the Yoga Shack and Spa. There are 2 spa rooms and the very tranquil yoga studio. They re-did the yoga studio and it is really nice. Original wide pine floors freshly refinished, the walls are newly painted in a light yellow hue, a huge red barn door (I hope it opens it would be great to open it in good weather), exposed beams, high ceilings, and windows for good light. It is a really nice space for yoga. The massage rooms are brand new too, restful, relaxing, and clean. They offer a variety of spa services, massage, Reiki, Body Work, Aryuveda, and more.

The other side of the yoga studio

I've been taking some yoga and Pilates classes there and I've really enjoyed them. I'd say yoga-wise they have something that suits everyone. The first class I took was Yoga Nidra which is a type of conscious deep sleep, sort of a guided meditation/relaxation. I did really relax in the class but I happen to need more exercise. I took another class there which included movement, chanting, and meditation. It was a good workout but I still wanted a more challenging class. For people that want to expand their yoga practice further into yogic ideas, they will love these classes. Since I'm at that "age" right now I'm looking into more exercise. Then I happened upon two instructors at the Yoga Shack that I adore, Kate Adams and Jennifer Healy.

Kate Adams teaches Kripalu Yoga on Monday morning and Hot Yoga on Sunday morning. I love Kate, she is not only a wonderful yoga teacher but just a really warm and kind person. Kate got her yoga teaching certificate at the Kripalu Center in Western MA (which is know world-wide). To me it is the Harvard of yoga training. Personally I'd love to take the Kripalu teacher training one day to deepen my own yoga practice.

But... back to Kate... she is exactly what I want in a yoga teacher. The class starts out easily enough, a bit of meditation, easy stretching moves but it gets progressively more challenging. Which I love. It's never too hard but just enough to push you. And Kate is very careful that her students are doing the poses correctly so you get the most out of her class. I leave her class feeling like I've really challenged myself but also very relaxed and happy. She teaches some of the best yoga classes I've ever taken. I hope she starts doing a few more at Busy Bodies/Yoga Shack because I'd take them all.

Lisa Jones, the owner of Busy Bodies, urged me to take Jennifer Healy's Pilates class. I'm only a so-so Pilates fan, because of my "age" I often find it too difficult to do and a lot of the core exercises require that you have your head and neck off the mat and that really hurts my neck. But Lisa told me I'd love Jen and the class.... and she was right.

Reception area of Yoga Shack and Spa

A former gymnast and dancer with over 10 years of Pilates instruction in both mat and machine, Jennifer Healy is a gem. I found her, like Kate (the yoga teacher), very careful that we were doing each exercise the exact right way to get the most out of them and to avoid any injury. And the class is challenging, some exercises I couldn't finish the amount of reps that Jen asked us to do. There have been times at other gyms where I've taken a class and if you can't keep up the teacher "calls you out." Makes you feel like a complete jerk for being out of shape and once that happens I NEVER go back.

Jennifer isn't like that at all. There was no "calling out" and I didn't feel embarrassed for not always being able to keep up. Just the opposite in fact, she is so supportive that I really loved the class and am going to continue taking it. Lisa told me that Jen is going to do a Barre Pilates class soon. I can't wait for that, I took ballet a bazillion years ago.

Because Busy Bodies - Yoga Shack and Spa is small you get a lot of personal attention and support. I've not done a huge variety of classes there yet and I know they have other great teachers that I have not mentioned. Really, for the first time in ages, I'm having a good gym experience. On top of all the things I've mentioned above, they also offer more goodies; personal training, boot camp, free child care, kids programs, nutrition counseling, and a lot more. Everyone is nice and the place is clean. So if you are in the upper/mid Cape area you should go by and give it a try. It's a great gym with a ton of offerings and things to do. On their website they have an offer for a free one week trial, so you have no excuse for not checking it out. Lastly, the pictures in this article were all taken at Busy Bodies - Yoga Shack!

Busy Bodies - Yoga Shack and Spa
70 Industry Road
Marstons Mills, MA 02648
508-420-2101

(they are right next to the Stop and Shop plaza on Rt. 28 in the Mills, so very convenient.)
(click on any of the pictures to see a larger version)

News around town...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 17:47:00 +0000

Rumors, truth, scuttlebutt, and more...

Ok, by now everyone knows that Cape Cod is getting a Market Basket, right? I guess it is going to open some time this year in Sandwich at what was the Outlet Mall, directly next to the Sagamore Bridge. I've had at least 10 people mention it to me, I'm not sure why everyone is so excited by cheap food. I'm wishing that we'd get a Whole Foods Market. Especially with the recent reports that most hamburger (especially supermarket stuff) contains "pink slime"... no thanks, I'll continue to drive to WFM in Hingham.

Another piece of news that I do happen to be really excite about.... Sephora is coming to Cape Cod Mall. It is going to open in May 2012 and I'm thinking of getting a job there so I can get a discount because I spend at least a bazillion dollars there a year there. A discount could add up to big bucks for me. I've heard it is going in the space that was Francesca's. Wait a minute.... didn't Francesca's just open?? Easy come, easy go, I didn't like that store anyways.

I have to say a Sephora at Cape Cod Mall seems... well odd to me. In my experience Sephora stores are usually in more upscale places. Like the one on 5th Avenue in NYC, or in the Meatpacking District (Chelsea), Chestnut Hill Mall, or Cambridgeside Galleria. Cape Cod Mall? I'm not sure how long it will last, last time I checked a whole lot of people on the Cape hardly wear any make up. I'm just hoping my patronage can keep it afloat.

Since I'm a stock trader I've been hoping for years Sephora will go public. Ulta did, they are similar to Sephora but not as high-end, and their stock is a great trading stock. I'm thinking that if Sephora continues to open up stores willy nilly in low profit locations (like Cape Cod Mall) they will eventually have to go public to raise cash. I'm anxiously waiting.

Have you seen that new Stop and Shop they are building on 132 in Hyannis (right by BJ's)? That thing looks HUGE. I'm going to assume they are going to close the old, dirty store by Home Depot, thank goodness. Now.... will it have a lot more brands or is it just going to be more of the same stuff? My Stop and Shop has a decent sized health food area, as my readers know I have to be gluten free, but they have a lot of crummy (read: terrible tasting) gluten free food. I've given them suggestions about the good stuff but they don't take them, so ultimately I buy not only my gluten free food elsewhere but all my other food too. That is what Stop and Shop doesn't seem to understand. If I have to drive to Roche Bros or Ring Bros then why even bother to GO to Stop and Shop?

