Fanizzi’s Restaurant By The Sea

By John S. Kelemen

As the summer of ’08 reaches its mid point it has become clear that our slow weekly trajectory from west to east through the eateries of Provincetown will fail to provide any fair scrutiny of the restaurants on the east end before the guillotine of Labor Day falls. We will, therefore, flip flop like all good liberals when logic interferes with planning and switch between the establishments on the east end of town and those more in the center.

Sunday night found Table for Three at an old reliable of the east end, Fanizzi’s. For those of us who refuse to leave town when the snow flies Fannizi’s is a favorite because it stays open (lunch, dinner, and Sunday brunch) when everything else is locked tight. Among the four diners in tow was Michael the Rubber (MR) one of the perpetrators of Tfor3, who finally made his debut halfway through the summer, also present was Michael the Blogger (MB), Meat and Potatoes Rich (MPR) and yours truly (JSK).

We were seated in the cozy dining room with its great view of the harbor. The atmosphere was enhanced by a spectacular lightning display from an approaching thunderstorm. The room was packed with a lively crowd, which is to be expected at this time of the year. Service was correspondingly somewhat slower than our spoiled townie group is used to with our waiter deftly handling more than his fair share of tables.

Appetizers were finally ordered and included two menu favorites, ‘Ultimate Nachos’ covered with chili and P.E.I. mussels. Both appetizers were excellent. The chosen entrees were Grilled Salmon (MB), ‘Secret Recipe’ Fried Chicken (MPR), Baked Cod with Puttanesca sauce (MR) and Seared Scallops Provencal (JSK). Everyone was okay with their meal except MPR who found his chicken quite dry. As for the side vegetable, MB enjoyed his asparagus while the rest of us left our green string beans largely untouched. For a restaurant which specializes in comfort food it is probably not wise to overdo the al dente craze. Mama always made sure the veggies were cooked. The beans tasted raw and just barely kissed by a tepid summer breeze. Three of us had wild rice with our entrees, which was quite good. Dinner was topped off with coffee and a dessert of apple/blueberry crisp and vanilla ice cream. Only MB chose a more sensibly dietetic desert of grape sorbet. The apple/blueberry crisp portions were huge and the taste excessively sweet. They made a nice take home gift for MB’s nephew. We love Fanizzi’s but all of us have had better meals there than this one. 

In summary: service was only fair through no fault of the waiter; food was good for the most part but not at its best; presentation okay; atmosphere pleasant as usual; and prices still decent in comparison to many places. This time around it’s three out of five monuments for Fanizzi’s (III).

Fanizzi’s by the Sea
539 Commercial Street
508 487-7964

The Caribbean Corner Café

By John S. Kelemen

Provincetown is fortunate to have several sidewalk eateries on Commercial Street and the streets leading to the wharfs. The quick and affordable take out meal, elsewhere symbolized by the big worldwide franchises, remain for the most part, local small business enterprises. Speaking only for myself, I hope it will remain that way during my lifetime

The Caribbean Corner Café has survived for several competitive summer seasons indicating new diversity in tastes and demographics. There is no indoor dining space provided, however, a pleasant outdoor courtyard faces the street and former Aquarium Plaza across the way. Tables and benches are provided and shaded by umbrellas. Additional seating is provided on the porch level where meals are ordered. The CCC is now open for breakfast as well as lunch and dinner. Orders are taken at the counter which is open to the food prep area. Selections are made from the menu posted on the blackboard. Each item is freshly prepared including the freshly squeezed tropical juice drinks. It’s not Burger King so don’t expect instant gratification.

Table for three at the CCC ended up as table for two with only Michael the Blogger joining me to sample the fare. Meat and Potatoes Rich and Nephew Mark ran across the street for Big Daddy’s Burritos. Michael ordered a chicken taco meal with black beans and rice while I went for the pork on saffron rice. Both meals were served with salad and plantains all neatly compartmentalized in a practical styrofoam container. Both of us found our meals and juice drinks quite good at the price and wouldn’t hesitate to visit the CCC again.

It is unfair to try and rate The Caribbean Corner Café by the usual standards since there is no waiter service, presentation, or indoor ambiance; however, in this time of financial crunch this type of quality food provided without frills but at a fair price is a good break for the non affluent. The Caribbean Corner Café deserves an A+ for effort and three and one half Provincetown Monuments (III ½).

The Caribbean Corner Cafe
206 Commercial Street
508 487-2023
Tfor3#9

Note:

For those who may be venturing outside of our hometown sanctuary.
If your going to Hyannis, by all means try Embargo on Main Street which specializes in Spanish and American tapas. Prior to the Linda Eder concert, we decided to give it a try and definitely had no regrets. Dinner for two including Kobe beef sliders, sautéed wild mushrooms with truffle oil and goat cheese, garlic shrimp and P.E.I. mussels in curry sauce was consumed for under $50. Embargo also touts a good martini selection, affordable wines, and homemade sangria. The food was fantastic, décor beautiful, service excellent and presentation okay (who cares?). If this restaurant were in Provincetown it would be closing in on that five monument mark.

