Be safe in the storm

So as we await the impending storm here on Cape Cod,  I found myself with a few extra minutes to play around with a fun new app from Expedia for Facebook.

You can check out the results the results of my efforts here.

We’ve battened down the hatches and made safe the lines and hope that we come out unscathed on the other side.

To all our friends, family, and guests in the Northeast today, be safe.

It’s official! The High Pointe Inn in West Barnstable, MA was selected as a 2013 Top 10 Romantic Inn by BedandBreakfast.com. According to the press release, “the High Pointe Inn is recognized as a top inn around the world  providing the best travel experience in this category.” We are honored to be among such good company, including inns in France and Mexico, as well as all across the U.S.

BedandBreakfast.com is the most comprehensive global site for finding bed and breakfast properties around the world, with more than 13,000 properties worldwide representing nearly 80,000 rooms. Each November, BedandBreakfast.com names 30 overall top inns based on the quality and quantity of traveler reviews from the past year. We were delighted to receive the Top Ten status from BedandBreakfast.com in 2005, 2007, and 2009.

Starting in December 2011, BedandBreakfast.com decided to recognize more of the world’s best inns and began a monthly awards program to honor 10 more B&Bs every month in a special category.   “These award-winning inns, including the High Pointe Inn, really showcase bed and breakfasts and inns that often become a destination to discover, and not just a place to stay,” says Gregory Sion, general manager of BedandBreakfast.com. “Travelers select bed and breakfasts because they enjoy staying in a one-of-a-kind place that offers not only character, special amenities and unmatched hospitality, but also enables them to discover new experiences.”

It’s a true honor to be chosen for the 2013 Top 10 Romantic Inns award, and we are thrilled that our hard work has set us apart. View all the award winners at BedandBreakfast.com.

With Valentines’ Day approaching, be sure to check out our “February is for Lovers” package on the Special and Packages page of our website. Don’t you deserve a little romance this season?

I can take a hint. So when Bistrot de Soleil kept coming up in conversations about where to eat on Cape Cod in the quiet season, I immediately began searching for a reason to visit. I found one this week when some very good friends came to the Inn for a visit and we decided to “break out of the mold” and try something new. A very wise decision indeed.

Bistrot de Soleil is a relatively new restaurant on the Cape, located on Stevens Street between North and Main in what once was the home of the popular Harry’s Blues Bar. A small venue, the décor is a blend of understated elegance and French kitsch. It’s an interesting combo that belies what awaits you on their extensive menu. We were lured in part by the 3-course prix fixe dinner special advertised in the local Cape Cod Times. Accompanied by a glass of chef-selected wine for just $20 per person the abbreviated menu suited three of just fine.

We started with a choice of four appetizers including soup, salads, and a hot dish. We opted for the salads, caesar and caprese, and were not disappointed. The caprese was lightly dressed with a balsamic vinaigrette and the Caesar perfectly chilled, a great start to what turned out to be a magnificent meal. The wines that accompanied the prix fixe entrees were also good, in particular the Honoro Vera Jumilla, an organic monastrell from Spain, which suited my entrée nicely. Smooth and jammy from start to finish, it had a particularly nice mouth feel and stood up to the sea salt, pepper, and garlic preparation of my grilled bistrot steak. The steak was accompanied by pomme frites and haricot vert, a nice counterpoint to the beef. Portion sizes of the prix fixe menu items were smaller than the main dinner entrees, but I still ended up taking home at least half of my steak.

One of our dinner companions has a wheat allergy and was delighted to find so many gluten-free options to choose from on the menu. After much deliberation, he went with a pan-seared pork chop that was served with sautéed cherries and a blueberry chutney. The dish was a decided hit, as evidenced by his clean plate at the end of the meal.

The restaurant prides itself on sourcing the freshest local ingredients and offers an extensive menu of European-inspired dishes, as well as pastas, risottos, pizza and burgers. Desserts are house-made, and judging by the crème brule I had, worth saving room for. Our server, Luiz, was a delightful addition to our evening out, attentive without being over-bearing and well-informed without being smug.

With so much to offer it goes without saying that we will recommend this new find highly to our guests of our Inn and will find many more reasons for a return visit ourselves often this winter.

Bistrot de Soleil is open seven nights a week starting at 4:30 PM. Starting in the spring they will also open for lunch.