Iâve had some great meals on Cape Cod and Nantucket, but most of them are made at home with goodies from the farmerâs market and the local fisherman. Â Dining out on the Cape has historically been a bit of a let down. Â I would head to Wellfleet or Nantucket leaving my high standards for dining out in Boston and Cambridge behind and putting my palate on âvacation modeâ letting a mediocre dish slide and putting up with paying for dishes Iâd rather have never eaten. Â Itâs not that the food is terrible, itâs just that I am my fatherâs daughter and I hate wasting money (and letâs face it calories) on something that isnât just right.
Over the past few years, more and more year-round (or close to it) âcity caliberâ restaurants, bakeries and markets are setting up shop on the Cape. Â Setting up a restaurant in the city is hard enough. Â Chefs are struggling to find just the right people to work alongside them. Â Finding people with training, the passion, the drive to work in one of the hardest and often least rewarding jobs outside the âbig cityâ is even harder.
The pretzel and beer cheese was a huge hit. I have to admit weâve been craving it ever since. Bear in Boots, Falmouth, MA. Why yes, that is some homemade mustard there too.Â
AÂ few weeks ago, my daughter and I met some friends in Falmouth for the afternoon and were invited to check out Bear in Boots. Â Bear in Boots is a new gastropub right in the center of town. Â I was a little hesitant because how good could a little gastropub in Falmouth with a British pub-like name really be? Â Iâm happy to say I was knocked right off my high city dining horse by this warm, fuzzy, welcoming, and totally talented Bear.
Letâs start with the space. Â The pub has a beautiful bar, and although itâs fairly small inside there are plenty of tables and even a fabulous chefâs table right by the open kitchen. Itâs not dark and crowded like an old pub nor overly sleek or modern. Â It feels comfortable and warm like being at a friendâs house (who happens to have a dining room that seats all your friends) and who happens to have a fabulous designer.
Okay now letâs get to the really good stuff.  From our meal, there really was nothing that Chef Gates Rickard didnât execute well.  I have to admit that Iâve never had a homemade ketchup (sorry Tony Maws youâre still fabulous and weâve been craving KT&T lately) that I like as much as this one.  I was even suspect of the pretzel (we did just have one of the best in town at home at Bronwynâs so this was going to be tough competition) because it was the âwrongâ shape.  The pretzel was less German bretzel and more American soft pretzel and the mustard and beer cheese just took it to the next level. There are so many ways the pretzel could be wrong or the dips.  Iâve been to some great restaurants where either the bread is off or the condiments are sub-par.  Then chef surprised us with some perfectly made raviolo al uovo with duck confit and kale from the garden.  Below is a slide show of the dishes we sampled.  Each one was really made perfectly.  There are some dishes we are craving more than others, and the chefâs garden dish was tasty but I thought perhaps a spring asparagus didnât belong in a mid-summer dish, but thatâs just nitpicking.
I couldnât believe that this came out of a pub kitchen. Â I would be hard pressed to find such a perfect ravioli in a fine Italian restaurant in the city.
Crayons for the table. A family run business that understands dining out as a family. I love these little containers for the crayons too. How appropriate.
The perfectly made pasta. One of the hardest ravioli to make as well and it was memorable!
Crave-worthy pretzels to share.
Dinner is served at Bear in Boots (Falmouth, MA)
The Caesar salad was meant to be grilled but that was a bit too adventurous for Isabelle, and the staff were happy to accommodate our request for a non-grilled version. This was Caesar salad as it was originally designed. Whole lettuce leaves that traditionally would be picked up and eaten. We chose a knife and fork however.
The chefâs vegetable garden. This was delicious with a sweet and tart tomato jam. Tasty enough to forgive the asparagus that couldnât possibly have come straight from chefâs garden.
This lobster macaroni and cheese is the first one Iâve had that made me believe in the magic that is lobster mac ân cheese. I want this every year at least once (and definitely once more this summer/fall).
A perfectly cooked piece of fish with a sweet potato hay and delicious goodies underneath.
Isabelleâs steak frites was perfectly cooked. It was enough for two meals and enjoyed just as much each time. These are also some of the most perfect fries Iâve had outside of Belgium.
The sausage pizza was a hit and also served as a great meal the second day.
The girls digging in to their dessert. I believe weâve had a request to go back for more already.
Skillet desserts are the best. This was a skillet cookie with ice cream and chocolate sauce.
The Sâmores had a cool creamy chocolate pudding bottom and a nicely toasted marshmallow top with sprinkles of graham cracker. Itâs a sâmore all dressed up and fancy. The perfect end to a meal in town.
The strawberry shortcake had a nicely caramelized biscuit to soak up that fresh strawberry juice. It has fruit so itâs healthy right?!
Falmouth Gastropub Bear In Boots Gets it Right I've had some great meals on Cape Cod and Nantucket, but most of them are made at home with goodies from the farmer's market and the local fisherman. Â
