Cape Fine Dining

The Red Rose Inn Blossoms

It's very unlikely that you'll discover a new fine dining establishment in the middle of winter, but in our never ending search to bring you what's new on the fine dining scene on the mid-Cape, we happened upon a hidden garden of a spot on Lewis Bay.

For those that have lived here for a while, you'll know that there is a small inn and restaurant at the end of Berry Ave in West Yarmouth. Known for its breakfast and snack bar over the years, it never really catered to the neighborhood. Just the inn guests and the beach goers. It's adjacent to a small public beach. But since a mother and daughter team took it over last year, it has blossomed into a nice little fine dining establishmnet tucked away from the bustle of Route 28. 

We visited the inn twice in the last month to get a good feel for the place. The first time we visited, we were the only patrons in the dining room. The second time, they had a full house.  Such is the life of  small restaurant on Cape Cod in winter.

Food  The Red Rose features steaks and seafood.   The chef, James Falcone,  is the thing here.  The selections seem familiar enough, but his subtle interpretations make them quite unique.    He infuses his dishes with his own personality. Each becomes an interesting variation of the original. 

Altogether, we  tried the haddock, scallops, chicken and shrimp & lobster dishes. Although they were heavy on the pasta (or rice),  and  light on the vegetables, they were  good portions, with plenty of flavor,  and were served very hot, even on the busy night. 

Wine  This deserves special mention because the food menu is under whelmed by the wine list.  A very limited and pedestrian selection of wines by the bottle and the glass fails to compliment the food.

Service  On our first visit ,we were well attended by a young, but experienced waitress.  During our second visit, they were caught short staffed, but covered very well, with the hostess and bartender pitching in to make sure everyone got good service.

Atmosphere  This is very small inn with a very small dining room and a tiny bar. It has a cozy, even intimate atmosphere. ( May be perfect for Valentine's Day. But call for reservations. )  You get the feeling you are in the owners' home, because they make you feel very much at home. There is a  sense of being on the water even though you can't really see anything.  We suspect that as the days get longer, the views will get bigger.

Like a fine wine, The Red Rose Inn will get better with time. Overall, we rate the experience  ** (2 stars out of 3), but it has the potential to be a  3 star restaurant.  And the prices are reasonable for the meals, so $$ (2 dollar signs out of 3) should keep most diners coming back.  www.theredroseinn.net