Cape Fine Dining

902 Main Serves Up the Past

902 Main is a very small restaurant on the main drag of Route 28 in West Yarmouth. The dining came highly recommended. It was hard to get a reservation. So we had to see what all the fuss was about.

They truly have done a lot with this former car wash. But it's still a little scary when the staff of a fine dining establishment outdresses the clientel.

Food

Our appetizer was a disappointing way to start.  The warm goat cheese tart, was more like pizza. The goat cheese and greens got lost in the dough and were overpowerd by the carmelized onions.

The chef recovered with the entrees. The pan roasted native cod, served over risotto and vegetables, was expertly prepared. Subtle flavors in the  vinaigrette, lemon and basil, added to the dish.

We also tried the sauteed lobster and shrimp. Taking the meat from a 1 1/4 lb lobster still requires  two jumbo shrimp to round out the plate. It was tasty if not filling. 

We got the sense that they were trying too hard with not one, but two palate cleansing sorbets, one before each course.  A nod to the service of the hotel dining.  As was the china, one for each of the different courses.

Coffee service at the end of the evening was quite elaborate. The coffee was excellent, but the bits of bitter chocolate served in a candy dish was truly an antiquated after-dinner offering.

Wine

 An extensive wine list allows you to choose almost any kind of wine in almost any price category.  We chose a bottle of champagne. Attentive wait staff made sure we didn't have to handle the bottle.

Service

The service was impeccable, although a bit unevenly paced. The professional servers are all male. They were complemented nicely with all female support. The two hosts, one male and one female, doubled as wine steward and bartender. Everyone was dressed in formal uniforms, white shirts and ties for the men, all black, and oh, pearl necklaces, for the women. The hostess was dressed to kill, black lace ankle length dress,  replete with yes, Barbara Bush pearls. 

Atmosphere

Aside from being too small, the room was a bit stuffy.  High back wooden chairs, oriental rugs.  To compensate they placed mirrors and candles everywhere. In the end the lighting was still too soft,  to the point of being dark. It dampened the mood in the room. Even the music was too soft.  I think they were going for romantic. I still would prefer to see my date.

902 reminded us of dining out with grandmother, which incidently was going on at a couple of tables around us.  We couldn't think of a good reason, other than the obvious, to visit the much talked-about restrooms.  That got  me thinking, could the lu really be prettier that the dining room?

902 Main Street has benefited from consistency,  we suspect. Garnering good reviews from guidebooks and patrons alike.  This comes from word of mouth.  For some, it's the food, for others it's the nod to old world service.  We could see what people like about 902.

We give it 2** mostly for the food and service.  And it still takes 3$$$ to dine here.  But we weren't that nostalgic for the fine dining of the last century.