Cheap Eats

The Burrito Place--green isn't just for guacamole!

Owners bring a zesty new taste to Falmouth

   Damien takes a gentleman's order at the Burrito Place in Falmouth.

Review and photos by Samantha Pearsall

Today marks three weeks since Owners Rich Rogers, Damien Palanza, and Richard “Smitty” Smith (owner of Smitty’s Ice Cream and Smitty’s Too) opened doors to The Burrito Place in East Falmouth and brought a new zesty taste to 02536.

My build your own burrito - complete with pulled chicken (white meat), yellow rice, cheese, sour cream, guac, black beans, corn and hot salsa, red onions, all wrapped tightly on a wheat tortilla.

The assembly line approach to the made-to-order burrito, taco, and salad creations is quick, fun, and mouth-watering as you browse all the ingredients. All employees who had a (gloved) hand in making my “build it yourself burrito” were helpful and humorous—despite the long line of anxious, hungry customers. Each politely listed the available freshly-made ingredients and asked which I’d like as my wheat tortilla was sent down the counter on what looked like a plastic painter’s pallet. Instead of dabs of paint it boasted glorious pulled chicken, yellow rice, black beans, a dash of a few different homemade salsas, and guacamole. Since I’d eaten at The Burrito Place just two nights prior, I could just about taste all these flavors as I watched them prepare my personalized burrito.

All salads and burritos—“build your own” and “no brainers”—won’t empty your wallet for just $6.95 each. Follow the step-by-step instructions on the blackboards for “build your own,” starting with your choice of tortilla, then meat, then rice, and so on. Free add-ons include homemade tomato, corn, or red pepper salsa; sautéed onions or peppers; sour cream, and cilantro. You can get a large dollop of guacamole for just a dollar more.

The “no brianer” burritos include The Burrito2536 with linguica, pork, rice, beans, and cheese; Buffalo Chicken; The Golden Gate with rice, beans, avocado, sprouts, tomatoes, onions, and sour cream; and many more. Taco shells and salad bowl shells are freshly made right there and filled with whichever fixin’s you choose. For kids, quesadillas are offered for $4.95, hot dogs for $2.50, and French fries for $2.00.

Fresh guacamole isn’t the only thing green about this new Mexican eatery. The owners only use locally grown greens and suppliers to cut their carbon footprint while supporting the local economy. It also promises fresher produce. All containers are made of corn plastic and every ounce of used oil is converted into bio-diesel.

Open 7 days a week from 11 am to 10 pm, The Burrito Place is certainly a “no brainer.” It’s located at 420 East Falmouth Highway in East Falmouth or call them for take out 508-444-8666.

   Business was bustling on Friday night in Falmouth.

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T G I (Fish Fry) Friday!

A dinner on the cheap that can't be beat!

   The fish dinner with fries and slaw is only $8 at the Elks Lodge' Friday Fish Fry in Eastham.

If a hearty helping of a classic Cape Cod favorite sounds good, head on over to the Friday Night Fish Fry at the Elks Lodge in Eastham. These Outer Cape Elks serve up a delicious and filling hot dinner every Friday night from 5:30pm-7:30pm year-round.

Choose from a fish or chicken dinner both served with French fries and Cole slaw, chicken nuggets served with fries and onion rings or hot dogs--an all time kid favorite.

                       BBQ, Bingo & More!    
The fish fry isn't the lodge's only forte. 

They are also well known for two more American favorites: bingo and cookouts.  Bingo is played every Tuesday year-round. The doors open at 5pm (food & the snack bar are available) and the first game starts at 6:30pm.  The Wednesday Cookouts take place in the summer from the beginning of July through the beginning of September from 5:30pm-7:30pm.  The usual tasty fare is available, from burgers and dogs to steak and scallop rolls plus the standard sides including chowder, fries and onion rings.
 
Check the calendar for special family-friendly events scheduled this summer including the Father's Day Breakfast, BBQs, Pig Roast and Clambake.

Members run a tight ship.  First you buy your ticket and sign in, then you are seated at one of the many tables.  Munch on bread and butter until someone arrives with your chowder followed by your dinner choice. Or if you aren't in the stay and eat mood, get it to go for only .25 more per order!

The fish dinner, only $8, was delicious--light, crispy coating over flaky white fish--not the gray tired old stuff you get in some restaurants. The fries were equally crispy and the Cole slaw was just right--not too creamy or sweet.  A cup of chowder, a mere $2, was the ideal consistency with tender chunks of potato and clam gathered at the bottom of the cup.

Choose soda, beer, wine or a mixed drink at the full bar to complement your meal.  The prices at the bar alone can't be beat!  

The crowd was a nice mix of young and old locals and visitors--families and friends chattering away over a tasty and affordable meal.  It's not fancy--but it doesn't have to be to be good.   

Last Friday was busy but not as packed as it can get in the late spring and summer.  Advice from frequent attendees--go early before the fish runs out!

It's a great way to start the weekend.

The Orleans-Eastham Elks Lodge (2572) is located at 10 McKoy Road in North Eastham, just off Route 6, across from the Four Points Sheraton. 508-255-4258.

