I may have overthought this.
I booked Marina Bay for three nights because Mrs. Horne would still be in a walking boot, and Rudy would be 30 days out from knee surgery.
It made sense: not much walking to reach half a dozen restaurants and floating docks. It’s also an easy trip, thanks to the prevailing southwest breeze.
By moving the boat to Plymouth the week before, I could allow our guests to arrive mid-morning for a low-stress run to Boston…
As the weekend approached, I looked at the forecast and realized that I had definitely overthought this.
Forty-five miles into a 15-knot headwind is doable but far from a relaxing cruise. I started kicking myself for moving the boat to Plymouth. The only option would have been Provincetown, but we were there the weekend before.
If I had just left the boat in Onset, Martha’s Vineyard, Falmouth, or Hyannis would have been additional options.
Oh well, time for Plan B!
Cobbling Together a Plan B
As windy as Friday looked, Saturday looked even worse. But the temperature was to be in the mid-seveties, and the wind direction was northwest. The deck on our beach house faces southeast, which meant it would feel like summer on Saturday afternoon.
Thus the new plan was hatched!
We’d meet in Plymouth for lunch on Friday, spend the night on the boat, and then head to Mattapoisett for Saturday afternoon.
When I got up Friday morning, I checked the Boston NOAA buoy and took a little pleasure in seeing that it was no day to be out on Massachusetts Bay.
Everyone was running late, so we agreed to go straight to lunch.
Dillon’s Local
We hadn’t been there this year, and Gail and Rudy had never been there, so it was the perfect way to kick off Columbus Day Weekend.
Consistently the #1 Plymouth restaurant on Yelp for two excellent reasons – great food and reasonable prices.
It was packed at 12:45 (local, right?), so we sat at the bar near the kitchen door. Beggers can’t be choosers, but be aware – that the end of the bar is very noisy.
That said, the food was delicious…
romaine hearts, corn, tomatoes, beans, red onion, avocado, Monterey Jack, tortilla strips, Cajun ranch
fried local cod, Swiss cheese, coleslaw,
Russian dressing, grilled marble rye
spring mix, strawberries, red beets, bleu cheese, pickled onions, raspberry vinaigrette, sunflower seeds
cured brisket, braised red cabbage, Swiss cheese,
Russian dressing, grilled marble rye
I’m thinking once a year is probably not often enough for this gem of a restaurant.
Back on the boat, it was just warm enough to sit on deck chairs on the edge of the Skydeck,
Does anyone know the story behind all these floats on moorings?
Big-City Steak House in Plymouth
My friend Rick gave me a plug for 71° West Atlantic Bistro when we chatted at the Safe Harbor Plymouth closing party, he mentioned his friend Kevin owned it.
It was a great night – my full review is here.
Here are a few photographic highlights…
The View From Our Table
pan-seared sesame tuna, mixed greens
red onions, grape tomatoes
mandarin oranges, raspberry vinaigrette
15-year balsamic
sweet and spicy honey-glazed pork
Chef’s 48-hour marinate, red bliss garlic
mashed potatoes, and green beans
(included with every steak)
The food was 100% authentic big-city steakhouse quality with generous portions. We may try their lunch service when we return for our final stay next week.
Blue Bird Saturday
With an eye toward creating the perfect October staycation, I booked lunch at The Black Whale on the New Bedford fishing docks.
When I booked the reservation, I got a warning that the parking lot was unavailable. It was hosting the Annual New Bedford Chowderfest.
I immediately went to the Chowderfest website to check it out and decided to sign up for the VIP package ($75 pp) for four.
When I hit “Buy Tickets,” I discovered the VIP tickets were sold out. Oh well, the Black Whale would have to do!
As we approached the Black Whale, I was glad we opted for lunch in the restaurant instead of the big tent.
It was quite a bargain at $15 pp (advanced tickets), but it looked very crowded and noisy inside.
On the other hand, the VIP Tent – located on the new Black Whale outdoor Pavillion, looked like fun and the food was flowing.
Maybe next year, but I think the dining room was perfect.
scallion broth, white wine, warm drawn butter
tuna, salmon, yellowtail, cucumber, avocado,
crab stick, tempura crunch, spicy mayo, tobiko
crispy shrimp, sweet and hot sriracha sauce, sesame seeds
sage cream, candied pecans, pecorino romano
tuna, cucumber, avocado, crab stick, topped with tuna,
avocado, spicy mayo, eel sauce
The Black Whale never disappoints. We have Columbus Day penciled in for a cruise with Gail and Rudy annually, but that may change if I can get tickets for the VIP at Chowderfest 2025.
Mattapoisett Afternoon
We got back to the house; as I predicted, it was 75°, and the house was blocking almost all the wind. Peter joined us as we basked in the warm October sunshine.
As much as we love boating on Buzzards Bay, I have to say that “Decking” on Buzzards Bay is pretty sweet, too!
Unlike our cruising dinners, Saturday night, I was the chef! I love cooking, but I enjoy deck time with my guests even more, so I went with my Rack of Lamb.
I have been making this dish for decades, and my recipe has evolved over the years. I like it for parties because most of the “heavy lifting” can be done several hours in advance.
Once prepped, it only takes about 25 minutes to finish in a 400° convection oven.
And unlike beef, pork, or chicken, the final temperature isn’t critical to getting that beautiful medium-rare presentation. When I pulled them out, some racks were 153° and others that were 125°. All came out perfect.
We wrapped up the week with a Captain’s Breakfast Buffet…
Although Amazing Grace never left the dock, it was a very nice way to spend Columbus Day Weekend with some our favorite people.
Next year, I’ll try not to overthink it!