Embargo
453 Main Street, Hyannis
508 771-9700

Café Heaven

By John S. Kelemen

Café Heaven occupies one of those prime Commercial Street restaurant spots that has survived over the decades through several name transformations. I first remember it as Alice’s Restaurant when it still evoked the laid back 60’s era of free loving and living and Arlo Guthrie’s quasi-folk song lyrics. This was my first trip to Café Heaven in several seasons. Our Tfor3 group of four included Michael the Blogger (MtheB) with nephew Mark and friend Luis.

Our preconceived notion of Café Heaven as a tourist only eatery was quickly belied as we entered and found representatives of the all-year community already enjoying dinner. The op-pop free spirited wall paintings and no nonsense spare décor recalls a less polished but more happy-go-lucky era in Provincetown. Café Heaven does not accept reservations but we were early enough to be seated immediately and quickly served our drinks. For those who may choose to forgo alcohol, for a change, try the Italian style sodas which are different and quite good.

Our lovely young waitress from Moldova was attentive and charming. She definitely enhanced Mark’s appreciation of the meal. The experience was the exact opposite of Enzo’s where special requests were treated unfavorably. At Café Heaven the creative opportunity is presented of combining ingredients for burgers and pasta dishes, which are featured prominently on the menu, there are additional choices for appetizers, soups, entrees and desserts featured daily on the blackboard.

After an excellent house salad I chose the cod fish special which was served with steamed spinach and a Tuscan bean stew with Italian sausage. It was excellent and affordable (but definitely not cheap). MtheB couldn’t get enough pasta; first enjoying a gnocchi appetizer and then creating his own pasta dish with feta cheese, spinach and caramelized onions. Mark started off with the cream of broccoli soup and then had a pasta dish with salmon and spinach. Luis kept to his diet with only a salad but was well pleased. No one was disappointed with their choice and we all expect to make return visits.

As usual dinner was topped off with an excellent cup of coffee. We chose two of the blackboard featured desserts, a chocolate cake and a lemon cheesecake, both were okay. Café Heaven is fine for a good unpretentious meal at affordable prices. In summation, food was very good, service was very good, atmosphere is good and enjoyable and a little loud and a little funky, don’t look for a fancy nouvelle presentation. Good quick summertime food is what this place is about and for that it deserves four out of a five big Ptown (IIII) monuments.

Café Heaven
199 Commercial Street
508 487-9639

Enzo

By John S. Kelemen

On the eve of the Fourth we headed out on Commercial Street for an early dinner combined with people watching at Enzo. Enzo occupies a large Victorian structure on the corner of Court St. across from its more modest, but always busy, sister restaurant known as Bubala’s by the Bay. There are very comfortable and nicely appointed interior dining rooms away from the maddening crowd, however, nosy parkers that we be, outdoor dining in the dust and wind while sitting on stackable plastic chairs was our choice for the holiday eve. Our primary aim was to sample the cooking of new chef, Jeremiah Reardon. Enzo has been advertising the chef’s classical training. The rotating weekly menus reflect selections and prices with a definite aura of fine dining several steps above ordinary tourist fare.

Despite some mix-up in our reservations we were quickly accommodated on the porch level with a great view of the street and Bubala’s patio. There were five for dinner including Michael the Blogger, Rich, Mark, Bill and myself plus two other guests who stayed just long enough to share a salad and shrimp appetizer before running off to see a show. By all indications the salad and shrimp were excellent. In addition to those opting for salads the rest of us shared two appetizers, Sea Scallops with Seared Foie Gras and Wellfleet Oyster Tartare with American Osetra Caviar, both of which were quite good despite their pretentious names.

My favorite fish was on the menu and I couldn’t resist ordering the ‘Sundried Tomato Crusted Halibut’. This entrée turned out to be beautiful in presentation, big in price, and small in portion, although it was quite tasty. Our meat and potatoes man, Rich, wanted the Kobe Steak but inquired as to whether he could substitute potatoes for the featured asparagus. The wonderfully accommodating waitress reported that Chef Reardon’s reply was an emphatic no and Rich settled for the Guinea Hen with caramelized onion potatoes, thus saving $14 on his entree. Bill ordered the Kobe Beef with Michael and Mark opting for the Grilled Dayboat Scallops. The presentation of all entrees were picture book examples of appetizing nouvelle cuisine art. Food satisfaction level was good but in no way extraordinary.

Dinner was topped off with coffee and two shared desserts, ‘Barnstable Strawberry Shortcake’ and ‘Milk Chocolate Pots de crème with fresh berries and stone fruit’. I found the shortcake somewhat dry but the milk chocolate pots de crème was delicious.

In summation, we found Enzo a somewhat mixed bag as far as rating is concerned. Service was excellent and food presentation wonderful. Food level and atmosphere fall somewhat short of fine dining while prices are, as can be expected, high. Apparently special requests are not appreciated and will not be accommodated by the chef even at an early hour when the restaurant is almost empty. We give Enzo three monuments out of a possible five (III).

Enzo
186 Commercial Street
508 487-7555