The Upper Cape
Despite the challenging economy, the Heritage Museums and Gardens in Sandwich (at Grove and Pine streets, Sandwich; tel. 508/888-3300; www.heritagemuseumsandgardens.org) is in the midst of a major renovation. The 40-year-old museum broke ground this fall on a $3.5-million renovation to the Round Barn, an antique car museum on the property that is called the J.K. Lilly III Automobile Museum. Also to come are $2 million in renovations to the grounds, including a fountain and a kid-friendly tree house called Hidden Hollow. The renovations are expected to be completed by April 2010. The museum opens this spring on April 1, 2009.
In Falmouth, the replacement of the Eel Pond Bridge in Woods Hole, which began in the fall, has put a strain on the businesses in the village. A walking bridge makes accessing the section of Water Street beyond the bridge a snap, but some people have stayed away nonetheless. The construction is scheduled to be completed by Memorial Day. Businesses, including restaurants, in Woods Hole are open their usual hours despite the construction. The new owners of the Fishmonger Café (56 Water Street, Woods Hole; tel. 508/540-5376) are celebrating their first winter with a new menu that includes many affordable options, as well as a relatively low priced fine dining menu. The regular menu has entrees from $14 to $18, and sandwiches and paninis are available for $9 and pizzas for $10. There are also homemade soups; their clam chowder was voted best in Woods Hole. Jazz dinners featuring local musicians take place once a week during the winter.
Rumors abound that everyone's favorite pizzeria, Sabatino's, which closed its Falmouth Heights location this fall, will reopen later this spring on Gifford Street near the Coonamessett Inn.
The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe is working to renovate its Old Indian Meeting House on Route 28 in Mashpee. The building was constructed in 1684 and is one of the oldest churches on Cape Cod. The renovation work is scheduled to be completed this spring. The building will then be used for weddings, funerals, and other tribal functions. The Wampanoag Indian Museum, on Route 130 in Mashpee, is also undergoing a renovation.
The Mid Cape
Tommy Doyle's Irish Pub and Restaurant (334 Main Street, Hyannis; tel. 508/862-9430; www.tommydoyles.com), which opened on Main Street in Hyannis last year, is proving to be a hit. Offering the ultimate Irish pub atmosphere, lots of beers on draft, and a hearty menu, the restaurant attracts a range of age groups.
Pain D'Avignon, which serves what is considered the best bread and sandwiches on Cape Cod (15 Hinkley Road, Hyannis; tel. 508/771-9771; www.paindavignon.com) has reopened after a fire in 2007 destroyed the restaurant.
In what may be a casualty of the recession, Restaurant Barolo's (on North Street in Hyannis), which was considered one of the best Italian restaurants in Hyannis, has closed.
Still hanging in there is Hannah's Fusion Bar and Bistro (615 Main St., Hyannis; tel. 508/778-5565; www.hannahsbistro.com), whose owners offer surprises nightly on their ever-changing menu. Some favorites on a recent night were the fried ravioli appetizer, fried calamari (every night there seems to be a different sauce!), sweet potato encrusted snapper, steak tips, and coffee-encrusted pork, a perfect winter treat.
One of the Cape's top restaurants, Abbicci in Yarmouthport, has closed, perhaps for good. The restaurant recently underwent a massive renovation, adding modern touches and a new bar area. The owner is now trying to sell the property. If it does not sell, she has said she may reopen this summer.
On the other end of the spectrum is the Old Yarmouth Inn (223 Route 6A, Yarmouthport; tel. 508/362-9962; www.oldyarmouthinn.com), a former stagecoach stop that forever retains its old world charm. This winter, the restaurant has been a popular place for pizzas, which are reasonably priced.
Buckies Biscotti and Company (780 Main Street, Dennis Village; tel. 508/385-4700), a gem of a bakery hidden away behind the post office, also has a location now in Dennisport (281 Main Street/Route 28, Dennisport; tel. 508/398-9700). Next to Buckies Dennis village location is Mercantile Deli (tel. 508/385-3877), which has huge sandwiches, special salads and picnic items perfect for the beach-going crowd.
The Outer Cape
There is a new trail at the Audubon Society's Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary (Route 6, Wellfleet; tel. 508/349-2615; www.massaudobon.org), called the green-building trail. The interpretative trail has 12 stations highlighting the green design features of the sanctuary's new headquarters, like recycled materials, composting toilets, and solar panels.
A new ferry service will transport visitors from the North Shore to Provincetown. The Gloucester to Provincetown ferry is operated by Boston Harbor Cruises (tel. 617/227-4321). It will run from Memorial Day to Labor Day, with round-trip fares of $81 for adults. The trip takes two and a half hours each way. Nantucket
The owners of the popular restaurants Queequegs and Kitty Murtagh's (4 West Creek Road; tel. 508/325-0781) have opened a new restaurant called Town. On the menu is global cuisine inspired by cuisine in places like South Africa and South America.
Another new restaurant on Nantucket is Dune, run by Michael Geller, who founded the innovative restaurant American Seasons. Opening in April, Dune (tel. 508/228-5550) is located on Broad Street at the former location of Cioppino's, which has closed. It will be a contemporary casual eatery with a bistro menu.
Three restaurants on Nantucket, one new high-end spot and two casual places, have closed. Water Street, which just opened a few years ago, closed this fall, as did Atlantic Café on South Water Street, a casual standby for 30 years, and Schooner's on Broad Street.
There is finally progress at Dreamland Theatre, the downtown cinema that has been shuttered for three years. The building is scheduled to be torn down this spring and will be rebuilt to house a 350-seat theatre for performing arts and movies and a second 170-seat theatre.
Martha's Vineyard
Last summer, the restaurant at the Charlotte Inn (27 S. Summer St., Edgartown; tel. 508/627-4151; www.charlotteinn.net) was Catch at The Terrace, which replaced the venerable l'etoile when it moved down South Water Street to a new location. Now the owners of Catch have moved on and fans of the space are awaiting an announcement of who will run the restaurant next year.
The Back Door Donuts, the after 9pm get-'em-while-they're-hot option that is literally the back door of the Martha's Vineyard Gourmet Bakery and Café (5 Post Office Square, Oak Bluffs; tel. 508/693-3688; www.mybakery.com), continues to draw fans year-round for its late night samples of freshly baked goods. A perennial favorite is the apple fritters.
This winter in Oak Bluffs has been brightened by the new sushi menu on Thursday nights at Seasons Eatery and Pub (19 Circuit Avenue, Oak Bluffs; tel. 508/693-7129; www.seasonspub.com), a popular hangout.
Water Street, the new restaurant at the Harborview Hotel (Water Street, Edgartown; tel. 508/627-7000; www.harbor-view.com) that opened last summer continues to get good reviews in Edgartown. But for casual dining, the most popular place is the Wharf Pub and Restaurant (3 Main Street, Edgartown; tel. 508/627-9966), one of the few places serving an affordable dinner menu.
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