A few days ago I heard a local weatherman report that New England had had eleven rainy Saturdays in a row. And although we did enjoy a lot of sunshine last Saturday on Martha’s Vineyard, it did rain briefly in the afternoon.
Thursday brought in torrential winds and rain. For the second weekend in a row, the forecast offered a little of everything – sun, wind, and rain!
But when I woke up Friday morning, all I could see was pea-soup fog blanketing Buzzards Bay.
The course to Provincetown was extremely fog-friendly. There would be no issue in the Cape Cod Canal and then it was a 25-mile open ocean run across Cape Cod Bay.
However, I knew the appearance of fog would likely freak out Mrs. Horne, so I started digging for more information.
- None of the local TV weather forecasts even mentioned fog.
- None of my paid weather services mentioned fog.
- Even the NOAA Marine Forecast didn’t have any mention of fog.
In fact, they all reported just the opposite. Virtual all were forecasting light winds and plenty of sun.
The MBB Webcam Page
This seemed like a good time to refer to the mybuzzardsbay.com New England Webcams and see if there is fog in Cape Cod Bay.
As soon as I opened the page, I noticed several dead links and decided this was a good time to remove the dead links and add any new ones I could find.
I think I found more new ones than I deleted, but nothing much for Cape Cod Bay.
The first one I found was of Provincetown Harbor. There was fog, but it looked like a half mile or more of visibility.
Next was my new favorite webcam – Little Brewster Light. This seems to offer very high up-time and four cameras pointing north, south, east, and west.
The east cam showed no fog looking across Massachusetts Bay toward Provincetown.
REMINDER: If you are heading out in fog and wondering about visibility around New England, just click New England Marine Web Cams on this website for instant access to functioning webcams around New England.
As I anticipated, Mrs. Horne wasn’t happy when she awoke to fog. I promised her that we’d only leave if she was comfortable and around 9:15 we headed to the marina.
As we packed up the wagon and headed toward our slip, a well-meaning person came up and said:
“You’re not going out in this, there are four-foot waves and white caps in the Canal!”
I told her that wasn’t true, that I had just left Buzzards Bay and there was barely one foot chop.
Mrs. Horne’s anxiety was returning and I said “We’re going down the canal, we have a big boat, we won’t have a problem.”
Then, as we were readying for departure, Deplorable – the Sabre 48 in the slip next to us, pulled in and reported no fog until they got to Mass Maritime.
Smooth Ride to Provincetown
The Deplorable was correct, it was clear with the sun shining as we headed down the canal.
And, not only were there no four-foot white caps, but the ride was pleasantly smooth.
Oh well, the person on the dock meant well!
Provincetown Marina
After a very uneventful docking, we checked into the marina office before heading to Commercial Street to try a new restaurant for lunch
Our destination was the Bay Cafe. It’s a little unclear if its a new restaurant or just a rebranding of the old Bayside Besty’s.
Bay Cafe – Provincetown
Either way, it’s new to us – we never ate at either!
The atmosphere is clean, fresh, and kind of beachy.
I was a little disappointed that their draft system was shut down “for cleaning” during lunch on a Friday, but their Bloody Mary was quite good.
They offer a very ample menu and serve brunch until 1:00 PM. Since this was my first visit, I ordered something I never have – a cheese steak sandwich.
grilled onions and peppers on a toasted brioche bun with tots
This was a very large sandwich, so I immediately thought to eat it as an open sandwich and focus on the steak, cheese, and veggies.
It was very good, but I decided to try it as a sandwich and it was great. Unless you have a big appetite, consider sharing any of their sandwiches.
Tomatoes and Mrs. Horne don’t get along, so she omitted them from her BLT.
She wanted avocado, but they didn’t have any, so she added guac. Surrounded by a sea of tots, she opted for a side Caesar.
wheat toast and caesar side salad
Peter ordered the Meatball sandwich and ate it open-faced, leaving to top bun behind.
melted mozzarella cheese on a toasted brioche bun with tots
Before we left, a man handed us each a handmade origami bird.
He is an artist named John Choly and he operates Cholly Hearts and Moons Gallery just off Route 6.
The Commercial Street Stroll
Virtually every shop on Commercial Street is unique. And despite the plethora of tee-shirt and clothing stores, their are a lot of extremely interesting stops.
