The High Pointe Inn

Cape Cod Restaurant Week Returns 5/16-22, 2020

Need an excuse to get out of the kitchen next week and come to Cape Cod? Set your sights on any of the nearly 50 restaurants across Cape Cod that will be celebrating Cape Cod Restaurant Week starting Monday, May 16 and running through Sunday, May 22, 2020. Operating twice annually since the Fall of 2020, Restaurant Week is a great way to sample some of Cape Cod’s finest restaurants for a fraction of the price. Featuring a 3- or 4-course prix fixe menu priced at $25 – $35 per person depending on the restaurant, you could easily discover a new favorite, or return to a much-loved venue from previous seasons. Rich and I always try 3-4 “new to us” restaurants during this bi-annual event so that we can recommend new and different places for our Cape Cod Bed and Breakfast guests to try.

1. Van Renssalaer’s Restaurant
2. The Sagamore Inn
3. Ten Tables Restaurant & Bar
4. Captain Linell House
5. Black Cat Tavern
6. Victor’s Restaurant
7. Bubala’s by-the-Bay
8. The Bramble Inn & Restaurant
9. Brewster Fish House
10. Nauset Beach Club
11. Old Yarmouth Inn
12. Ross’ Grill
13. Chillingsworth
14. Central House @ Crown & Anchor
15. Saki Sushi Bar & Lounge
16. Pisces Restaurant & Bar
17. El Mundo
18. Ocean Terrace @ Ocean Edge
19. Cape Sea Grille
20. Barnstable Restaurant & Tavern
21. The Lobster Pot
22. The Dolphin Restaurant
23. Summer Stock Restaurant
24. Buca’s Tuscan Roadhouse
25. Ciro & Sal’s
26. Dalla Cucina
27. The Bee-Hive Tavern
28. Naked Oyster Bistro & Raw Bar
29. Chapaquoit Grill
30. Lyric
31. The Roadhouse Cafe
32. Celestino’s Cafe
33. Fanizzi’s By the Sea
34. The Port
35. Colombo’s Cafe & Pastries
36. 586 Bistro & Bar
37. Vining’s Bistro
38. Blue Moon Bistro
39. Napi’s Restaurant
40. Queen Anne Inn & Restaurant
41. Phusion Grille
42. Scargo Cafe
43. The Belfry Inne & Bistro
44. Five Bays Bistro
45. Gerardi’s Cafe
46. Red Pheasant Inn
47. l’Alouette Bistro
48. Ocean House

Kayak Cape Cod with a Massachusetts Audubon Society Wildlife Expert

Longpasture Wildlife Sanctuary, one of the Massachusetts Audubon Society’s facilities which is located near our Cape Cod Bed and Breakfast, just released their 2020 Kayak Adventure dates for the spring season. These 3-hour guided kayak trips feature some of Cape Cod’s most scenic waterways and are a great way to get out on the water with expert guides who will introduce you to the local flora and fauna. No need to bring your own equipment, as everything you’ll need will be provided. Kayak adventures are priced at $40 for members and $45 for non-members. Call 508-362-7475 for reservations.

Sat., May 21st, 9 am -12 pm Sampsons Island, Cotuit

Sat., May 28th, 10 am – 1pm Herring River, W. Harwich

Sat. June 4th, 10 am -1 pm Barnstable Harbor/Sandy Neck

Sat. June 11th, 9 am – 12 pm Gray’s Beach, Yarmouthport

Wed. June 15th, 8 pm – 10 pm Full Moon, Mashpee

Sat. June 18th, 11 am – 2 pm Osprey Paddle, Westport

Sat. June 25th, 9 am – 12 pm Barnstable Harbor/Sandy Neck

The High Pointe Inn supports the efforts of the Longpasture Wildlife Sanctuary through annual donations. Book your kayak trip now and then reserve a room at the Inn, located just 15 minutes from the facility, for a fabulous weekend getaway.

Recycling Soap, Saving Lives on Cape Cod

Struggling for years to find a responsible alternative to just throwing away the slightly used bath amenities used by our guests at the High Pointe Inn on Cape Cod, we are pleased to announce that we recently partnered with the “Clean the World” Foundation, which is headquartered in Orlando, Florida. Founded in 2020, Clean the World’s mission is to “reduce the waste created by discarded soap and shampoo products and prevent the millions of deaths caused by hygiene-related illnesses every year.”