A local gym that has been around for a while, Busy Bodies has opened up a yoga space called the Yoga Shack. It's in a really nice space, the room... while not big, is light, bright, airy and natural. I really like the space. I think they need to beef up their yoga offerings, more classes, more styles. But check it out, they offer a free class and it's worth going to see the space. The free class offer is right on their menu bar of their website.

I love restaurant news but don't really have much to tell, so if you have some, please email me. I heard that Amari's in East Sandwich was sold about 6 months ago, I'm not quite sure who bought it but the quality had gone down for years so I hope they spruce it up and change the menu a bit, it was getting old. I recently ate at Chapin's in Dennis, my very first time there. I actually use to date a guy that was a part owner of it and a few other restaurants some years ago but he never took me to any of them (maybe he made it up, I don't know, I've dated a lot of shady characters). At any rate, I had a good time there. I was with really good company, so that always helps, but they do have a gluten free menu (limited) and it could use a little fine tuning. I didn't get "glutened" there so that is a BIG plus but the GF menu was fairly uninspired. However, we started our meal off with oysters on the half shell and they were excellent! They tasted so fresh and clean with a lovely seawater scent. I'll go there again just to eat those oysters. We ended up dancing after dinner in the bar and that was a blast too.

Send me any comments, questions, rumor or innuendo!!

Honest Kitchen Holiday Treat Pack!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 22:46:00 +0000

There is still time to order your best friend a special gift. The all natural Honest Kitchen Holiday Treat Pack. The box contains 3 varieties of hand baked cookies, trial size of Force (that's the food I feed Connor), and a recipe card so you can use the Force to make Holiday Sage and Honey Cakes for your dog. You can order the Treat Pack here.

Honest Kitchen is always coming out with new ideas.... new food, new boxes, new ways to use their food (like the holiday cakes mentioned above). They have the very best, human grade, all natural food for our dogs and cats. It's dehydrated and made with love... please take a look around their website.

Have a happy howl day!

Remembering 9/11

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 19:32:00 +0000

I can't believe it's been 10 years already. Sometimes it seems like just a few years ago and other days it gets pushed back in my mind because of all the details going on in my life. I honestly dread this anniversary because I can't bear to watch, yet again, the pictures and video from that day. I can't look at them again, not even for a second.

In all our lives there are horrific days burned into our memory, I remember President Kennedy, the Challenger, Columbine, and John Lennon (I was/am a huge fan). 9/11 tops them all.

This is where I was when it happened.

I was married then and we were down in North Carolina on a family vacation. We were thinking about buying some property down there and maybe making a move. We were in Atlantic Beach, NC on the morning of 9/11, in a hotel right on the beach, with a pier that had a bar/restaurant on it. John got up early to go for a run and Cay and I were in the room. I was taking a shower and Cay was watching TV. She called me over to see the TV news report and what I saw, or course, stunned me. I prayed it was an accident but had a funny feeling it wasn't. Moments later of course, we watched another plane hit the South Tower - live on TV.

We spent the entire day in that little bar on the pier watching TV and trying to get information. We could see, hear and smell the ocean. It was so beautiful, a bright blue sky, hot as can be, peaceful. And here we spent the entire day trying to find out what happened to America.

We were scheduled to fly out of N. Carolina on the very first day that they allowed planes to fly again. We had an early flight out of Raleigh on USAir. When we got to the airport it was empty, totally empty other then police with guns and dogs. There was one single USAir employee behind the check in desk. We were the only people that showed up for the flight. Not one other single soul showed for a sold-out flight. That panicked me and I refused to fly. I think John was a bit annoyed with me because of that, I guess we'd certainly be safe with no one on the plane but the crew and the 3 of us. I just couldn't put my family on that plane when not one of the 100+ passengers showed.

So we called Amtrak and bought tickets home. We waved a cab at the airport and the driver gets out to get our luggage and he is in Arab dress. I stopped cold and just stared at him. He looked at me and said, "I am 10 years in the United States, have a family, and hate what happened." I'm not a bigot and I of course knew that not all Arab's are bad people because of the acts of a few of them. But it was hard getting in that cab, I was terrified. The Amtrak station and train were mobbed. I guess all those people that were supposed to fly were taking the train just like we were. We were lucky to get seats.

We had a layover and train change at Union Station in Washington DC and the minute we got off the train there was a bomb scare. Panic ruled the day and everyone went running out of the station into the streets and I was terrified I'd get separated from my daughter. Nerves were frayed and there was an undercurrent of fear.

We finally got our train to Boston. Just like the previous one it was overcrowded, we got seats again but some people were standing. In New Jersey, just before you go under the Hudson, you have a very clear view of lower Manhattan. Everyone in the train stood and watched in silence at the smoke still billowing out from where the Twin Towers use to be. Many people, myself included, were crying. It was September 15th.

Penn Station looked like a war zone. There were police and military every where. They all had automatic weapons and dogs. We were not allowed to leave the train or our seats. The military came on the train with their dogs and walked up and down the entire train with the dogs sniffing all our suitcases and bags. People were still quietly crying from the ghastly view we saw of the missing World Trade Center.

We finally got to South Station in Boston and again there were police everywhere. We quietly drove back to the Cape - quiet, wild, beautiful and unchanged - at least on the surface. North Carolina is a beautiful state but I'm sorry, after that, I don't think I could ever live there.

I knew our lives had changed forever. None of us will ever forget that day. I will never forget the sight of Manhattan with smoke rising where those iconic towers once stood. It still looks wrong to me with out them.

Blimping along.....

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 15:56:00 +0000

With Hangar 1 Vodka at Cape Cod Airfield.......

As my regular readers know I often spend some of my down time at Cape Cod Airfield in Marstons Mills. I love flying and love that airfield more then I can say. And the motor heads that run the place are really nice guys. When Chris told me that a blimp was coming in to the airfield for a few days, I told him I was getting a ride in it, somehow, some way. They told me that when the Hood Milk blimp use to summer at the airfield you couldn't even get near it. Hmmm.....

So when the blimp landed I ran up to the pilot who flew it, introduced myself, and welcomed him to Cape Cod. His name is Bret Viets and what a nice guy. I immediately asked about a ride and he said we could probably arrange it. So the next day I turned up at the airfield and spoke to the Hangar 1 Vodka people and got on the ride list. Most of the others on the ride list were news people (tv, newspapers) and a couple that won their ride through a radio call in.

It was a cloudy, hazy day and that effects the lift of the helium in the blimp so they were only taking 2 riders at a time which slowed things down considerably. But they had the bar and grills going so you could eat and drink while you waited (I didn't do either but I did get a t-shirt). Finally the crew chief came up to me and said "we can get you on the next ride if you don't mind sitting in the co-pilot seat." Huh? Honey I'd fly the thing if you asked me! So in I go and sitting right next to my New Best Friend, Bret the pilot. I'm flying with the people that won their trip on the radio call in (nice people, Renee and Tom).