We started at Yesterday’s Treasures. Although I don’t have much use for antiques, I do find the shops fascinating.
I was particularly mesmerized by a box of old magazines. They range in price from $12 to $20 and there were several editions of LIFE from 1937.
The site of my summer job in 1971 – The Little Store, appears to be under new ownership and destined to become something called Lady Slipper.
Our dear friend Peggy turned us on to Pastel de Nata from the Portuguese Bakery in 2022.
Having vacationed in the Algarve in April, we are now huge fans of every kind of Portuguese Pastries.
Even if you only have a mild case of sweet tooth, you have to check out the Portuguese Bakery and a Pastel de Nada.
Despite the lousy forecast, downtown was quite comfortable (65°) once you got out of the wind.
Ross’ Grill
We have enjoyed countless lunches at Ross’. In fact, I think we ate there 24 years ago right after they opened for business.
The food and service has always been impeccable, but reservations are hard to come by, so I was happy to snag one for dinner on Friday night.
I was also delighted that their draft beer system was operating in tip-top shape!
Much like the Portuguese Bakery, the bread service gave instant dejá vu of Portugal – baked bread, assorted olives, and seasoned EVOO for dipping!
Peter was hungry and ordered the lamb.
Risotto and Asparagus
Surprisingly, Ross’ serves a full rack – 8 individual ribs. It was too much for Peter to eat and he shared a rib with each of us.
The lamb was a perfect medium rare plus. It was lightly coated in a port wine reduction. I prefer the classic Dijon, garlic, rosemary flavors, but this was very good.
Mrs. Horne went for the bright arugala salad.
Mrs. Horne shared an incredible blue cheese burger here in 2021 and it stuck in my mind so I ordered it again.
Gorgonzola ($3.00) and shoestring fries
It’s a great-tasting burger, but what really sets it apart was the gorgonzola. It’s served at room temperature, which brings out all that funky flavor. It is also the perfect texture; almost like cottage cheese.
Like the Rack of Lamb, it was a very large portion and I was full after eating half.
Rainy Saturday – What else is new?
New England had near-record rainfall in May. That sounds bad, but there weren’t that many rainy days – it just rained heavily on the days it rained.
More significantly for Buzzards Bay boaters has been rainy Saturdays. Apparently, May 31 was the twelfth rain-swept Saturday in a row.
The forecast called for clearing around 10:00, so we hunkered down for the morning.
The rain stopped and the sun came out right on schedule.
The Squealing Pig
We headed out for lunch around noon. We hadn’t visited the Squealing Pig in years and Peter had never been, so that’s where we went.
It’s a cross between a Gastro Pub and a high-end Dive Bar. Much to my delight, they had my #1 New England Style IPA on tap (Fiddlehead).
We grabbed the three corner seats near the window and watched the Shuckmaster turn out a platter of 36 oysters in about two minutes.
The MBB Ambassador Strikes Again
Right after we arrived, a couple sat down next to us and of course, Mrs. Horne struck up a conversation.
It turns out Gary and Paula are from our neighboring town – Fairhaven. Within the next 20 minutes, Gary and Mrs. Horne compared contacts and discovered that they shared 20-30 common friends.
I mentioned Mrs. Horne’s superpower to pick out new friends in a crowd and Paula said “Gary does the same thing!”
Meanwhile, our food arrived…
Sliced chicken, brie, tomato,
pesto pressed on toasted hearty
white bread
swiss cheese, avocado, sweet potato fries, no bun
I’m not a huge fan of sweet potato fries, except for those served at The Squealing Pig. They have figured out how to get them crispy on the outside while keeping the inside soft and mushy
Buffalo and blue cheese sauce
This is exactly how wings should be prepared. They are deep-fried and lightly salted – no breading. I always get the buffalo sauce on the side. It’s less messy and the wings stay hot longer.
Gale Warnings
At this point, the wind was blowing hard. I did a quick check with the NOAA Buoy app and it showed 34 knot winds and Gale Warnings.
The wind was howling we returned to the marina and three foot waves were crashing under the fixed pier and tossing boats around.
It was probably the first day I felt like the investment we made in the onboard gyro stabilization system was worth the hefty price tag.
With Amazing Grace sitting rather calm amidst the gale, we converted the salon into the media room and watched a great action movie.
