Provincetown - Cape Cod's Hip, Cool & Delicious Getaway!

Provincetown is Cape Cod's northern-most town, sitting proudly on the very tip of Massachusetts, jutting out into the beautiful blue Atlantic Ocean. P-Town is known for it's bustling gay community, great beaches, shopping, art galleries, history, bars and restaurants...this seaside getaway and is a slice of heaven everyone with an adventurous spirit. In a nutshell, Provincetown is gorgeous, sunny and fun by day...delicious and wild by night! Whatever your speed, whatever your persuasion...P-Town is the ultimate summertime getway for the wild at heart!

Every summer it has been a tradition for my amazing husband Andrew and I to rent a condo in P-Town either with friends or on our own. In summer 2007, we rented a 2-bedroom condo just off of Commercial Street with Jaap and Danielle, our Dutch friends who came over from Amsterdam for their summer holiday! We had the BEST time with them, really bonded and got to know the quirky, welcoming, gourmet and wild side of P-Town first hand. The following summer, we rented a cute & modern 1-bedroom right on Commercial Street across from Lorraine's mexican and tequila restaurant (highly recommended!). We relished in being in our own little place, renting bikes and kayaks, finding cute hideaways, climbing the Pilgrim Monument and meeting locals for drinks and oysters. As a rule, I suggest renting a condo or house rather than getting a hotel room when I travel. You have the freedom of having your own place...to cook, relax and sit on your own private deck. Check out HomeAway.com and VRBO.com for the best in vacation rentals around the world.

Last summer, we stayed in Brewster, MA in Cape Cod (mid-Cape) with my sister Sara and her fiance Dan at Ocean's Edge Village. His aunt has an amazing condo with pool and beach access. It was a gorgeous sunny weekend and we spend the days on the beach, and the nights eating lobster and clams, and singing along to the cover band at local dive bar, The Woodshed in Brewster. We had such a blast with them! On Saturday afternoon we hit Cape Cod hotspot The Wellfleet Beachcomber for much needed raw bar fix - Wellfleet oysters and gigantic shrimp cocktail. Goombay Smash rum drinks and Bud Lite Limes were happily consumed...and we had a blast!

Andrew and I snuck up to P-Town for brunch one day (the lobster eggs benedict at Cafe Edwige is highly recommend!) and did some people watching on our way back (ok, it was backwards) to Boston! We wanted to stay longer but had to drive back home after a wonderful weekend on the Cape.


Getting There:

There are 2 ways to get to P-town, by car its about a 3 hours drive from Boston...or a 90 minute ride by ferry from Boston Harbor ($70 one way).

Getting Around:

The two best ways to see P-Town are on FOOT or by BIKE. I highly recommend renting bikes for your stay. Not only can you ride to the beaches, but you can get a crazy, intense workout the bike paths, and at dusk, take in a leisurely cruise down Commercial Street for the best people watching you will ever see! Drag queens strutting their stuff to promote their shows (Thirsty Burlington is a dead-on Cher) , foreign tourists from Japan, Germany and England, couples holding hands, families with strollers, locals, bikers, freaks of all kinds, good-looking sun-kissed people, and celebrity sightings galore (i.e.: Marc Jacobs, Lily Taylor, John Waters, Jennifer Coolidge aka "Stiffler's Mom," and many, many more) many who are in town for one-man or one-women shows.

Site-seeing:

• Whale Watch/Harbor Tour - we saw a lot of whales!
• Fishing Trip - go catch your dinner :)
• Rent Kayaks - cruise around the harbor
• Rent Bikes - go to the beaches
• Pilgrim Monument - climb up the stairs for great view of town
• Dune Buggy Tour - unique way of seeing P-Town's beaches
• Gallery Walks - many have wine & cheese at night
• People Watching
• Nightlife - Comedy, Dancing, Drag Shows, live bands
• Shopping
  

Dining (and cocktails):

-The outside patio at Bubala's by the Bay is great food, drink and peepin' time. (across from Marc Jacobs). http://www.bubalas.com/ We loved the clam rolls, huge burgers with brie and onions, great bloody mary's and fruity rum drinks too. Awesome peep watching place too.