How do they do that, you might ask?

Clean the World implements its mission by:

Collecting, sorting and sanitizing discarded soap, shampoo, conditioner and lotion products donated from participating hospitality partners.
Collecting donated hygiene products from manufacturers.
Recycling these product donations at its facilities in Orlando, Florida.
Delivering these recycled product donations to domestic homeless shelters and impoverished countries suffering from high death rates due to acute respiratory infection and diarrheal disease.

Becoming a partner at the beginning of April this year, we have already collected enough gently used soap and shampoo to fill two of the large “if it fits, it ships” boxes distributed by the United States Post Office. Though this is just a drop in the bucket in the amount of bath amenities wasted annually in the United States alone, it is a step in the right direction and we are proud to be onboard with other caring hospitality properties around the globe, including Hilton Hotels, Ritz Carlton, Marriott, Sheraton and Mandarin Oriental to name a few.

Their Orlando Recycling Center processes over 10,000 bars a day, and has been certified by TriTech Laboratories, an independent, Florida state-certified environmental lab. Its patented process is certified to be 100% effective. To date, they have collected and distributed over 550 tons of soap, shampoo and other hotel amenities to dozens of countries worldwide including Zimbabwe, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Swaziland, Mali, Mongolia, Uganda, Honduras, and Romania. In addition, Clean the World is a natural disaster First Responder. In January 2020, as part of our Haiti Earthquake Relief efforts, they collected and distributed over 150 tons of hygiene products, medical supplies, water, and other essentials to Haiti.

Gilchrist and Soames, the purveyor of high-end bath amenities to the hospitality industry used exclusively at the High Pointe Inn, recently formed a 3-year partnership with the Clean the World organization and is helping to fund the expansion of its infrastucture. We encourage all fellow inn owners, here on Cape Cod and throughout the country, to sign on as a partner with Clean the World and do your part to “Recycle Soap” and “Save Lives”. For more information on how to become a partner, visit Gilchrist and Soames website.

In a Cape Cod State of Mind

Cape Cod, you might argue, is a state of mind. Whether your first experience is in a cottage by the sea, a resort filled with amenities, or a warm and inviting bed and breakfast inn, you will always treasure the simple pleasure of being so close to sand dunes and salty air. Spend enough time on this mesmerizing peninsula, and it becomes a part of you, willing you to come back over the bridge time and again.

The cover story in this month’s edition of Cape Cod Life magazine features Days Cottages, the iconic seaside cottages nestled cheek by jowl on historic route 6A in Truro, MA. Built in the 2020s, these 23 identical cottages have been featured on national TV commercials and numerous magazine covers, and have weathered even the most horrific of New England storms, including the Blizzard of ‘78. With Cape Cod Bay as their front yard, Days Cottages are a mere 18 feet apart and simply furnished: no televisions, no resort-type amenities. But with a fiercely loyal clientele their simple allure spans generations.

Each tiny two-bedroom cottage is named for a flower as ordained by the original owner’s wife, Amelia Days. For many returning guests, the simplicity of a no frills vacation by the sea is the idyllic choice for a family. Days are spent on the beach and nights are filled with the sounds of multiple generations playing games and sharing laughter.

I spent several summers on Cape Cod with my own family growing up. Though not at Days Cottages, our summer destination was Brewster and a cottage colony called Hopkins Cottages. Now long gone and replaced by condominiums, the memory of returning year after year to the same seaside shack and the thrill of meeting up with friends from the previous summer still warms my heart.

We have guests that come to our Inn every year, sometimes two and three times, sampling each season’s special delights. We welcome them like family and enjoy catching up with them like old friends. Though we may not have the longevity of Days Cottages, we are grateful for our growing list of loyal fans of the High Pointe Inn and hope to welcome new friends this year.

Thar She Blows: It’s Whale Watching Time on Cape Cod

This weekend the Dolphin Fleet begins its annual whale watching adventure cruises out of Provincetown. Humpback, finbacks, and right whales can be seen frolicking in the waters of Cape Cod Bay near Stellwagen Bank having migrated from their winter homes elsewhere in the Atlantic. Noted recently on Shermans Travel website, the World Wildlife Fund named Cape Cod one of the top ten whale watching destinations in the world. Boasting a 99% whale spotting success rate, some whale watch cruise companies offer sailings guaranteed by rain check, including the Hyannis Watcher out of Barnstable Harbor, just 15 minutes from our Inn.

