Cape Cod Food & Wine
Cape Cod has long been known for its local seafood, and you won't find a restaurant anywhere in the region without seafood on the menu. Fried fish, especially fried clams, are considered the ultimate Cape Cod meal. Another favorite is lobster, broiled with butter sauce. But for more sophisticated fare, look for grilled fish specials, such as striped bass in mid-summer. Raw bars serve local oysters -- the ones from Wellfleet are world-famous and Cotuit oysters are also notable -- as well as "steamers," which are steamed clams. The other type of clam you will see on menus is the quahog (pronounced "ko-hog"), which is often served baked, meaning that the meat is cooked and mixed with bread crumbs and then returned to the shell. Steamed mussels are also popular, and are usually served in a garlicky broth. Scallops are another fixture on local menus; look for scallops from Nantucket, which are especially prized.
If you want boiled lobster but don't like to wrestle with it, you can order "lazy man's lobster," a dish that presents lobster meat that has been removed and placed loosely back in the shell. You can also order a lobster roll, which is cold lobster on a hotdog roll, sometimes served with mayonnaise or lettuce. New England clam chowder is another local specialty; it is a creamy, white broth that is served with clams and potatoes (note that it is different from Manhattan clam chowder, which has a red broth). You will sometimes find clam chowder prepared with bacon or Portuguese spicy sausage, like linguica or chorizo. Portuguese breads also can be found at local markets and on some menus.
Ambience is an important part of any dining experience, and the Cape is endowed with numerous water-side restaurants.
The Local Brew -- Both Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket have local breweries. On the Vineyard, Off-Shore Ale Company taps into eight varieties of their own beer. Nantucket's Cisco Brewers is famous for its brew called Whale's Tale Pale Ale. The brew is also available at many local restaurants.
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