I'm sort of a science nut and I peppered Bret with a bazillion questions about how a blimp works, how they manage the helium, where they get the helium, top altitude, airspeed, engine size, etc. I also found out (while I was over the ocean) that helium is a smaller molecule then the fabric the blimp is made out of and constantly leaks out (which is why your helium balloons are flat after a day). And since I do have a fair amount of flying experience I'll tell you, in my opinion, flying a blimp in nice calm sunny weather isn't that difficult. But you have to constantly manage the helium and that takes experience. And in difficult weather forget about it, I'm staying on the ground.

I found it interesting that the reporter from the Cape Cod Times who got a ride in it and wrote about it on Wednesday was a bit nervous about it (he should try flying upside down or in a huge DC-3 taking off from a short grass runway). I found the entire ride to be like sitting in my living room. Bret is a very experienced pilot and such a nice guy. It is a very slow, relaxing ride and the views are great. Over the water we came down lower to look for whales (didn't see any but how cool is that).

I did find out I'm in a very elite group, there are only 12 blimps flying world wide right now and the company that owns the Hangar 1 Vodka blimp, Lightship, owns more then half of the blimps flying today. (Hangar 1 leases the blimp from Lightship). Lightship also owns the Snoopy blimps too. (my readers and friends know how much I LOVE Snoopy). Most of those blimps in the air don't give rides so I was really lucky (not to mention how charming I was, seriously I charmed my way on this ride).

I would do it again in a heartbeat. Bret my pilot was so nice and the Hanger 1 Vodka group was delightful and a lot of fun. What a great experience! I never would have had it if it wasn't for my association with Cape Cod Airfield, Chris Siderwicz Sr and Chris Siderwicz Jr, so I thank them sincerely. If you have not been to Cape Cod Airfield and had a biplane ride, you should try it, its equally as fun, has the same views as I had in the blimp - just a little bit faster.

FYI, I found out that the term "blimp" is for laypeople, those of us in the know say airship. And now I'm an experienced airship flyer!
(ya gotta click on the pictures for a larger view they are fantastic!)
See my Blimping Over Cape Cod video on YouTube.

Human Nature or....

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 16:36:00 +0000

I had a yard sale a few weeks back, it was a resounding success. My main goal was to get rid of as much "junque" as I possibly could. By then end of the day I had a few hundred dollars in my pocket and had reduced my clutter pile by 3/4.

All of my items were priced and they were giveaways even at the marked price. I fully expected that everyone would bargain with me.... they did, it's part of the fun of a yard sale. However; by 2 pm we wanted more product to leave the driveway (less stuff I have to drag to the swap shop) so we told our customers that everything was free and to make a donation if they felt so moved. Interestingly, I made more money after 2 pm then before.

Did people feel guilty just taking my bric-a-brac or were they so grateful not to have to haggle? Either way, I made far more money. People are generous. American's are one of the most giving nations on earth. Give us a sad story or natural disaster and we will donate. Or a yard sale. The next yard sale I have I'm going to start the morning off the way I ended my last yard sale. Everything is there for the taking, make a donation on what you think it's worth. I'll move more odds and ends and make more money. Clearly a win-win.

On the other hand, I do this blog (occasionally and lord only knows why) and along with the blog I keep a list of gluten free places on Cape Cod. For years now I've given that list out for free. I guess because with research, phone calls, and Google the information is out there for everyone. There is also another list that you can get from someone else; however, it is much smaller then mine. I not only try and eat/shop at all the places on my list but I also call the owners and speak to the chef's. When a bad report comes in I research what happened and why. I've just spent 2 weeks working with one restaurant owner to get as many GF ingredients on their menu as possible. I'm also in the process of putting clickable links to the individual restaurant websites in the 14 page "Gluten Free on Cape Cod" list. Did I mention that the restaurants don't pay me either?

Although I send out a form letter with each request, 95% of the time I end up personalizing the form letter because the requester has also asked specific questions along with their request for the list. At least 75% of the time I end up sending a few emails back and forth with each requester. At best (meaning the quickest turnaround and follow up) I spend 5 minutes on each request for the list. This week was a slow week with only 35 requests for the GF list. Which adds up to just under 3 hours of my time spent on just sending out a free list (that does not include my visits and phone calls to the various restaurants or the constant list updates). The week before 4th of July, I had over 125 requests in a 7 day period. That's a lot of time on my part... I work a full time job, I'm a single mom of a teenager, and I have a dog that I walk 4 miles a day. For me, time is of the essence.

So a few weeks ago I decided that I'd add a Pal Pal button and ask for a donation to get the list. There was no suggested amount to donate, just like at my yard sale, I left it up to the "buyer". Well, 41 requests later and guess how much I've gotten from my Pay Pal button? $0. That's right, not a red cent. I'm trying to figure out why that is? Maybe people don't really realize how much time and money this takes me and maybe they don't care. Perhaps they are just use to this type of list being free because in some larger cities GF lists are kept up by numerous people in the local Celiac group but that isn't the case here. I'm the only one working on this list.

I'd be interested in your thoughts and ideas on this one, it astounds me that no one has thought of sending me a single dollar thru Pay Pal. I guess if someone couldn't afford it I'd certainly give it to them for free but quite a few people tell me where they are staying (rented house, Chatham Bars Inn, Daniel Webster Inn, etc.) and surely they can afford a buck. Right now I'm debating canceling the list completely, it really does take a lot of time or charging for it. What do you think?'

Well here is the sad news... since I wrote this post I've spent over 5 hours updating the list so that the restaurants have clickable links to their websites. I've also had numerous people ask for the list and even after they read this post, they didn't donate. So now I'm charging $3.00 for the list. It's worth it and I spend so much time on it. I've just sent out over 100 emails to restaurants that are NOT on the list asking how they handle gluten free requests so I expect soon I'll be updating with new additions!

Idgy's is ALL gluten free.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 12:37:00 +0000

Idgy's opened a couple of months ago and I've tried really hard to like it. As a matter of fact... I do like it.... but (yes Virginia there is a "but") they still have a few kinks to work out. It's in Union Station Plaza (Rt. 6 at exit 8) next do Domino's Pizza. There is always plenty of parking. The interior is cute. They use chalkboards for the menu and they are all done in bright colors adding to the decor. The fabric on the chairs is adorable. The restaurant is always clean and bright. The outside has lovely window boxes with herbs and flowers in them and I think there is an outdoor table or two (don't quote me on that one).