Whale watching is such a popular activity for our guests that we have put together a Whale of an Adventure package that includes two nights accommodation, two adult whale watch tickets, plus dinner for two one night at one of Cape Cod’s finest restaurants. Offered from mid-May through mid-October, it’s a wonderful way to add value to your visit to Cape Cod.

Everything’s Coming Up Roses, and Daffodils, and Rhodies on Cape Cod

Spring has finally arrived on Cape Cod and with it the promise of colorful blossoms, flowering trees, and the return of green lawns and leafy trees. Though not yet quite warm enough to dig seriously in the dirt, the changing light and lengthening days gives us hope that soon we will be witness to mother nature’s glorious rebirth. Having just returned from our annual trek to see the grandkids in the Pacific Northwest, where daffodils were bobbing bright yellow heads and the cherry trees were in full bloom, I for one am longing for spring’s first delicate flowers to bloom in my garden. Of course, following my mother’s annual spring tradition, I did clip a few branches of our forsythia and forced them into bloom right after the vernal equinox. But we are still a few weeks away from any real color in the garden. However, there is hope on the horizon, and time for me to check the calendar for some of my favorite garden events held annually on Cape Cod. If you’re a gardener, or in need of some earthly delights, check out the upcoming schedule of events planned over the next few months. And don’t forget the “Spring Fling” package at the High Pointe Inn for an excellent opportunity to bring the season home with you.

4/29-5/1 37th Annual Daffodil Festival Weekend: Enjoy the Daffodil Show, Daffy dog Parade, Antique Car Parade and more on the island of Nantucket.

4/29-5/1 Brewster in Bloom, sponsored by the Brewster Chamber of Commerce focuses on craft shows, culinary events, and open houses.

4/30 and 5/7 Daffodil Days: A celebration of blooming daffodils with guided tours. Spohr Gardens, 45 Fells Road, Falmouth, MA.

5/21-30 Rhododendron Festival: 10 days of horticultural tours, talks, cooking demonstrations, plein air painting and photography workshops. Heritage Museum & Gardens, Pine & Grove Street, Sandwich, MA

6/30 Enchanted Gardens Tour of Hyannisport: A walking tour of Cape Cod gardens. Contact Arlene Hoxie at 508-888-3300 for more information and tickets.

5/2 Paintings with Flowers: Demonstration of pen and ink combined with pressed flowers, which takes place at the Cape Cod Museum of Art in Dennis, MA.

5/13-15 Annual Herb Festival: Learn various uses for herbs through lecture and demonstration. Green Briar Nature Center, Sandwich, MA.

6/3-5 Wildflower Garden Festival: Art classes in the garden, guided walks, lectures, and afternoon tea are the highlights of this annual three-day event. Green Briar Nature Center, Sandwich, MA.

6/10 14th Annual Secret Garden Tour, sponsored by the Provincetown Art Association & Museum: Guided walking tour of beautiful gardens and an exhibition of floral arrangements in the galleries.

6/11 Bass River Garden Stroll: A benefit event for the Cultural Center of Cape cod in south Yarmouth. Tour 8-10 gorgeous gardens and witness artist at work.

7/14 Garden Party by the Sea: The Osterville Garden Clubs hosts this event that allows a glimpse into seven gracious homes and gardens.

Dana’s Kitchen: A Cape Cod Innkeepers Favorite Lunch Spot

Dana’s Kitchen in Falmouth is the kind of place you dream about. Set along a quiet stretch of Palmer Avenue just north of the center of town, we stumbled upon this tiny breakfast and lunch spot on one of our famous “get in the car and go” days. It quickly became this Cape Cod innkeeper’s favorite lunch spot.

Tucked in among the trees, Dana’s Kitchen and its gracious proprietors, Art and Dana Tillman, welcome you as soon as you open the door. Behind the counter you’ll find Art, Dana’s husband and business partner. Dana herself is scurrying between the sandwich prep area and the enormous ovens where she creates her mouth-watering breads, scones, muffins, cookies, and pies. Greeted with a big smile and a kind word by these two graduates of Hyde Park’s Culinary Institute of America, you are immediately handed the menu of daily specials that you just know will be prepared with the freshest ingredients in a simple yet creative way.

