This week’s Cape Cod restaurant news brings some new names and some familiar faces to the table, as well as a Bloody Mary cocktail contest in Hyannis.
And in case you missed last week’s Tidbits column, we visited the Loafy Lark in East Wareham, on the Buzzards Bay line, and found a world of flavors, including dishes from Thailand, Mexico, Vietnam, Korea, Cuba and the Mediterranean.
Back here on Cape Cod, there is news this week that Baleine Wine Bar will open in Dennis, Pete’s Point Restaurant & Tavern in South Dennis is reopening, and The Cape House in Brewster will open in the spot where Kate’s Seafood stood for 39 years.
Bloody Mary mix-off in Hyannis
Embargo hosts its 9th annual Aston’s Bloody Mary Mix Off from 1 to 4 p.m. April 27. Tickets, available through Eventbrite, are $40 for general admission and $60 for VIP, which starts an hour earlier. Tickets include unlimited Bloody Mary samples from 20 restaurants, made with sponsor Tito’s Handmade Vodka, and a passed brunch sponsored by Embargo. Not a fan of Bloody Marys? Embargo will be selling wine, spirits, beer and mimosas, with all proceeds of the event supporting Early Intervention and its work on the Cape and Islands. A raffle, silent and live auctions will also take place throughout the day.
The Pheasant restaurant owners add a wine bar
Erica Dunn reports that she and her husband, Adam, plan to open a wine bar called Baleine next month, in the Dennis space formerly occupied by Harvest Gallery Wine Bar.
“It’s just a two-minute drive from The Pheasant, so it’ll create a fun little circuit for people spending time in the area, before or after dinner. We plan to open early for a post beach cocktail and stay open a bit later for after dinner drinks and dessert,” Erica Dunn emailed.
Target date to open Baleine is mid-May.
“Baleine will offer a focused but dynamic wine list (all wines available at Dunn & Sons), along with beer, cocktails, and music with vinyl DJs,” Dunn wrote, mentioning the couple’s wine store on Route 6A in Yarmouth Port.
The new venture is named Baliene after the French word for whale.
“It was the perfect bridge between our love for French wine and the maritime character of the Cape. The word felt coastal, elegant, and just a little unexpected. It had the right sound, the right spirit — the right vibe,” Erica Dunn responded when asked about the name.
Pete’s Point Restaurant & Tavern, 430 Route 134, South Dennis, 508-258-0118
Speaking of what’s in a name, original owners Peter and Elizabeth Skordas are back at Pete’s Point Restaurant & Tavern. The plan was to reopen April 15.
“Old favorites, new specials, and a refreshed new look. With Pete back at the helm, it’s time to Get Back To The Point!!” said the restaurant’s Facebook page.
Pete’s Point’s sister restaurant, Olympia Seafood, also heralded the reopening.
Pete’s owners posted on Facebook a full menu of apps, sandwiches, fried seafood and entrees.
The Cape House opens in May in former Kate’s Fried Seafood & Ice Cream
For 39 years, Kathy and John Ohman ran the popular eatery, Kate’s Seafood, at 284 Paine’s Creek Road in Brewster.
Now, after the Ohmans spent last summer working with new owners Robert and Izabelle Crisanti, the restaurant is set to re-open in May as The Cape House.
“We knew we were going to buy it. It made the most sense to spend a summer working there to get their knowledge from the past 40 years,” Robert Crisanti said in an interview last week.
Crisanti said customers won’t see a lot of changes in the first year.
“The main menu will be primarily fried seafood and scooped ice cream. Izabelle is trying to add fish tacos. We’re thinking about adding a fried chicken sandwich,” Robert Crisanti said.
Both of the Crisantis are culinary school grads and they plan to try weekly specials to see which entrees are popular.
“We just want to keep in place their successful menu and elevate what they were doing,” he said.
Izabele Crisanti said she also loves to work with local farmers, so the new menu may incorporate salads with roasted vegetables.
The couple is also interested in serving locally made beers and wines. One of the big changes is that the new owners have applied for a seasonal liquor license for the restaurant, which has 75 outside seats. The town has approved, Robert Crisanti said, and the couple are waiting on approval from the Massachusetts Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission.
The Crisantis, currently living outside Philadelphia, have rented a home in Brewster where they will live while running their seasonal restaurant, slated to open May 16, the weekend before Memorial Day.
The couple, who have two young children of their own, are also looking to install some kind of outside activities for families at The Cape House.
The plan is to start by being open six days a week and then switching to seven days for July and August. The Cape House is hiring cooks and counter help. Anyone interested may email thecapehouse284@gmail.com.
Gwenn Friss is the editor of CapeWeek and covers entertainment, restaurants and the arts. Contact her at gfriss@capecodonline.com. Join the Cape Cod Times free Facebook group, Good Stuff at Cape Cod Restaurants, to share tips and participate in food polls.
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