Like the title of this post, Idgy's is ALL gluten free so you don't have to worry about cross contamination or "mistakes". I don't think owners Erika Berg and Deb Collins have gluten issues themselves but they have been in the restaurant business a long time and know good food. I've spoken to one of them every time I've gone in there and they seem like dedicated professionals.

They have an interesting and varied menu: breakfast - eggs, french toast, waffle's, quiche, english muffins, sausage, scones, and even a breakfast burrito. I have to be honest and say I've never had breakfast there.... I get up really early every morning but I don't get going early. One of these days I'll get up and get moving in time for breakfast.

On the lunch/dinner menu: Panini's, regular sandwiches, salads, appetizers, pizza, entrees, sides, a kids menu, a few vegan dishes, and even desserts. They have a lot of healthy drinks, juice, coconut water, Holistic Herbal Elixirs, and smoothies. So they cover all the bases.

I've had a couple of Panini's and they were good. Certainly it is the first time I've had a Panini in 9 years. The bread they use (I'm not sure if they make it but I'm guessing they do) is thin and doesn't taste or feel like a GF bread product. I've had the Chicken Parm and the Roasted Portabella panini's and both were tasty but I'd like the Chicken Parm one a bit wetter (more red sauce and more cheese). Both plates came with roasted beets which I ate but my daughter turned her nose up at. I've asked about the beets, it is an unusual side dish, and they said people love them. I happen to love beets but honestly I don't know anyone else who does. I've had the Terriyaki Chicken Wings too and they were excellent. On my next trip I'm going to try the Quesidilla appetizer.

On another visit I had a regular turkey and cheese sandwich which was excellent. I asked for all the stuff that can go on it, mustard, mayo, lettuce - the works. It was big, hearty, and juicy - exactly the way I order it and the way I like it. An excellent sandwich I've ordered a few times and it's been perfect each time.

The other evening my daughter and I had an early dinner there. She loves spaghetti and meatballs and was anxious to try them. I had trouble deciding what to order but finally settled on Chicken Marsala which came with mashed potatoes. The spaghetti and meatballs were excellent, Cay loved them (she loves meatballs and I don't cook as much as I use too). My meal looked a little pale... beige chicken, beige potatoes and although the flavor of marsala wasn't as strong as I would have liked, it tasted great, the chicken was done perfectly - tender and flavorful. We really enjoyed our meals.

On to desserts.... they do them very well. We've had brownies, cheesecake, cookies, and carrot cake. All have been excellent, the chocolate chip cookies are the best GF cookies I've ever had, really they are just great cookies, gluten free or not. Lots of chips, nice big cookies, great flavor, crispy on the outside softer on the inside. I think their desserts are responsible for the few pounds I've gained because I've never gone to Idgy's and NOT gotten a dessert.

So what are the kinks you might be asking? Some of them are personal and may not be an issue to you... the tables are too small for 2 people, 2 dinners and 2 drinks. When we had an appetizer we had to use the table next to us. Slightly larger tables would make it feel more like a restaurant and less like a take out place.

The two owners have their act totally together but the rest of the help are in need of more training. One time it took the woman behind the counter 10 minutes to figure out how to run my credit card (and this was a month after they opened), I stood there while she played with it and she didn't turn in the order while she was having trouble. So we had a long wait to pay and get our food.

This last time the girl behind the counter was cleaning up (we got there about 30 minutes before they officially closed) and had on big blue rubber gloves to clean with. Sadly she delivered dinners with the gloves still on!!! A huge ewwwwww.

I find the menu board a bit difficult to read. There are arrows all over which I find hard to figure out and all the item headings are called xxxxIdgy. Appetizers are appetidgy's, panini's are panidgys, sandwich's are samidgys. It's a little too cutesy and hard to read for me but as I said some of this is just my personal taste.

Let me say upfront I like a lot of flavor, spice, and even heat in my food. Some of Idgy's food is just a shade not flavored enough for me. For example I put salt on virtually every entree I order there. I'd like them to punch it up a tiny bit more. Lastly, I've emailed them with a GF suggestion... french fries. It is very difficult for us GF people to get french fries (or fried anything) anywhere because in most restaurants they use the same fryolator for gluten items (like flour battered fish) to fry the french fries in. So the french fries end up containing gluten. I think a lot of Idgy's menu is "healthy food" so maybe they don't want to add something "unhealthy" like french fries (it's a veggie, right?) but I'd love them and I'd go there more often if they had them.

All in all, I like Idgy's a lot and I recommend it on my Gluten Free on Cape Cod list, which you can get, free of charge, just by emailing me. I think they are off to a good start, I certainly hope if you are GF you will try it, it is SO nice not to have to worry at all about getting "glutened". And your friends that don't have to be gluten free will enjoy it too. Be sure to try their excellent desserts!

Idgy's (click to see their website)
23 S. White's Path
S. Yarmouth, MA 02664
508-694-7451

The Best Gluten Free Pizza!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 20:38:00 +0000

Right Here in Mashpee - by Susan

I've written before about my gluten problems... I've been gluten free for 7 years. With all the gluten free products on the market nowadays I don't feel like I'm missing much sticking to a GF diet. When I started this journey over 7 years ago there were virtually NO products marked as "gluten-free". Today there are so many wonderful GF products, however; gluten free pizza has never lived up to it's billing.

Initially my daughter and I discovered the Risotteria Restaurant in NYC. It's got fantastic GF products, beer, cupcakes, and pizza. We'd go to NYC a couple of times a year to shop and eat GF pizza! (now that's a really expensive pizza!). We have scouted around our area (Boston to Cape) for great GF pizza and eventually found BZ's pizza in Dennis. They don't make their crust but it's thin and cooked in a pizza oven. Their pizza is darn good and the people there are so friendly! My daughter and I still go there often, it's a great traditional (GF) pizza.

When Wicked Fire Kissed Pizza opened I checked them out and wrote about it in this blog. It's a great restaurant but they had a very limited GF menu when they first opened up: salmon salad, salmon dinner, and steak. But those 3 things were always prepared perfectly so I'd go with my mom now and then for the Organic Salmon and Citrus Salad.

I went there for dinner last week with my daughter and my mom and found out they now have a printed gluten free menu! And let me tell you, it's wicked good! There are not only salads but sandwiches, 3 more dinner entrees (for a total of 5 now), they also have Apple Wood Grilled Burgers (on a gluten free bun!!!) and yes, they have pizza.

They make their own pizza dough (it says rice flour slowly fermented) and they are cooked in their 700 degree hearth oven. There are 12 different kinds of designer pizza's (the exact same ones that are on the regular menu, only made with GF crust) all with a thin and crispy crust, the only type of crust that GF pizza should be made with. They do have a plain cheese and tomato sauce pizza for you purists. These pizza's are nothing short of amazing. I had the Wicked Margherita and Cay had the Wicked Sausage and Caramelized Onion. They were both fantastic... out of this world fantastic! I am going back this week for another one (I see 10 lbs in my future).