-Next to Bubala's is Jimmy's Hideaway, down the stairs...amazing! Sit at the little bar and chat up the friendly bartender. It's a cute, upscale haven with amazing martinis, steamed mussels with white wine broth and their Bouillabaisse of Scallops, Shrimp, Mussels, Local Littlenecks, and Fish Over Basamati Rice is to die for. 179 Commercial St. http://jimmyshideaway.com/

-Lorraine's is amazing Mexican...all the way down past Bubala's on Commercial. They have 20 kinds of tequila...we stayed in a condo right across the street last summer! We had the best time...delicous food and great convos with the staff and barthenders. 133 Commercial St. http://www.lorrainesrestaurant.com/

-Café Edwige is a restaurant that is upstairs, really cozy and romantic, great food! Go for brunch on Saturday (Sunday they can't serve booze til noon...the horror! lol) and get the LOBSTER eggs benedict with mustard sauce and home fries...a decadent meal! Friendly friendly staff and lovely decor. 333 Commercial St. http://edwigeatnight.com/

-The restaurant at the Crown & Anchor (Central House Bar & Grill) is really good too...its on the outdoor porch. We really liked sitting on the airy porch and watching people walk by. We had a wonderfully romantic dinner with wine, great salads and apps, yummy fish dishes (Grilled Swordfish and Pistachio Crusted Scallops), did I say Lobster Mac n Cheese?! Check it out. http://www.onlyatthecrown.com/centralhouse/

-Sal's Place - awesome italian food...legendary spot, but quite far down on Commercial towards the very West End...but worth it! You must get a table on the deck and dine on the water. We loved our colorful waiter with tales of his winters living in a village in Indonesia and Thailand and summers in P-Town. Anything you order from Sal's is divine. Get the cheap house chianti and get ready to indulge.. We ordered a variety of pasta dishes including Pasta Fra Diavolo with Shrimp and Scallops, spaghetti with Lemon & garlic, and their traditional lschian pasta dish of raisins, pinenuts, walnuts, anchovies. The Veal Saltimbocca was out of this world. Don't forget dessert! 99 Commercial http://www.salsplaceofprovincetown.com/ (At press time, I'm afraid that Sal's may have closed down! I hope not...I will find out for sure and post.)

Nightlife:

When in P-Town, you must catch one of their world famous drag comedy shows. All the best entertainers and comedians come to P-town for the summer to do a show. We usually check out Ryan Landry's latest musical-spoof-tacular. One summer we saw his hilarous take on Cinderella, another time it was The Wizard of Oz...and better still..."Willy Wanker and the Chocolate Highway" HAHA! How amazing is that!? Our friends Julie and Adam love to head up to Provincetown to catch world famous Drag Diva...Varla Jean Merman. So many drag shows, so little time. :)

If you like to sing, or at least enjoy singingvery badly in public while drunk (lol)...you MUST go to Drag Karaoke with Dana Danzel at the Governor Bradford on Commerical St. I don't know HOW she does it, but the show starts at 9:30 every single night. Andrew and I went 3 nights in a row and sang a different song each time! OK, we had a few tequila shots to get warmed up...but once you get up on stage..all the fear goes away and you just sing your heart out! (He sang a great cover of "Should I Stay or Should I Go" by The Clash and i belted out "Goldfinger" by Eartha Kitt and an Amy Winehouse tune!) Everyone is welcome and friendly there...and you can be a star for the night! (NOTE: It's especially popular for Bachelorette parties...so beware of the wasted bride-to-be from Somerville in the dime store veil and "kiss the bride" tank top.

Shop til you Drop:

Be sure to hit the Marc Jacobs store -- I love all the fun accessories they have for $5-10 bucks! This is about the only time you will be able to afford a Marc Jacobs original, seeing as his bags run upwards of $500-1000. We usually go in for a cool t-shirt, flipflops, umbrella or some funky jewelry.



