Holiday High Tea Menu Starting Soon

On November 28th, the Captains House Inn will kick off its annual holiday high tea menu. Served throughout the month of December, our festive menu includes treats like smoked salmon pate stuffed cucumber cups, vidalia onion and carrot tea sandwiches, homemade cranberry bread with citrus cream cheese and mouth watering desserts like our signature mini English trifles, Skibo Castle ginger fingers, and stollen scones.

Whether you are a guest at the inn and decide to add a high tea to your stay or you're a local resident in search of a special meal, the Captains House Inn holiday tea menu is a great way to get into the holiday spirit. Tea is served daily with seatings from 3:00 to 4:30; reservations are required, preferably 48 hours in advance. Price is $18/person for outside guests and $7.50/person for in-house guests.

We look forward to making your 2009 holiday season special.

Cape Cod Vacation Itinerary Day Two

Wake up on the first full day of your Cape Cod vacation to a tray of tea, coffee and juice delivered to your room. Linger over your morning caffeine fix outside on one of our private terraces in the summer or in front of your fireplace in the winter. Then, make your way to our dining room, or spoil yourself and order breakfast to your room - either way, enjoy a two course gourmet breakfast and an extensive buffet while reading the local paper and chatting with the interns and innkeepers about your plans for the day.

After breakfast, head North toward Provincetown, the tip of the Cape. Along the way, don't miss stopping off at the Fort Hill area in Eastham where you can stroll along the trails on the marshy shoreline, the National Seashore beaches such as Coast Guard Beach and Marconi Beach, the many lighthouses dotting the shoreline, and the artist's town of Wellfleet known not just for oysters, but for its many galleries. For lunch in the summer, you may wish to stop at Arnold's, famous for fried seafood and "the best onion rings around," or the Beachcomber at Cahoon Hollow Beach with a hopping scene overlooking the beach. In the winter, save your appetite for Napi's in Provincetown, a landmark featuring a varied menu with something for everyone.

Provincetown offers a myriad of options, depending on the season and your preferences. From April through October, enjoy a whalewatch with the Dolphin Fleet where year after year, tourists can view whales frolicking in the water just beside the boat. Another popular choice is taking a four wheel tour of the Dunes with Art's Dune tours where you can see "the other Provincetown." Don't miss strolling along Commercial Street, Provincetown's main drag where the people watching alone is worth a trip. On the return trip to Chatham, stop off at Truro Vineyards if time allows. There, you can enjoy a tasting of their wines under a tent and learn about their winemaking process.

Finally, head back to the inn to unwind before heading out to dinner. To complete your day of seaside fun, head to the Cape Sea Grille in Harwich Port for some of the best food around. There is a nice variety of seafood on the menu in addition to several land options - no matter what you order, you can't go wrong. Finish the evening with a plate of homemade cookies and hot tea or coffee from our open kitchen before resting up for another fun filled day tomorrow.

English Holiday Afternoon Tea at the Captain's House Inn

With the holidays just around the corner, we look forward to serving our annual holiday afternoon tea menu soon. Relax in our decorated tea room and get in the holiday spirit. The menu features cucumber cups with smoked salmon pate, traditional Branston pickle with cheddar, mushroom pasties, mini English Triffle and a selection of desserts and scones (click here for the full menu). This menu is available every day from 3 to 5 pm, November 29th to December 29th, 2008 for $18.00 per person. For groups of six to 25, this festive menu is also available as a private luncheon, perfect for a holiday party. As always, year round luncheons are available every day, starting at 12:15pm, at $22.00 per person and reservations are required. Please visit our website or call us at 800.315.0728 with any questions or to make your reservation. Happy Holidays!

Captain's House Inn, Chatham, MA

The Captain's House Inn was recently highlighted in an article in the Boston Globe. Click here to read the full review.

Impudent Oyster Chowder

The Impudent Oyster is a landmark in Chatham – the ambiance is bustling and the tables are always full and hard to come by in the summer. The reason? Certainly people aren’t flocking here for the décor which is minimal and somewhat rustic. They come for the food which is consistently outstanding and draws customers back, sometimes multiple times during their vacation. With this in mind, we decided a sample of their chowder, or, as they call it “Yesterday’s Quahog Chowder,” was a must. We were surprised to find that while certainly tasty, this was not at the top of our list. The clams and potatoes were plentiful and the consistency was a bit on the creamier side, but we felt it was lacking a bit in the flavor department. With a bit of doctoring up with some salt and pepper, we did enjoy the chowder and do recommend it, particularly since the atmosphere lends itself to the chowder and beer image we all have in our minds.

Chatham Bars Inn Chowder

While one typically envisions their clam chowder dining experience as casually slurping down a bowl with a pint of beer and perhaps the Red Sox game broadcasting on the bar’s TV, we couldn’t complain about the water views and fine china that accompanied our bowl of chowder at the Chatham Bars Inn. This was certainly the most different chowder we have sampled so far. Rather than spoonfuls of chunky potatoes and tender clams, the Chatham Bars Inn version was more of a purée than chowder. Though far from what we expected, the flavors were fantastic while perhaps a bit salty for some. Sometimes, it’s best not to mess with a classic, but we think the Chatham Bars Inn did a fine job of putting a gourmet spin on a New England tradition.

Roo Bar Chowder

One might think that with a new baby our search for the perfect chowder would be put on the back burner. However, we are trying to expose Abigail to our favorite pastime of dining out well before she is actually able to enjoy anything off the menu. So, while she downed a few ounces of formula, we downed a couple cups of chowder. The Roo Bar's version is on the creamier side, but not "stick to your spoon (and ultimately your gut)" thick. While we would have preferred a few more clams, the ones that were there were cooked well and there were plenty of potatoes for a those who prefer a heartier bisque. Overall, we enjoyed the flavors, but personally prefer our chowder a little less creamy and a little more clammy!

Captain Linnell House chowder

For those of you who do not know us that well, the Captain Linnell House in Orleans, MA, is a special place for us. We were married there back in 2001 and go every year for our anniversary. This year when I opened the menu, at the top was Clam Chowder and the menu claimed it was the best. Upon arrival of their clam chowder, I received a wonderful aroma. It was nicely presented, with chives on top. No oyster crackers, but with their rolls, one does not need crackers. The chowder had a great consistency, not too thick, just the perfect creaminess. It tasted great and I was truly impressed. My biggest complaint would be the amount of clams. I would have been looking for more, but other than that, this may be the best (it is only our second entry, but it was good). The Captain Linnell House is not the type of place to go just for a bowl of chowder as it is a romantic sea captain's home, but if you are looking for good chowder and a nice meal, it is a great choice.

In Search of the Best Clam Chowder

Here in Chatham, Massachusetts, it's pronounced "chowdah," but however you pronounce it, one thing is for sure - tourists and locals alike are constantly on the prowl for the best bowl around. Join us as we embark on our own mission to find the tastiest- then go try for yourself when you visit us on your next Cape Cod vacation.

Our first stop...the infamous Chatham Squire. A favorite New England eatery and bar, those seeking comfort food in a casual setting will find it here. Chock full of clams and tender potatoes, the Squire's chowdah recipe didn't disappoint. The pepper flavor, while not too strong, was distinct, and the clams were cooked to perfection. Our only complaint? Perhaps it could have been a bit thicker in consistency, but for those who don't like their chowdah too creamy, this could be the chowdah for you.