A few things about Wicked... they don't take reservations (you can call 1/2 hour before you arrive and put your name on the wait list) and even in the off season they are busy on weekends, so be prepared to call ahead or wait. During the summer it's busy all of the time, but if you call head, get your beeper when you check in, there are nice stores to window shop at while you wait.

I emailed Wicked for a comment about this blog post... I was curious what prompted the move from a very limited GF menu to a full GF menu. I wanted to know if the dishes had to be reworked to add them to add them to the GF menu. I was going to ask them more about the GF pizza process and most importantly (and a word of warning for all GF people) I really wanted to ask them about the Sicilian Comfort pizza - it contains "Wicked Meatballs" and I have a hard time believing they are gluten free (meatballs usually have bread crumbs in them). Two of their pizza's have sausage and often sausage is NOT gluten free; however, my daughter had the pizza with hormone/anti-biotic free pork sausage (and I had a piece too) and neither of us reacted to it so I know that sausage is GF. But meatballs?

Sadly Wicked never answered my email inquiry so I can't tell you their story, which is sad because not only do I have a lot of GF readers, but I keep a GF list of places to eat at for all of Cape Cod (free for the asking). And I get over 400 requests a year for my list. So I wish they would have participated in this blog post (if they do comment I'll let you know). But I can tell you their pizza is excellent. Really the entire place is great, the food excellent, the service is splendid, and the staff is always helpful and friendly. I would really like to try their burgers but I can't imagine going in there now and not having pizza!

Best of all the pies are big enough for 2 meals, so I left with my doggie bag and had pizza for lunch the next day. Thank you, Wicked Pizza!

Honest Kitchen to the Rescue.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 12 Feb 2011 13:17:00 +0000

You Are What You Eat - by Susan

I've had a pet or two (or three) more or less since the day I was born. Mostly dogs, cats, turtles, hamsters, hermit crabs, fish, and of course, a horse. I've always tried to be a good pet mama: I start with lots of love, the best vet care, the best food I can find, clicker training, long daily hikes, more love, and because I work at home, tons of time spent together.

I've told the story of my current Airedale, Connor in the blog before. But a quick recap: he's a rescue of sorts... he was returned to his breeder (thank goodness for that) and a good friend of mine (Thank you Debbie and Koshie) knew I was in need of a dog and she is good friends with Connor''s breeder (Dale, what fabulous dogs you have!). And the rest, as they say, is history.

After having Connor for a year now, I'm pretty sure he was given up for a variety of reasons but one of them was his "ill health." His previous owners had a veterinary record on him that was 2 inches thick. And most of the record is about his GI issues. My vet (the wonderful Dr. Tom Burns of Veterinary Associates of Cape Cod) and I sat down with his vet record and it seemed to us that the first order of business was to change his diet to see if that would change his health.

I researched dog foods to the extreme, got on dog lists, posted to dog forums. I spent a lot of time researching a raw diet and participate in an online list that was primarily about feeding your dog a raw diet. And I think there is a lot to be said for it. But I was pretty sure I didn't want to be handing all that raw food. Honestly I eat vegetarian at home most of the time because I hate the look and feel of raw meat. There are a few good, small, independent dog food makers out there and in my research I found Honest Kitchen.

I was really impressed with their dog food and ingredients... they start with the very best, whole food, human grade ingredients, they can find and gently dehydrate them. Look into the company - how they find their ingredients, how they make the food, how much they care about our planet and our environment, their refusal to cut any corners, and how every month they support a different charity. This food is made with love and such good will. Even the boxes are recycled paper and the plastic they use inside the box to keep the food fresh: it too is post consumer recycled plastic. To say I was impressed was an understatement.

So I bought Honest Kitchen food and supplements, got Connor on them and almost immediately, voilà, he was no longer suffering from GI problems. I kept him on the Honest Kitchen regimen for this past year and he has had no GI incidents or any health problems at all. Perfectly healthy dog. I always wondered if it could be that easy. Really, just a diet change and supplements? The supplement I use for him is called Perfect Form and it is a digestive supplement. (click here to read Honest Kitchen's description of it)

So a couple of months ago, Honest Kitchen was changing the packaging on their supplement line (thank you very much I love the new can and it opens far easier then the old style!!), I didn't keep up my "pantry" and I ran out of Perfect Form. It was a bit hard to come by in the stores due to the packaging change.

Not a big deal I thought, he's still on Honest Kitchen food so he'll be fine. At first he was. And then over the course of a few weeks, he occasionally would spit up a little stuff (like a teaspoon full of breakfast) and then "uh oh" his poop got different. Not enough that most people would worry but it was clear to me that the Perfect Form really does help his digestion.

I emailed Honest Kitchen in a panic and of course once again they came to my rescue (Thank you Carmen!) and overnighted some Perfect Form for Connor. And guess what.... in two days he was back to normal again. And in the months following this, he has not had one incident of an upset tummy. So inadvertently I got to test if it really is the Honest Kitchen products that have improved his health and I can say unequivocally YES.

After reading their website (they have a ton of very interesting articles under the "Learn" menu) I found out that a lot of people switch to Honest Kitchen because their dogs have some sort of health issue: skin problems, allergies, GI issues, itching, ear infections. And I think with all the research that has been done in the field of nutrition over the past few years we all know that good food is the cornerstone of good health (for people too). And most of the Honest Kitchen customers feel their pets health is far better after switching to Honest Kitchen. I'm so glad I found them.

This is the kind of company I want to do business with and I wish that every company I buy from could be exactly like this. Honest Kitchen cares..... about my dog's health, about their products, about the planet, about me.

I'm not employed by Honest Kitchen (but I'll tell you I love them so much if they offered me a job I'd take it in a heartbeat!) and they don't ask me to write about them. I'm really just so smitten with this company! They do however give me coupons that I can give to you if you'd like to try their food. You can buy it in many places on Cape Cod and all around the country, go to their store locator and put in your zip code (its also available online too). And if you'd like a coupon please email me!

Gotta run, its time for Connor and I to go on our hike!

Appendix Mess...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 12:37:00 +0000

I'm finally all healed up from my appendix mess that happened on January 2, 2011. It's been almost of month of healing and I'm still not "all better." I went from feeling just fine to passing out in under an hour, it was all a very harrowing experience. I passed out on Route 3, in the dark, my car unlocked and running on the shoulder of the highway, for over 40 minutes. Don't try that if you can help it.

