I began My Buzzards Bay in 2017, the year we commissioned Vigilant. The stories of those days are all here, and if you recall, the majority involved our #1 crew – Gail and Rudy.
Gail is Mrs. Horne’s sister, and the four of us have been close friends for nearly five decades.
A few years back, they bought a camper, and we don’t spend as much time together anymore, so when we do, it’s special.
Friday Morning
Mrs. Horne’s Golf Team Party didn’t end til 7:00, so we had dinner at the Glen Cove and stayed on the boat. Friday morning was picture-perfect on Onset Bay.
Gail and Rudy weren’t arriving until 11:00, so I booked lunch at the Fishermans View en route to Provincetown.
edamame, seaweed salad, mango, carrot, strawberry,
spicy mayo, poke sauce
I decided to venture off my usual picks and try their Bang Bang Shrimp. Boom Boom Shrimp is my favorite dish at Steve Silverstein’s restaurants (Black Whale, Cisco Kitchens, Brotherhood of Thieves), and I wanted to try their version.
mango-ginger salsa, crispy wonton
The F/V take is a fine appetizer but quite different. First of all, it’s just three jumbo shrimp – beautifully presented, but just three. Steve’s Boom Boom is a bowl of shrimp. Boom Boom is moderately spicy, while the Bang Bang is sweeter.
The F/V Bang Bang Shrimp is a decent appetizer, but if you’re looking for Boom Boom, this ain’t it!
Rudy also “left the reservation” by picking the Jonah Crab Melt.
fontina cheese, grilled corn, leek fondue, buttery Texas toast
He was very impressed by the volume of moist crab in the sandwich.
Smooth Run to Provincetown
The 27-mile ride from Sandwich to Provincetown is one of the most pleasant rides on the south coast.
As we left the canal, I shot this picture of Sandwich Beach. This was the site of my family’s first vacation when I was two years old!
at our Sandwich Cottage 1954
Thanks to the Cape Cod landmass, it’s a smooth ride even in a brisk southwest breeze.
Friday Evening
Looking down Sandwich Beach was undoubtedly nostalgic, but no more so than strolling down Commercial Street. I spent the summer working in Provincetown between high school and college.
I worked at the Little Store, and one of my shifts ended at midnight. I always stopped by “Jingles” (John Yingling) for a slice or two. Despite Jingle’s shoulder-length hair, he was the first natural entrepreneur I ever met.
I fondly remember hanging out and listening to his plans to expand his culinary empire. It’s heartwarming to see Spirtus still doing business in the same spot 50 years later.
Here’s a link to the history of Spiritus.
Ocean 193
In our never-ending quest to seek out and try new restaurants, I locked into Ocean 193 a few weeks ago. I recognized the site – it was The Club in 2022.
We booked reservations, not knowing it was Carnival Week (another Ptown Pride festival), The Club was adorned with Pink Flamingos and pounding dance music, so we bailed.
No more music or flamingos – it’s a beautiful oceanfront patio you find on Martha’s Vineyard or Nantucket.
Although it’s an open-air restaurant with a roof, they had drop-down clear curtains, and our corner table was comfortable on the cool evening. They offer blankets fit those who are cool.
The menu offers a nice combo of traditional and eclectic dishes.
I first sign this was a special restaurant appeared with the bread service; gluten-free rolls accompanied by an aromatic EVOO and grated parmesan.
Rudy and shared a half-dozen local oysters. They were reasonably plump with a wonderfully tart mignonette.
pan seared tuna, guacamole, crispy nori,
carmelized cherry tomatoes, sesame seeds
obster, preserved lemon aioli, brioche bun, housemade chips
two crispy tempura crabs, potato Au gratin, asparagus, aged reggiano parmigiano, lime-pepper aioli
Everyone loved their dish, and the presentations were exquisite. Note: Ocean 193 also serves breakfast.
Lazy Saturday
We kicked off Saturday with a stop at the traditional Provincetown photo op.
We visited the Pilgrim Memorial but avoided the funicular ride and climbed to the top (maybe next time).
Back when I worked in the Little Store, I spent most of my paycheck at the Marine Specialties store.
It’s mostly obscure junk, but back then, I was into camping, and they had a pretty good offering in that department.
Damon Gorman – Street Busker
Mrs. Horne and I were singing along with a street singer doing The Wreck of The Edmund Fitzgerald, waiting for our guests.
He heard us singing, and we struck up a conversation,
A deep thinker with a rich past. He’s been sober for eleven years, sailed here three years ago, and can’t leave because the rigging on his sailboat is shot. He’s street busking to raise money in the hope of repairing the rigging and eventually sailing away.
I asked him to do a song for My Buzzards Bay, and he selected a haunting original song – My Kingdom Come.
We loved the song, Damon, and his story and tipped accordingly. I took a photo of his Venmo QR Code in case I decide to contribute more to the “rigging fund.”
If you’d like to donate to Damon’s rigging fund via Venmo, you can scan his QRC as well.
The Canteen
One of my must-dos in Provincetown is a visit to the back bar at the Cantern.
If the temperature is right, it’s truly a little slice of heaven. The music, sea air, and ocean view will transport your soul to a tropical island.
The service at the Canteen is a little odd. You order drinks at the bar but go up front to order food and pay. They give you a little number thingie that shows the server where to deliver the food.
A few of you have commented on all the food we seem to eat in our My Buzzards Bay adventures, specifically, “Why aren’t you all 300 pounds?”
Lunch on Saturday illustrated one of our key strategies. Rudy and I split the Fish and Chips.
The Fish and Chips were excellent – very moist and crispy.
Mrs. Horne and her sister Gail split a cheeseburger
They probably wouldn’t recommend it. The burger itself was minuscule.
The four of us shared the fries from the Fish and Chips and a side of onion rings.
Our original plan was also to get the Fried Smelt Appetizer, but they were all out, so I substituted the Cauliflower Fritters.
The Canteen CAULIFLOWER FRITTERS – $10
2 cauliflower fritters, vegan
I was the only one who liked them. First off, they weren’t fritters, but rather like a crouquette.
According to my AI assistant, here’s the difference:
They were also deep in curry and harissa flavors, which were not listed on the menu.
After lunch, we returned to the boat and listened to music on the Skydeck. The Southeast wind was chilling.
Around 4:00, we retreated just before a passing shower to watch Air Force One in the salon.
One of our winter projects was the addition of inside black-out curtains that transformed the salon into a media room.
Front Street
We ended the day with a classic Italian dinner at Front Street.
with sage brown butter & shaved pecorino
Layers of veal and eggplant, plum tomato and mozzarella baked and served on a bed of pasta
Melt in your mouth potato dumplings tossed with a white truffle butter, cream & pecorino romano (does contain wheat and rice flour.
Everything was perfectly prepared in Italian Style, but the Gnocci were truly incredible.
Before we adjourned for the evening, I caught a photo of one more nostalgic moment.
In 1973, Howard Gruber opened Front Street, and my late brother Charles was a waiter. I recall hanging out in the kitchen with Charles as Howard served us a tasting menu.
We left around 9:30 with an eye toward tying up in Onset before the rain started.
Next up – Nantucket Flotilla Week…