Who doesn”™t love a vacation that offers great food and terrific natural resources with atmosphere — and more atmosphere? We”™re talking, of course, about Lower Cape Cod ”“ specifically the towns of Eastham, Wellfleet and Truro, Massachusetts. These charming towns, which are naturally and ruggedly beautiful, are famous for a lot of things, specifically for what they don”™t have ”“ big-box stores, urban overgrowth and franchises. Unlike many Cape Cod towns where you”™ll find every store and hotel under the sun, these towns have no supermarkets and maybe ”“ just maybe — a Dunkin”™ Donuts”™ franchise.
But we are here to tell you that if you can”™t get to this Cape before the end of summer ”“ no worries. The Cape is probably at its greatest appeal in the fall. Indeed, with kids in school, it is less crowded. The weather is still warm so you can beach it, sail or play tennis or golf. And you”™ll discover affordable off-season rates at hotels and motels that make the area even more attractive. Better yet, many seasonal restaurants are open until mid-October.
We always recommend the natural untouched beauty of the National Seashore. The Cape Cod National Seashore (CCNS) was created on Aug. 7, 1961 by President John F. Kennedy, for which the world should be forever thankful. (Without Kennedy”™s influence, this part of the Cape would otherwise be overrun by skyscraper hotels and Walmarts.) The National Seashore is comprised of 43,500 acres that include ponds, woods and the beachfront of the Atlantic coastal pine barrens eco-region. The CCNS includes nearly 40 miles of seashore along the Atlantic-facing eastern edge of Cape Cod, in the towns of Provincetown, Truro, Wellfleet, Eastham, Orleans and Chatham.
The CCNS is run by the National Park Service, with the dual goal of protecting precious, ecologically fragile land while allowing the public to enjoy a unique natural resource. Among its notable sites is Marconi Station, scene of the first two-way transatlantic radio transmission.
Of course, the area boasts award-winning beaches. Two that we especially love are Nauset Light Beach and Coast Guard Beach, which was selected as one of the top 10 in the world by “Dr. Beach.” (The parking lots are always filled with cars from Connecticut and New York.)
Coast Guard Beach features coarse sand, cliffs, lots of beach grass, and the old picturesque Coast Guard station. Bring your wetsuits. The Atlantic waters of the Cape only reach about 70 degrees, if you”™re lucky.
After beaching it, it”™s definitely worth the short trip to Gull Pond, one of the Cape”™s famous “kettle ponds,” where you can rent kayaks or just take a dip in water so clean, clear and soft, you won”™t want ”“ or need ”“ to take a shower afterwards.
A whale Of A meal
Lunch or dinner, anyone? Our favorite seafood place for lunch or dinner is Moby Dick”™s, which is situated across from Gull Pond Road. Now celebrating 41 years of business under owner Todd Barry, Moby Dick”™s is the epitome of the clam shack that you”™ve always wanted to eat at. “Yes, we”™re a clam shack,” Barry said. “We haven”™t reinvented the wheel, but we don”™t cut corners and only buy the best.” Indeed, here”™s where you”™ll find Wellfleet oysters, of course, along with classic fried platters, lobster rolls and signature seafood such as the $32 broiled Cape sea scallops that come with sweet corn and a baked potato. The prices are value-packed: You can bring in your own alcohol (which people love to do as there
are no corkage fees) and there”™s simply a tipping jar for gratuities. (You could say the restaurant offers the greatest fish dinners for just a few clams.)
You”™ll also find, fins down, the freshest seafood (deliveries are daily) and waitstaff kids from all over the world ”“ who are excited to work in Wellfleet. Save room for dessert: Moby”™s bakes its own brownies, get its ice cream from a local mom-and-pop purveyor and imports its key lime pie from Georgia. Moby Dick”™s also welcomes dogs. Because of Covid, the restaurant created 10 tables for outdoor seating, and “so many people came with dogs that we created a dog station,” Barry said.
Oo la la ”“ dinner at PB Boulangerie Bistro
Cape Cod is also famous for a French bistro that continually wins rave reviews for its authentic cuisine and hospitality. Check out PB Boulangerie Bistro, opened in 2009 by chef Philippe Rispoli , who hails from Lyon, France. (Prior to this, he was the executive chef for Wynn Las Vegas.) Here you”™ll find foods that will remind you of Paris ”“ but now you can enjoy them all without the long-haul flight and the jet lag. PB Boulangerie Bistro is perhaps the Cape”™s best-kept secret ”“ although it attracts scores and scores of customers who thrill to get their fill of la vie en rose. The award-winning spot has been written up everywhere from The New York Times to The Washington Post. It”™s been hailed as a destination restaurant ”“ meaning it is well worth the four-hour drive from New York or the two-hour trip from Boston.
In the morning, starting at 7 a.m., the boulangerie (bakery) lines are long as customers patiently wait to get their fill of breads, pastries and especially viennoiserie ”“ Viennese-style breakfast pastries. You”™ll find such gourmet goodies as multigrain batard and white-chocolate breads, farmer”™s baguettes, croissants of many different varieties, cannelés (crusted custard goodies) and Danishes that pastry chef Michel Bentz ”“ who hails from Lyon, too — makes in the wee hours of the morning.
More on desserts? There are chocolate-pear sables, coconut macarons, chocolate bombes ”“ and a wealth of other wonderful French treats. There are also lunch sandwiches galore. Try the French Revolution, which consists of a baguette outfitted with Boursin cheese, bacon, honey and scallions. And ”“ bien sûr ”“ you can order a quiche Lorraine or a croque monsieur.
In addition, the bistro reopened the dining room in 2022 for dinner Wednesdays through Sundays with a beautiful three-course, pre-fixe meal that combines the chef”™s French heritage with the bounties of Cape Cod. The menu includes a classic Lyonnaise dish ”“ the Quenelle de Lyon ”“made with fresh scallops caught by a local shell-fisherman; steak frites with homemade Bernaise, seared wild octopus; escargot; homemade pâté campagne; locally caught striped bass and monkfish; chicken cordon bleu; and so much more. Chef Philippe is joined in the bistro kitchen by his longtime friend and former colleague in France, chef Julien Zerbe, who recently arrived in the United States, and by sous chef Biagio Meloni-Nardone.
Chefs Philippe and Julian are also planning an exciting shoulder season (between peak and off-peak) for the bistro. This November, PB Boulangerie Bistro will once again be offering a Beaujolais Nouveau dinner, celebrating the release of the Beaujolais Nouveau on Nov. 16th and
the season of harvest. The chefs have created a special menu inspired by the wine, and diners receive a bottle of the wine with their dinner. PB also puts forth a bountiful Thanksgiving meal that can be enjoyed at home or at the bistro.
More reel life
To top to it all off, you absolutely must visit the Wellfleet Drive-In Theatre. The legendary blast from the past offers first-run double features every night and is the only drive-in theater on Cape Cod. (Let”™s face it, there are just a handful of drive-ins still in business around the country.) Built in 1957, the Wellfleet drive-in hosts a 100-foot-by-44-foot screen, and a state-of-the-art FM stereo sound system that decodes modern soundtracks. On-site you”™ll also find mini-golf, ice cream, pizza and, during the day, an inimitable flea market. (No matter what time of year you visit the flea market, wear your sunscreen.)
The food, the beaches, the nostalgic touches: As the song says, you”™re sure to fall in love with old Cape Cod.
For more about Debbi, “The Gorgeous Globetrotter,” follow her on Instagram at @DebbiKickham. Her husband and writing partner, William D. Kickham, is an attorney in Massachusetts.