I've had some complications and I'm a slow healer I guess. I do really want to thank the EMT's that came and got me. I'm pretty sure they were from the Marstons Mills fire station. They were so nice to me and made me feel a lot less scared then I was.

Once I got to Cape Cod Hospital Emergency I had that very same treatment. Every single doctor and nurse was so nice and explained everything to me. I got pain killers right away and they immediately started on various tests to figure out what was going on with me (I thought I had food poisoning). I didn't realize that Cape Cod Hospital was now a teaching hospital - I had residents and students seeing me too and they were all so kind and respectful.

My surgeon, Dr. Jeff Spillane, did surgery to remove my appendix Monday morning and both he and the anesthesiologist spoke to me prior to surgery to explain everything and answer all my questions. Both were funny and chatty and it really put me at ease. I was in the hospital overnight and I did feel I was not nearly ready to go home but that's all my insurance was going to pay for. Such is life. I'm still exhausted from the whole ordeal.... getting "put under" always effects me with a couple of months of exhaustion.

Of course my daughter and my mom were there to help me and I couldn't have gotten along with their daily help. I'm not "Forgetting Sara Marshall. She runs Hometails Pet Care for her help with Connor every single day for over 3 weeks. He's a young active dog who sadly still pulls on the leash (especially when his nemesis the squirrel is around) and so I couldn't walk him the 3 miles plus a day he needs. Sara did it every day, starting on the day of my surgery, of course, with no prior notice (you can't really plan appendicitis). Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays Sara Marshall from the swift completion of her appointed rounds. (U.S. Postal motto).

Many thanks to all the people that sent me cards, letters, emails, and came by to visit. I did learn this from being laid up.... when you know someone that is ill, or unable to get out - go visit them. I was often so lonely or bored. Even a 20 minute cup of tea was a huge bright spot in my day.

Stay healthy!

Posting....

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 28 Nov 2010 13:39:00 +0000

Where does the time go?

I know I should post more. I don't know why it's so hard... ok so I have a full time job. I'm a single parent too, and I have the world's most high maintenance, crazy dog. I have a house that is too big for me (it's not really large but just too much house for me) and a manicured acre and a half which I take care of on my own (including cutting the lawn), I have a senior citizen mom to check up on and family, friends, errands, and now I have found out that I have such a bad back (herniated discs) that I'm now committed to hours and hours of physical therapy. Did I mention I love to hike and take pictures. I need a 35 hour day.

But I do take a lot of pictures and some of them are pretty good. Almost all of them are taken on Cape Cod, so I'm going to be including them here more often to stand in as "posts".

The pictures below were taken out on the tip of Long Beach on Friday late afternoon. My sister in law Cathy was one of my family members visiting for the holiday (she is actually my ex sister in law but that sounds awful, I consider her a sister). And like me, she loves to walk and since I have that crazy dog mentioned above, who needs a minimum of 3 miles a day of serious walking, I love when Cathy comes to visit because the dog gets so worn out. 3 miles is just a warm up for Cathy and she walks fast.

We parked in the Craigville Beach parking lot and for those of you that don't know Long Beach.. you just get on Craigville Beach and head west. The very tip is about a 1.5 mile hike west and when you are there you can see Dowses Beach in Osterville. The view out there is awesome. There are usually other walkers, many of them have dogs, and many of those dogs are off leash (mine isn't). So if you're not a dog lover - beware.

Just before the end of the hike is the shell tree. It was in the Cape Cod Times a few weeks ago, you are supposed to hang a shell on it and we did. The other pix is just after we started back, it was about 4 pm and it was one of those gorgeous sunsets... pink, orange, blue with big dark angry clouds. I took both pictures with my iPhone. Enjoy! (I think if you click on the pictures you will see them in a larger size!)

Dogs Allowed!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 12 Sep 2010 11:59:00 +0000

A great event for you and your pooch!

On September 26 from 11 am to 5 pm is the 3rd Annual Dogs Allowed event. It's on the Steeple Street in Mashpee at the Village Green (which is in Mashpee Commons). They have all sorts of activities for you and your dog: a fashion show, agility, rally and obedience, a police dog demo, retriever race, kissing booth, Capering Canines of Cape Cod and of course, Connor and I!!

We will be there on behalf of Honest Kitchen, which makes dog and cat food, treats, and supplements for our beloved pets. If you are not familiar with their products please click on the Honest Kitchen link and read about them. Not only are they completely fresh, (not cooked) wholesome, human-grade food.... without the by-products and fillers that other pet foods have, but the company has such caring and a conscience.

They have a charity of the month that they support, they make donations to tons of events (raffles, auctions, community outreach), they offer discounts to non-profit animal rescue organizations and to Service Animals. They are also very careful that their ingredients don't hurt mother nature. They use a lot of certified organic, the meats are hormone and antibiotic free, fruits and veggies are non GMO, quiona is certified fair-trade.

Take for example their new product Zeal (available late September)... its fish based. The fish is guaranteed Ethoxyquin- free because like all their products its human grade. The Haddock is wild caught using line and hook method in the cold clean waters off Iceland. It also contains Salmon, Whiting, sweet potatoes, apples, cranberries, organic coconut and more good stuff. Better yet they are donating a portion of the sale of Zeal to several Marine Conservation Initiatives. This is a company I can fully stand behind because in every way - they care.

Anyhow, back to the Dogs Allowed event: I hope you will all come down and visit Connor and I at our table. Honest Kitchen was kind enough to send us a whole bunch of samples that I can pass out to you! I'm really excited about that! I'll also have a bunch of discount coupons so you can try it. One of the sponsors of this event, Hot Diggity, sells Honest Kitchen so you can just walk over to their store (which is just a block away from the event) and pick some up. I'm also going to have a place for your dog to wet their whistle, don't worry only 100% Poland Springs water for my visitors!

So come on down and visit with us!

Susan

Bartender's Guide

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 16:44:00 +0000

... Chapter 2: Customer Service - by Susan

I'm sure everyone has seen it before... the haughty bartender. What is with that? In this economy you'd think that eating and drinking establishments would go out of their way to lure customers. On the Cape in the summer there are a lot of places I can go out to eat and drink, so the competition is fierce.

I go out often so I have a lot of bartender experience, even more to the point, I supported myself when I was younger tending bar, so I know what it's like on both sides of the bar. And I do know bartenders have a lot of crummy customers, like the folks that sit all night and sip one glass of wine and leave a .50 cent tip. Or the messy customer, that leaves chicken wings all over the bar, spills at least one drink, and has to be escorted out after last call (did I mention he is too tipsy to tip?). Believe me, I know it's not an easy job.