Once the site of the Peachtree Farms restaurant, the cozy “Kitchen”, as it is known to locals, strives for a casual atmosphere and a “homey” feel. In the winter, you are warmed by the gas fireplace and the tantalizing aromas wafting from the kitchen. In the summer you have a choice of dining inside or outside on the deck surrounded by perennial gardens, shade trees and blooming flower boxes. A large flat screen TV on the wall is tuned to the cooking channel, and wireless internet is available so that folks feel free to linger over a cup of coffee and a pastry. It is, in essence, a place where comfort is king and relaxation reigns supreme. Exactly the kind of place a weary innkeeper wants to retreat to in the middle of the day to recharge the batteries.

The lunch menu is a classic mix of soups, salads, and sandwiches, but each item is given its own signature styling by Art and Dana that keep locals coming back time and again for their favorites. Rich’s new favorite is the smoked Scotch salmon on toasted marble rye with cream cheese, tomatoes, red onions and capers. It’s melt in your mouth wonderful and, judging by the expression on my husband’s face each time he orders it, just shy of culinary nirvana. I am a fan of the cranberry walnut chicken salad on Dana’s homemade wheat bread. The portions are so large, a half of a sandwich is all I can eat, especially if I’ve had a cup of one of their delicious homemade soups to start. On Fridays, they serve their haddock chowder, a yummy concoction made with chunks of meaty haddock and diced potatoes in a silky cream base. But get there early if you want to try it, because people start streaming in around 11:30 on Fridays.

In addition to their breakfast and lunch offerings, Art and Dana offer take-out and business lunches along with catering for private functions. Located at 881 Palmer Avenue in Falmouth, MA, Dana’s Kitchen is open daily from 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM; closed on Tuesday. Call ahead for take-out. 508-540-7900.

In Search of Great Mexican Food on Cape Cod

Recently, Rich and I tried a new Mexican Bistro called Añejo. Located on Main Street in Falmouth, Añejo opened it doors in August of 2020 and very quickly became a fixture on the local restaurant scene. We were introduced to it by Rich’s son, Ethan, and our daughter-in-law, Melissa. Passionate about good Mexican food, they raved about the inventive stylings of this new bistro, its fresh take on Mexican cuisine, and the vast menu of refreshing cocktails. So in our quest to find the best and most unique restaurants for guests of our Inn to try, we set out to meet friends for a new dining adventure.

The dining room itself is small and intimately lit. A charming bar buffets the dining area, and is set against an exposed brick wall that is adorned with the works of a local artist. We were greeted by a friendly waitress and shown to one of the hightop tables at the front of the bistro that line the wall of glass overlooking Main Street. The extensive menu offers an array of starters, soups, salads, and appetizers, along with house specials and sides, and, my favorite, an ample selection of Mexican street food.

The waitress took our drink order and brought a basket of warm lightly salted tortilla chips and a bowl of hand-crafted salsa. Rich and I opted for the house Margarita, unsalted of course, and one of our companions tried the house Mojito. Drinks are served in enormous glasses that have been well-chilled.

To get us started, we shared the Añjeo Nachos, an appetizer of handcrafted fried corn tortillas layered with pico de gallo, home made refried beans, cheddar jack cheese, pickled jalapeno, avocado, lettuce, cilantro, queso añejo and picante crema. It was divine. The tortilla chips were individually layered with all the ingredients, rather than swimming in a pool of ingredients the way many Mexican restaurants serve them.

After such a filling appetizer, we all opted for the Mexican street food offerings. Rich and I chose the classic burrito, which consisted of a large flour tortilla filled with your choice of carne asada beef, chili marinated chicken, or slow roasted pork, and pinto beans, served with pico de gallo, Mexican rice, lettuce, tomatoes, and sour cream and topped with a choice of salsa verde, salsa roja, or mole poblano and jack cheese. The slow roasted pork with mole poblano was the best I’ve ever had and Rich concurred. Our companions went with the enchiladas and declared them superb.

Añejo is likely to continue to be a popular spot, not only for its authentic Mexican fare and refreshing south-of-the-border cocktails, but for its casually intimate setting along Main Street in Falmouth. My only complaint was that they turned up the volume on the music at 8:45 pm, leaving us and the rest of the lingering diners with no choice but to up the volume on our own conversation or leave the comfortable restaurant for some peace and quiet.

