Our first stop for a wee, afternoon snack was Chapin's in Dennis. It was a happening place with a good sized bar, a restaurant area, and an outside patio. It was raining so we parked ourselves at the bar, had a couple of drinks, and enjoyed some music. It was an overcast, rainy day so I decided on a Smithwick's (which I prefer in Ireland) and mi amiga had a Mike's Hard Lemonade. The tunes from an entertaining one man band were playing in the background. I was jamming. After a while, we decided to order a small bite to eat because we were a tad bit hungry. We decided on artichoke bruschetta made with grilled focacia, fresh artichokes, vine ripe tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil. Totally hit the spot. The focacia was grilled to perfection and piled high with the fresh veggies. It was yummy. The staff was friendly but I was not offered any free popcorn and I love me some popcorn and beer. And I didn't realize until later that I could have served myself until the place cleared out a bit and I spied the popcorn machine in the corner. Bummer! Overall, it was an enjoyable experience.
That evening, we ventured out by foot for a very late dinner at the Ocean House located on the water about a quarter of a mile down the road from the Seashell. For lack of a better description, the joint was Fancy Smancy. The staff members were in identical uniforms, the lighting was low, the service was better than good, the presentation was funky, and the prices reflected it. We scored a high top table in the bar area. The bar hostess did not impress me one bit but our waiter was cool and down to earth. Because of the appetizer we shared late in the day and our continuous munching, we weren't starving.
After reading the menu, we decided on some small plates that we could share. Our choice of drink for the evening was Stella Artois. Our waiter delivered some baked pita triangles with poppy and sesame seeds and some fresh bread with a scrumptious spread to hold us over. After some chit chat, our order arrived in bits and pieces. First we shared a large bowl of clam chowder. It wasn't served hot enough but it was so creamy with huge pieces of potatoes and clams. Delish. Then we received two bison sliders served with spicy Thai ketchup, a gherkin pickle and a cherry tomato. They were juicy and flavorful. After that we had the huge basket of calamari mixed with cherry peppers, chorizo sausage, and Italian parsley which was mediocre. We hardly put a dent in the order and didn't care for the oily batter or the dipping sauces. Although the chorizo sausage was yummy. There just wasn't much of it. My favorite carb of the evening was the order of hand cut Parmesan truffle fries which arrived last but certainly not least. OMG! Shoestring sized slices of potatoes fried in truffle oil, seasoned and salted to perfection. And a ceramic cup of ketchup with a tiny spoon was delivered upon request.
Of course our waiter had to announce that all the desserts were HOMEMADE. How could I resist even after I insisted that I was so full that I was going to die. Warm chocolate, caramel, molten cake with coconut gelato and berries? Um. Let me think about this. YES! And I am so glad I gave into temptation. Paired with a half sized chocolate martini with vanilla and chocolate jimmies rounding the rim. Delectable! Ocean House gets a B rating from me.
That is was what we enjoyed on our first day on the Cape. I promise there is more food and fun to come.
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