But from the customers side, I don't care if your last person you served was a slob, I'm not. If you have an attitude because the jerk before me didn't tip, don't take it out on me, I almost always tip 25%.

Recently I've had some bad experiences at a few local upscale restaurants. Where I not only had drinks but I had dinner at all of them so I ran up a decent sized tab.

Some bartenders make you feel like a jackass because you are unfamiliar with their wine list. Some totally ignores you even though it's early and there are only 3 people at the entire bar. In that case I should not have to wave you down and keep saying, "excuse me". How about the bartender that every time I order a drink says, "What are you drinking again?" I have a tab running, can't you just pick up the chit and look? I hate when they serve you your drink and there are small bar napkins right on the bar and they don't use one, what is that about?

We drink, have dinner and the very second we are done with the food, they remove my drink (ok there wasn't much left in it but it wasn't quite empty), remove the plates and put down the check. Why didn't you ask us about dessert, coffee, or an after dinner drink? Bartending is part of the "service" industry, why are some bartenders so condescending, pompous, and self-important? Where is the service? What is my 25% tip buying me?

Believe it or not, all of the above complaints happened at one place last week. I'm only going to say it was a "nice" spot in Osterville. I like the food at this place but that long time bartender.... well I have to say, the way she acted, I'm not going back there any time soon. I'm going to go some place where they actually want my business.

There are a few other places on the Cape that have nasty bartenders but for the most part I get nice friendly people, that's how it should be! So thanks to the great barkeeps at The Islander, Naked Oyster, the Raw Bar, Black Cat, Trevi, Starfish, Sienna, and Wicked Pizza to name a few!

More Chat.... finally

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 16:29:00 +0000

And even a quick review......

I know I've said before that I'm going to post more often... but for the last couple of years all the posts have been.... well thought out and well written and that takes time, more time then I have. I'm not going to proof or rewrite. I really hate doing that, it's a blog after all not the New Yorker.

It also won't be predominately reviews like it has been in the past. I don't go to that many "new" places, actually I tend to go to the same places over and over again! So I'm going to leave some of the reviews to other publications. If I go to a new spot, of course, I'll review it but I'm also just going to chat... about my life, my family, my dog, Cape Cod issues; whatever is on my mind.

I went to the "new" Naked Oyster the other night with Marty; my friend and former writer for this blog. Many of you who know me also know Marty who is happily splitting her time between two households - Boston and the Cape. It was great to catch up with her again and we had a drink and dinner at the bar in Naked Oyster at 410 Main Street in Hyannis.

They always had great food but the former location, while in Hyannis, was just out of the way...... a funky little strip mall that was hard to find. I rarely went there because I hated that location. When I heard they were going into a long narrow space next to Puritan, I have to say, I had reservations about that location too. To me, downtown Hyannis, means tourists. I hardly ever venture to that area during the summer, it is just too crowded, there's no parking, and it's all families with kids or the 20-something crowd.

I parked in the big lot behind the restaurant on North Street and there is a back door so you don't have to go all the way around to the Main Street entrance. That back door just opens into the rear dining room and I was uncomfortable weaving my way through the tables. Once through that back dining room you enter the bar area.

This is a cozy area with dark mahogany woods, exposed brick, stone bar top, some high top tables and lower ones in the front dining room; which has a great street view. The feel of the place was great.. a comfortable, upscale bistro. I sat at the bar waiting for Marty, ordered a drink (which was perfectly made) and chatted with the very nice bartender.

Marty arrived, tasted a wine that the bartender recommended (which she liked) and we began to investigate the menu. We could see the fresh shellfish on ice at the bar. Naked Oyster has their own oyster farm in Barnstable Harbor, 2 acres that are farmed by employees - it doesn't get much fresher then that.

They are truly locavores... most of their food is local, organic, or both. Veggies from CapeAbilities, ENT Farm, and Cape Cod Organic Farm. Organic beef is from Wolfneck Farms in Maine, local fish caught same day from Barnstable and Chatham, Stony Island Mussels, and Great Hills Dairy (love their Blue Cheese).

Naked Oyster has always been very gluten aware and I noticed that they had some of their food marked as gluten free on the menu, which makes ordering easier for me. However, they clearly didn't mark everything with their little GF symbol and I'm not sure why that is. I hope with the next menu they print up they go all the way with the GF symbols. Clearly raw shellfish is gluten free but it wasn't marked. They have a bunch of side dishes that were not marked either yet when I asked I was told all the sides were gluten free. I wish the GF marks were for the entire menu.

They offer 4 great salads that you can eat as is or dress up with Kobe flank steak, Thai shrimp, blackened scallops or grilled chicken. They have stand-out appetizers: the Raw Bar (which they are known for), beef carpaccio, cheese platter, and a duo of sushi grade yellow fin tuna. The Oyster Stew was marked as gluten free but a girl can only eat so much so I'll try that on my next visit.

For entrees they have a couple of beef dishes (Kobe), a chicken dish, and of course they specialize in seafood. I had the Haddock and Lobster in Champagne Beurre Blanc. It was a great dish served with fresh veggies and roasted Yukon potatoes. I'd order it again.

By the time Marty and I had finished our dinner the crowd had come in. It looked like mostly locals (I saw my doctor there.... she must be following me because I saw her at the Islander last week!) and it was a really friendly, big crowd. I think Naked Oyster is going to be one of my hang outs, trust me it will also be yours.

Restaurant News....

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 17 May 2010 19:15:00 +0000

You Can Use - by Susan

Timmy B's:

Tim Buchanan, former owner of my summer hang out, Keepers, is at it again. This time in the former Grill 16, Asa Bearse House location. I don't know much about the plan here but I understand it will be "fine dining". This worries me a bit.. I'm not sure how much "fine dining" (price wise) Main Street, Hyannis can handle. In that price category I'd say Roadhouse, Alberto's, Eclectic Cafe, compete for the same customers and I'm not sure the Main Street crowd does a lot of fine dining. That being said, I loved, loved, loved, the food at Keepers and was sorry to see it go. It was decently priced and good food with a casual, laid back atmosphere. So I'm very interested to see what Tim is going to do with this new place. I love the bar and outdoor patio at this location! My sources tell me its opening soon.

Naked Oyster:

Most of you probably know by now that the Naked Oyster is moving to Main Street in Hyannis, they are taking over part of what is now the Puritan store. I can't wait for this move because I have always liked the restaurant but didn't go often as it just seemed out of the way before. From a business standpoint I think they will find a new audience on Main Street. It's an excellent restaurant and they do gluten free very well. They will be open on June 15th.

