Lunch and Dinner on the Cape…
Fresh Ketch
Our dining experience at the Fresh Ketch was one of those unfortunate visits where just about everything seemed to go wrong. The clam chowder (billed on their menu as a “thick and creamy”, “award-winning” house specialty) was remarkably thin and bland; granted, they had just run out when we arrived and had made a new batch, but it was a disappointment nonetheless. The stuffed sole ($16.99) was flavorful, but had enough bones to make every third bite left with an unpleasant surprise. The baked stuffed shrimp ($18.99), described as five large gulf shrimp, seemed much smaller than expected and the bread stuffing baked around the shrimp overpowered the seafood in both taste and size. The mashed potatoes had a tie vote at our table; I liked them very much, but my wife said they looked and tasted like the potatoes hadn’t even been washed before mashing them. The ginger ale didn’t seem quite right, so I switched to another soda. Service was very slow, and at times non-existing. On a positive note, the bacon cheeseburger and chicken fingers were heartily enjoyed by the kids. At about $75 for the four of us, the entire meal seemed overpriced for the value and quality received, leaving me unfortunately comfortable in not recommending the restaurant to new patrons.
462 Main Street, Hyannis, MA 02601; 508-771-8585
Lobster Boat
I couldn’t leave the cape with dining on lobster at least once, so the signage offering “twins” for $20 lured me in. The restaurant is owned by Samuel Adams, the popular beer company, so the entire restaurant is a bit more upscale and commercial than other nearby establishments — I would suggest to management that the employees wear Lobster Boat clothing, not Samuel Adams, as it was a distraction; I kept thinking there was some beer promotion running until I asked the waitress and got the scoop on the owners. There are T-shirts and sundries for purchase, and the atmosphere seems darker and richer — like a bottle of Samuel Adams Dark Wheat. Despite the commercial backing power, the menu design seems a bit old-fashioned and juvenile, and there doesn’t appear to be a website for the restaurant yet. The Lobster Boat sits at the edge of an estuary leading to Swan Pond from the ocean and a small marina huddles next door, giving the pleasant impression of a seaside fishing community, making the seafood seems just that much fresher. The twins were quite good and, despite the fact that my initial impression was that they were rather small, I did not leave feeling hungry. Apparently, my wife’s lobster roll was also very good, a culinary treat that I missed out upon during our week-long visit to the Cape. The Lobster Boat is a good place for a nice, moderately priced dinner.
681 Main Street, West Yarmouth, MA 02673; 508-775-0486
Salty’s Diner
Since it was right down and across the street from the Lobster Boat, and they offered similar specials on their outdoor signage, we figured we’d try out a competitor. Don’t expect fine crockery or tableware at Salty’s; everything is plastic and disposable — far from environmentally friendly. Not a place for a quiet evening meal, it is busy and boisterous, a big-city atmosphere in a small town. Service was adequate, and the food slightly better. The Bianco Mussels ($10.95, served in a white wine and herb butter sauce) were fresh and retained the natural mussel flavors, although the bed of pasta on which the mussels were served was bland and tasteless — despite a relatively heavy amount of garlic and herbs in the white sauce. Salty’s Seafood Plate ($17.95) had a particularly generous helping of a variety of seafoods; fried well, and not overly greasy. The chunky “chowda”, served up in a Styrofoam cup and eaten with a plastic spoon, was not quite as thick as I prefer, and the actual amount of clam in my clam chowder was disappointing; I’m not sure how they could have achieved the self-proclaimed ranking of “Kennedy approved”. Salty’s offers a surprisingly diverse menu, including various Italian dishes, burgers, non-seafood sandwiches, and more dessert options than expected. If you don’t have high expectations, Salty’s will serve you nicely.
540 Main Street, West Yarmouth, MA 02673; 508-790-3132
99 Restaurant
Ninety Nine was a surprise. It came recommended to us from a wizened local who religiously hates The Pancake Man restaurant. Since our experience at The Pancake Man was so wonderful, her enthusiastic recommendation of 99 as the best dinner within walking distance went ignored for most of the week. Glad we stopped by on a whim. The decor resembled a mixture of Red Lobster, Outback Steakhouse, and Chili’s with a little Applebee’s thrown in. The menu pares those restaurants down to a blend of Chili’s and Applebee’s with standard staples such as potato skins and onion rings, the usual salads and soups, steaks and ribs, chicken and burgers. The seafood offerings are sparse for the New England coast — tilapia, salmon, and schrod — but the perfectly cooked sirloin medallions and the bacon cheeseburger were a welcome break in our mainly seafood diet of the week. The Apple Fortune (”Crisp apple wrapped in rich pastry and baked to a golden brown. Served warm with two scoops of creamy vanilla bean ice cream.”), a new edition to their menu, looked absolutely divine — however, since we had already decided to visit Friendly’s for an overabundant treat of ice cream, we passed. I still regret that decision. Oddly, for those who choose to dine at home, 99 charges a 3% packaging charge for to-go orders; not quite fair as to-go orders are cheaper for the restaurant to fulfill. Overall, a great ending to our week of eating out.
14 Berry Avenue, Yarmouth, MA 02673; 508-862-9990
Friendly’s
Anytime I come anywhere near the East Coast, I must stop at a Friendly’s — for dessert, if nothing else. Historically, I’ve always created my own 2- or 3-scoop sundaes, but I made the mistake this trip of choosing their more marketable signature creations. The Forbidden Fudge Brownie sundae (”Forbidden Chocolate ice cream mixed with brownie chunks, hot fudge and Swiss chocolate toppings”) had all the right mix of flavors with a tremendous amount of chocolate, but I found that the too-large chunks of brownie got in the way of blissful enjoyment, and yet a forgivable offense. However, the Caramel Cone Sundae (”Nuts Over Caramel ice cream, sprinkled with crushed sugar cones and a good helping of hot fudge topping”) clearly was sprinkled with old and stale cone pieces. Totally unenjoyable. I will never again order one of their signature sundaes, sticking instead with the tried and true. Friendly’s is lucky to earn my three-star rating — it is based solely on my prior experience with the chain. One final note: from my experience at Friendly’s located from Massachusetts to Florida, don’t expect quick service. Not that that’s necessarily a bad thing; I go to Friendly’s to enjoy a (usually!) great dessert and socialize at length with great company.
A quick nod to a couple of restaurants off the Cape: Weathervane is one I regularly visit when I head to Plymouth (good prices, great food, terrific location on the waterfront), and Ðìçk’s Last Resort was a fresh, new experience at Quincy Market in Boston (quirky, fake-nasty waiters slinging attitude and chicken ‘n ribs).