Cape Cod Coasters: A Decorative Stamp Art Project

If you’ve ever been a guest at the High Pointe Inn on Cape Cod, you know that I am a crafter with a passion for rubber stamping. It’s an art form that doesn’t require any real talent, just an eye for detail and a willingness to get covered in ink from time to time. I got hooked on stamping quite a few years ago when I was looking for a creative outlet to while away the long winters of North Conway, NH where we had our first inn. I stumbled upon an adult education course offered by a Stampin’ Up rep and signed up with a “nothing ventured, nothing gained” attitude.

By the end of the first class I was totally obsessed with creating unique and beautiful cards with just some rubber stamps and an ink pad. Of course, after each succeeding class I found myself lusting over all the tools and accessories I could invest in to feed my stamping habit. My instructor/Stampin’ Up rep hit the mother lode with me, and I soon found myself loaded to the gills with stamping paraphernalia.

Over the years, I have expanded my repertoire of stamping techniques to include stamping on velvet with a heat technique, creating my own stamp to “wallpaper” my powder room in a leaf pattern, and my latest venture: stamping on tiles!

My housekeeper, a crafter in her own right, and I researched the process online and decided to give it a whirl one afternoon. The process was relatively simple and resulted in dozens of beautifully designed tile coasters and trivets that took us under three (3) hours to make in my kitchen. We were so pleased with the results, we’ve decided to sell them in my little gift cupboard at the Inn. We’re convinced that they will make great gifts for our guests to bring home with them.

Here’s all you need to create beautiful stamped tiles in your own home:

Rubber stamps
Solvent inks, like Brilliance or Staz On, in a variety of colors
Stamp cleaner made especially for solvent inks
Porous tiles, like tumbled stone or marble

Step-by-Step Instructions:

Play around with designs on paper first. We found that larger stamps and background stamps worked well for us.
Ink the stamp with solvent ink and place it face down on the tile. Press firmly.
Remove the stamp and clean with solvent ink cleaner immediately to protect your stamps. (You may want to use the same stamp on several tiles before cleaning).
Place the stamped tiles right side up on a baking sheet that has been covered with parchment (to protect grease from the pan leaching onto the porous tile).
Place the baking sheet into a pre-heated 350° F oven and bake for 15 minutes. This step will heat set the ink. *
Remove the tiles from the oven and let them cool to the touch on a wire rack.
Once the tiles are cool, attached self-adhesive felt pads to the bottom of each one to prevent scratching wood surfaces.

That’s all there is to it. So go ahead and experiment. Have fun in your kitchen with stamps and tile. We did.

[Note * If your design calls for a background stamp in one color and a second stamp in another color on top of it, be sure to heat set the first color before stamping the second color over it, or you will find that the colors bleed. Bake a second time to heat set the second color.]

Cape Cod Fish Chowder Recipe

In honor of National Clam Chowder Day, February 25th, I’m posting my favorite chowder recipe. It’s fast, it’s easy, and it’s delicious. Today would be a perfect day for a warm bowl of creamy chowder. Although this recipe calls for a firm white fish like haddock or cod, you could probably substitute clams, but I cannot vouch for the results. Be sure to serve it up in big bowls with plenty of oyster crackers.

Ingredients

1 pound of firm white fish, such as haddock or cod, cut in 1 inch cubes

1 cup water

4 potatoes, diced in 1 inch cubes

1/2 yellow onion, diced finely

4 strips of uncooked bacon, diced finely

1/2 teaspoon Old Bay Spice

1 pint light cream

Directions

In a heavy sauce pan, brown bacon and onion; add water and potatoes; cover and bring to boil; cook for 10 minutes. Add spice and fish; cover and simmer 10 minutes. Add cream and heat through, but do not boil. Serve immediately.

Bon appetit from the High Pointe Inn!

The High Pointe Inn

News and Views from the High Pointe Inn on Cape Cod

Cape Cod Restaurant Week Returns 5/16-22, 2020

Kayak Cape Cod with a Massachusetts Audubon Society Wildlife Expert

Recycling Soap, Saving Lives on Cape Cod

In a Cape Cod State of Mind

Thar She Blows: It’s Whale Watching Time on Cape Cod

Everything’s Coming Up Roses, and Daffodils, and Rhodies on Cape Cod

Dana’s Kitchen: A Cape Cod Innkeepers Favorite Lunch Spot

In Search of Great Mexican Food on Cape Cod

Cape Cod Coasters: A Decorative Stamp Art Project

Cape Cod Fish Chowder Recipe

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