Starfish

This place has been open in Mashpee (South Cape Village) in what was formerly Restaurant Heather for a few weeks now. They didn't make many changes to the space, which certainly was light an airy but for me that didn't define it as it's own place in my head. I feel like I'm still eating at Heather.

It is expensive and I think that was one of the problems that did-in Heather. So it will be interesting to see how it goes for them. That being said, when I was there the food was excellent and the service even better. Although the restaurant doesn't have a gluten free menu, the staff was very knowledgeable about gluten and allergy requests and they handled my meal perfectly. I enjoyed the evening. This restaruant is run by Cape Cod Restaurants, Inc. which also does Coonamessett Inn, The Flying Bridge, and Tugboats. If you are looking for excellent seafood give Starfish a try.

Islander

Ok the old Keepers at Crosby Boat Yard, now called Islander, and run by the Island Merchant folks is open again for the summer season. I still hang there now and then and like the food but it's not terribly gluten friendly. The waitstaff doesn't seem to have enough knowledge about their dishes to make me feel safe enough to eat there. I do love their mojito's however! So if you want a relaxed place, good food, and water views, this is it!

SeaSide Pub

This isn't a new restaurant, its been open - at the corner of Main and Sea Street in Hyannis - for maybe a year. I never ventured in, it just appeared to "pubby" for me. But then a reader told me they had a huge vegetarian and gluten free menu. Say what? So of course I had to go in. They happen to have the largest gluten free and vegetarian menu on Cape Cod!

I've been there 3 times in 3 weeks, so it's safe to say I like it. Chef Uy Phu is really creative with the food was very good. They do pizza (regular and gluten free) and it is very good (I like my crust crispy so I'll ask them to do that next time). The gluten free fried fish was just over-the-top excellent. Gluten free means no wheat (flour) so it's really hard to get a batter dipped sort of coating without any gluten because it's the gluten that holds it together. I don't know how the Chef Phu makes that gluten free batter but I felt like I was eating real batter dipped fish.

My mom was dining with me on my last visit and she had some sort of bouillabaisse, which doesn't seem to be on their online menu (a special maybe?). She said it was excellent and it looked great with loads of seafood in it, lobster, clams, mussels, scallops, shrimp, fish and more.

So please head in to Seaside for a great casual meal, gluten free or regular!

UPDATE: The Bark Park and other dog park news...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 18:46:00 +0000

We have not totally gone to the dogs... by Susan

I've had a lot of emails from dog people about my last two articles, so I'm doing this last update (for now) and then I'll go on to some restaurant reviews and other articles!

I'm going to be headed all the way to P-town now and again this summer. It's a long trek from the Mills, but I think it will be worth it. In response to my last article, I heard from Candace Nagle who is the President and Co-Founder of the P-town Bark Park and she was nice enough to tell me that in Provincetown you CAN have your dog off leash at the beach, all summer long during "dog hours" which run from 6 am - 9 am and 6 pm - 9 pm.

It seems by the flyer she sent me they are pretty serious about adhering to those times and that you must pick up after your dog (I hope we all do that). Follow the rules and you'll get to have some fun with your dog on 3 miles of beautiful P-town beaches. Shame on the other Cape towns that don't allow this.

P-town is a very dog friendly place and I've noticed that each time I've been there. There are a lot of hotels and inns that allow you to bring your pooch (according to the Bark Park web site there are over 30 of them), a number of restaurants that will allow you to eat in their outdoor dining area with a well behaved dog, along with some tourist activities that allow dogs (like the P-town Trolley and a few boat trips). Check out what is what on the Bark Park Pet Friendly Places list.

There are also a number of trails in P-town that allow off leash dogs (under voice command) and Candace told me a great one is right across from Bark Part, at Clapp's Pond.

In other dog park news, I read in the Cape Cod Times that the Mashpee Dog Park may have some good news. The article said the Selectmen had started a subcommittee to discuss the construction of a 2-3 acre dog park in the town. I hope it happens and happens fast. I've read letters in the newspaper from readers complaining about dogs... at the beaches, on the trails, at ponds... I'm not sure where they want us to walk our dogs but having some dog parks would be a good start.

I know a while back there was a group that tried to get a dog park going in Barnstable. I can't understand why we don't have one. We are the largest town on the Cape; therefore I'm guessing we have more dogs then other towns, thus it makes sense to me to have a dog park here. Not only would the residents want one, but I'm sure visitors would love to have a safe and legal place to exercise their dogs. The Cape is a major vacation destination yet we are not all that dog friendly.

I know of the perfect location for a dog park in Barnstable. I've talked to the abutter and they think its a fine idea; it's on town owned land and really well located. If there are some readers that are interested in a dog park in Barnstable (like some of our selectmen) please get in touch with me. I'd really like to get one going in our town and I'm a great organizer and would surely be involved.

Bark Park Photo courtesy of Cold Nose Photo. Bark Park logo courtesy of Bark Park.

Dog Days of Summer...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 19:46:00 +0000

....When the Beach is Off Limits by Susan

As most of us local dog owners know... dogs are not allowed on Cape Cod beaches during the summer months. The date varies by town but in Barnstable's it's May 15 - September 15. Although I've always owned a dog, a lot of the best places to take your dog are new to me because my previous Airedale, Daisy, was dog aggressive, making it difficult to bring her anywhere. Connor is friendly and loves meeting new dogs and people so when May 15th rolls around we are both going to miss our beach walks. We go to Craigville Beach a few times a week and walk all the way down Long Beach to the point (across from Dowses Beach).

I think you can still take your dog to the National Seashore beaches (correct me if I'm wrong) and to the dunes at Sandy Neck during the summer months. I know there are a few ponds in some of the conservation areas on the Cape, like Eagle Pond in Cotuit, that are great for dogs.

A lot of dog walkers can be found on the various bike trails around the Cape: Shining Sea, the Canal Bike Trail, Cape Cod Rail Trail, and Nickerson State Park (keep in mind that dogs are not allowed in the ponds). There is a lot of hiking all over the Cape, but not all of the areas allow dogs. Hiking Cape Cod lists the places where dogs are allowed. However, it isn't a complete list, because Connor and I often hike in the large conservation area behind Cape Cod Airfield.

There are two dog parks on the Cape. The Pilgrim Bark Park is in Provincetown; I've not been there yet but it looks great! The other is the Fresh Pond Dog Park in Dennis, Ma... there are two fenced in play areas, walking trails and a pond. Hot Diggity is leading the way for a dog park in Mashpee but I think it is at least a year away. I'd love to get a dog park in Barnstable and I've talked to a whole bunch of "dog people" that I know but no one seems interested enough to take an initiative.

Those are all of the dog resources I know about. I'd love to hear about where you take your dog to play in the dog days of summer!