Being fulltime Cape Cod residents and innkeepers, we try to keep abreast of all things local. But sometimes new finds come in strange ways. To wit, while at a doctor’s appointment recently the chitchat turned to local restaurants with a summer vibe. As we idled past the usual fare… Baxter’s Boathouse, the Hyannis Yacht Club, Tugboats…a new name piqued my curiosity: The Islander at Crosby Boat Yard. Not being familiar with this restaurant or its location, naturally we had to give it a whirl at the first possible opportunity, which happened to be the day after my doctor’s appointment. We don’t like to let any grass grow under our feet, as the saying goes.

Armed with my trusty atlas, we navigated our way over to Osterville and pulled into Crosby’s. It was a warm and humid day, not full of this year’s ubiquitous sunshine, but not raining either. Born at the former Keeper’s location, the Islander turned out to be quite a find. The atmosphere and menu can best be described as Florida Keys meets Caribbean spice. Small, but colorful, the dining tables are arranged to take best advantage of the view out to the boats at the marina, and in the evening the setting sun. A large bar area dominates the cozy dining room, with an interesting array of summer drinks, especially martinis. And as Rich experienced, the pour is generous.

For lunch, I chose a pulled pork salad topped with a mango chutney over spring mix greens. Served with a side of barbeque sauce, the pork was moist and succulent and balanced perfectly with the bright flavor of the mango. Rich ordered the Cubaño, a combination of pulled pork, ham, sweet and spicy pickles, and mustard on grilled ciabatta with a most excellent side of crispy French fries. Perhaps the best lunch we have had all season, the Islander quickly rose to a new favorite haunt for those days when we need to escape the Inn and have a mini-vacation at lunch.

We liked the place so much, in fact, that we made a reservation for dinner the following evening. We enjoyed watching the sun set over the harbor from our table for two at the window tucked in the corner at the far end of the bar. A much different vibe infuses the Island at night. Filled with summer folk, a bevy of girls out for a night on the town, and a few couples at the bar, the noise factor was significantly higher, but our waitress was accommodating and the food just as good as we had experienced at lunch. We both chose the smoked pulled pork over housemade gnocchi with carmelized onions, BBQ jus and goat cheese. Again, the pork was the star of the dish. We were tempted to try one of the amazing sounding starters, but opted for a bowl of clam chowder and a “Hail Caesar” salad with housemade dressing instead. Both good choices, I especially liked the whimsy of the pineapple croutons in the salad, and Rich declared the chowder A-1, although the rendition he had at lunch was spicier.

A sister property to the Island Merchant on Main Street in Hyannis, the Islander is a seasonal restaurant, open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner through mid-October. Reservations are highly recommended for dinner and gladly accepted for parties of any size.

Elegant Dining on Cape Cod

Eat to live or live to eat? Ahh, the perennial question. Rich and I consider ourselves “professional eaters” and feel that we have a personal obligation to our guests to sample as many Cape Cod dining options as we can so that we can make the appropriate restaurant recommendation for our guests according to their preferences. Whether you are looking for a local seafood place, a restaurant with a view of the water, a fine dining establishment, or a place with casual atmosphere and an eclectic menu, the sheer variety of restaurant choices on Cape Cod is endless. Many of these restaurants are located within a 5 to 15 minute drive of our bed and breakfast inn, but a few are a bit further afield.

Here for your reference is a brief summary of some of our personal favorite restaurants, along with some our guests have tried and recommended to us. We hope this will help you choose the perfect setting for your Cape Cod dining adventures.

The restaurants are grouped according to style (casual to elegant) with notes regarding whether reservations are required, recommended, or unavailable, along with location, phone number, and hours of operation. A few restaurants on the list are only open seasonally and we have noted them as such. (more…)

One night a few weeks ago Rich and I were invited to vacate our Cape Cod Inn for the evening and try a new restaurant with some innkeeper friends of ours. Every year we try to sample two or three new Cape Cod restaurants so that we can offer an honest opinion when our guests ask for dining recommendations. La Cucina Sul Mare had been on my wish list for a while, so when friends suggested a night out, we spirited them towards this tiny storefront on Main Street in Falmouth.

While they do not take reservations, I called in advance and was assured that on a Tuesday night in February the four of us we sure to get a table. And what a table. When we arrived we were escorted to a table for four tucked into the bay window that overlooked the main thoroughfare. Our server was incredible, available without being pushy, and both knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the menu. We each ordered a glass of wine from an extensive wine list to enjoy as we perused the menu.

Once the specials had been described and our orders placed, the server returned with a basket of warm, crusty bread accompanied by a rich olive oil for dipping. Though not crowded the evening that we were there, I imagine that due to its Main Street location and small size, a wait for a table may be necessary during the height of summer.

Dining at La Cucina Sul Mare is what I imagine dining in Italy must be like. The setting is warm and intimate, the service unhurried, and the atmosphere cozy and comforting. I ordered the osso buco, my all-time favorite, and was treated to the most divine dish of tender meat in a rich braise of root vegetables with a side of creamy risotto. It was heavenly, and more than enough to bring home for the next day’s lunch. They specialize in northern Italian and Mediterranean cuisines offering fresh pasta, pollo, vitello, carne, and pesce dishes including classic lasagna al forno, braised lamb shanks, lobster fra diavolo over liguine, zuppa de pesce, rigotoni a la vodka, chicken Parmesan and veal piccata.

We will be highly recommending La Cucina Sul Mare to our guests. Prices are reasonable and the food is exquisite. The restaurant is open year-round for lunch (11:30am-2:00pm) and dinner (5:00-10:00pm) and reservations not accepted.

La Cucina Sul Mare
237 Main Street
Falmouth, MA 02540
(508) 548-5600