Provincia - one of my favorite stores. Owned by Portuguese artist Manuel and his partner John. He designs and imports the most gorgeous ceramics in bright traditional colors. The prices are really reasonable too in the $10-50 range and up. Last year we bought a few of his signature olive dishes and some "good luck" rooster wine toppers for family and friends. http://www.provinciagifts.com/

Toko Indo - I just discovered this cool, Balinese jewelry shop. Beaded necklaces and bracelets with bits of stone, shell or metal in bright colors. I picked up a necklace for myself and braclets for Mom and Sara. :) http://www.shoptokoindo.com

The Army-Navy Store - It has everything under the sun, from nautical-themed housewares and novelties for cheap, to the typical army fatigue pants, sailor shirts and canvas hats.

Boston's South End - Hot Dining Spots!

Boston's South End is the hipster, foodie part of town, a high-end residential area where the city’s architects, lawyers, artists, bankers, and designers mingle to eat, drink and be merry. It is the epicenter of Boston's thriving gay community and more recently, home to urban young professionals and married couples pushing baby buggies. The South End is filled with trendy shops, bars and galleries. Parking is almost non-existent, but many places offer valet parking. Better to take a cab or walk from the Back Bay train station. The South End is Boston’s answer to SoHo or The Village. It’s cool, hip and somewhat exclusive. Prices are on the higher side, and reservations are most definitely required. Be sure to check out The Beehive, Gaslight, Union, Stella and many more, including my personal favorites, reviewed here.


B&G Oyster – South End, Boston. If you are an oyster freak, like I am, then B&G is the place for you. My boyfriend Andrew and I always sit at the bar, which resembles a Scandinavian sauna with wooden floor and tiled walls, and watch the chefs in action. More of a date place due to it’s small size, B&G is our favorite spot to sit down and devour a gigantic tray of oysters from around the US and Canada, and sip a few glasses of Prosecco. I love the sweet and plump East Coast Wellfleet’s and Duxbury’s while my boyfriend prefers the slim and briny Pacific Coast bivalves. The zesty vinaigrette is a great alternative to the ubiquitous cocktail sauce. (I always hope to find a pearl, but no such luck.) You have to try the house favorite Maine lobster roll and for dessert, yes, fried oysters on a bed of sea salt…I just can’t get enough, they melt in your mouth.


Masa – South End, Boston. Beautiful, rustic d?cor in this Latin bar and eatery. The “especiale de la casa” is the Banderita, a trio of shots which involves taking fresh lemon juice in your mouth first, then adding the tequila, swallowing, then doing a sangrita chaser (tomato juice). Down the hatch - uno, dos, tres! Any of the house margaritas are great, including the Masarita (with apple), Mangorita and Watermelon Margarita and can be made for the table. My girlfriends and I popped into Masa for drinks on a Saturday night to toast my friend’s birthday, and it was jam packed in the small but cozy bar area. As we were waiting for a table in the bar area, we didn’t realize we were inadvertently crowding the owner and his guests. We were really friendly with them, and as he left he said, next time he saw us he owed us drinks for being so patient, yet persistent. (Let’s hope he comes through on the promise!) They have a huge tapas menu…so sky’s the limit. Taquitos, calamari, chorizo, plantains…and for dinner are upscale Mexican entrees of lamb, steak, fish, chicken and more. Thursday nights are Salsa Night from 9pm – 1am, with lessons, drinks and dancing all night. Cha Cha Cha!


Rocca – South End, Boston. A nouveau Italian hot spot - divine in design, drinks and food. Described as a “kitchen & bar,” Rocca is much, much more. A hipster restaurant with multiple floors, outside seating and a popular lounge. Stop first in the bar for one of Rocca’s signature drinks with authentic Italian flair. I recommend the Ligurian Lemonade (lemon vodka, Campari, home made Limoncello, honey & fresh lemon juice) or the White and Stormy (white rum, Cointreau, lime & ginger beer). The menu is set up so that you can get a lot of little plates to share. We enjoyed the Meatball Slider, Rigatoni Baked in a Pot (with veal, tomatoes and Parmigiano), Hand-rolled Trofie (pasta) with pesto, the Braised Lamb Shank, and Roasted Whole Fish. They are on-trend with the “late night menu” until 1am consisting of many of their most popular items. There are monthly house music dance parties which bring out all the Euro boys & girls to sashay their night away. Rocca is a happening spot…get it while it’s hot.