I’ve seen it three times and it’s still got me wondering how it ends – lots of action and thrills til the end.
The Red Inn
We grabbed an Uber and headed down Commercial Street to the Red Inn for dinner.
This is generally rated the #1 restaurant in Provincetown for good reason. It offers ocean front dining in a sweeping classic dining room with perfectly executed sophisticated continental cuisine.
Mrs. Horne wanted a light and flavorful dinner. She ordered a seafood sampler.
6 oysters, 3 clams, 3 shrimp, one ½ lobster tail
Peter went for the halibut special.
Citrus Beurre Blanc
mashed potatoes and asparagus
I wanted to try something different, so I ordered the duck.
creole seasoned, de-boned, smoked, savory bread pudding, orange peppercorn glaze, asparagus
It was exquisitely prepared with the duck fully deboned and formed into a ball. I did find the smoke a little heavy.
The starch side was a savory bread pudding. It was good, but a very large portion. I’m glad I tried it, but I probably wouldn’t order it again.
Sunday Biking
The forecast for Sunday was decent for biking. Peter has never been on the Provincetown Bike Trail and we were excited to show it to him.
It was a day that required a pullover and gloves, but I was fine in my shorts.
We started at the end of Commercial Street.
We always get lost and have to circle back. Next time I think we’ll head out on Race Point Road and try this loop.
Local 186
We got back to town around 1:00 and locked up the bikes on the public bike off Commercial Street.
There was a brisk wind and the temperature was just over 60°, but the host convinced us to sit on the front porch by pointing out a table with a heater in the ceiling,,
It was quite comfortable and well worth the views across Commercial Street.
Peter ordered one of their award-winning burgers…
local lager & aged cheddar pub cheese, fried onion strings
Mrs. Horne had her favorite salad…
red and golden beets, goat cheese, micro greens,
pistachio, blood citrus vinaigrette
I’m on a bit of a “Dog Tour” this summer and decided to try the Local 186’s.
Snake River Farm Kobe beef dog, Nueske’s bacon
Although they didn’t have relish, the sliced dill pickles fit neatly below the dog and provided a very relish-like flavor profile.
The afternoon turned pleasant and lent itself to a stroll before dinner.
As we left the wharf, we noticed film trucks lining up in the parking lot. It turns out they are making a movie about Anthony Bourdain called Tony.
Bourdain discovered Provincetown in 1972 – about the same time I did. He attributed his time in Provincetown for driving his career in the culinary arts.
My brother Charles was involved in the restaurant and theatre scene in the late 60’s and I have very fond memories of hanging out in the kitchens at Front Street and Spiritus with Howard Gruber and Johnny Yingling.
photo courtesy of Lynn Aubin
photo courtesy of Lynn Aubin
Front Street
No visit to Provincetown would be complete without Sunday night dinner at Front Street. I love the feeling of an old world lair as you descend the stairs and enter the basement dining room.
The restaurant has gone through many owners over the years and apparently it has changed hands again.
The service has always been outstanding and while we truly enjoyed the young man who waited on us, it was clear that things in the back of the house were a little rocky when we tried to substitute a few ingredients on the menu.
Nevertheless, the food came out as delicious as ever!
Veal medllions sauteed with onions, mushrooms & a dash of garlic, finished with a marsala demiglaze & served on a bed of pasta.
Romaine lettuce tossed with a dressing of garlic, egg, anchovy, romano & lemon, topped with homemade croutons.
Although Mrs. Horne only ordered her traditional Caesar, my bowl of truffle gnocchi was more than ample to feed me, her, and we still didn’t finish it.
Melt in your mouth potato dumplings tossed with a white truffle butter, cream & pecorino romano (does contain wheat, egg & rice flour) with vegetables.
We left Front Street right around that magic hour when even a hack photographer like me can catch pictures worthy of an art gallery.
Monday arrived with sunshine, warmth, and virtually no wind. As we left the harbor I shed a little tear for all the weekend warriors who have suffered months of lousy Saturdays followed by a work week full of bluebird days…
As we ran up the Canal, a local photographer caught a few nice pics…
Next Up: Girls on a boat!
So happy you all enjoyed your stay !! Hope we see you again soon at the Provincetown Marina!
Marisa