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Paradise Pizza is aptly named

Owner-chef Joey Cardillo pampers to the recession-minded on Cape Cod

Paradise Pizza is a baseball throw south of Route 28 on School Street in West Dennis across from the Post Office. That's cheerful chef-owner Joey Cardillo in the inset.

Two people can dine Italian for under $20 total and bring home enough for lunch

The cozy interior reminds the writer of the wonderful place Cape Cod abounded with in a simpler time.

The Pasta and homemade meatball was covered with Joey's tomato sauce.

The homemade Lasagna would satisfy a trencherman.

And save even more by printing several of this coupon.

If haute cuisine and a Platinum credit card cost is what you want in a restaurant, you should stop reading about Joey Cardillo's Paradise Pizza right now.

His prices are so low they'll remind you of eating out a decade ago.

Joey and his dad started the restaurant here in 1976 and earned a good reputation for generous portions, the freshest ingredients and their own homemade pizza dough.

For the arithmetic-challenged, that's a third of a century ago.

Several restaurants later (including Joey's Seafood in Yarmouth) and a detour to Boca Raton Florida, Joey heard that his original location was available, and he couldn't resist an encore performance on Olde Cape Cod.

Luckily for us he returned during this recession.

Pizza, Munchies, Grinders, Calzones, Dinnera, Free Pizza

You can get out of here for $6.25 for the plain, 10-inch pizza all the way through Joey's 40 pizza varieties to the humongous 16-inch Paradise Special.

You can even get a pizza free by printing out copies of the coupon on the right or pick up a copy of Best Read Guide and use the coupon in Paradise Pizza's ad.

Last night we ordered the Antipasto shown below. It was more than the two us us could eat for $6.95.

We split two entrees - Joey's deservedly famous homemade meatballs and spaghetti, $7.9.5, and his homemade Lasagna $8.95.

Those photos on the right are 12 inch plates and each weighed a ton!

We will have about half the order tonight at home because there was no way we could finish them at Paradise Pizza.

And the best is yet to come

We didn't realize when we ordered the entrees that Joey bakes fresh very garlicky rolls which come with each dinner order.

The rolls were swimming in the best-ever olive oil/garlic juice, and we were able to eat about half of them. See the photo at the bottom.

I don't want to lead you astray. This is simple pleasures well prepared at bargain prices. If your dinner choices border on the gourmet and fancy, take off your necktie and jacket and relax at Paradise Pizza's 1976 era eating.  Joey's genes originated in Southern Italy, not the north, and this class of cooking is more peasant than proper, with prices to match.

• Paradise Pizza is at 74 School Street, West Dennis.
  (508) 398-977     The Original Joey since 1976.
  
• The website. or the menu.

Below is the giant Antipasto and the incredible Garlic Rolls which come with each dinner entree.

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Where are the Best Fried Clams on Cape Cod?

The quintessential Cape Cod clam dish has a thousand  champions

But where do YOU think they are prepared best?

It's that time of year again when all those eateries which were closed all winter start opening up for our summer visitors and us as well.

My favorite fried clam restaurant is the Marathon on Route 28 in West Dennis, but everyone I know has a different candidate for Cape's Best Fried Clams.

      Click here to take the POLL

• Which restaurant is YOURS?
  
• Big bellies or small?
  
• But Strips are for Manhattan Clam Chowder heretics.
  

My wife used to to prefer Sir Cricket in Orleans which is a take-out. I have a friend who insists that Cooke's across the street is better.

Some places have a thick coating, others a thin one.

Some folks like small bellies, while others ask specifically for big bellies.

Some people slather tartar sauces all over them, others opt for a little lemon juice to savor the essential bivalve.

One of our bloggers has three favorites, Kreme & Kone, Seafood Sam's and Capt. Frosty's.

Some prefer clam strips which are as non-Cape Cod as Manhattan Clam Chowder.

We are interested in our reader's choices, so please add you as a comment below. If you are not yet a registered commenter, it takes one minute and you only have to do it once to comment on anything on CapeCodToday.com.

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Trader Joe's: Check out the chicken on the cheap

Yum, Serenada or Gorgonzola, you choose

I don't much enjoy trips to Trader Joe's in Hyannis.  Before anybody starts hollering, I understand that most folks love the place.  Me, I force myself to go every so often to purchase several gallons of their tasty, premade and inexpensive iced tea. There's just something about the environment and pace of the store that I find irksome.

But I must admit, I made a new delicious discovery and will have to get more used to the place.

Recession means different things to different people, but for most of the people I know, it means belt tightening.  It means going out to eat a little less often or taking advantage of restaurant specials.  It also means finding flavorful meal choices for your own kitchen that won't break the budget. 

Also, whether there's a recession on or not, many of us are pressed for time--working crazy hours and we cherish the little time we have in the evening after a hard day on the job. 

I've found an inexpensive meal, ready in a half hour that tastes like something served to you at one of your favorite restaurants. 

The frozen section at Trader Joe's offers a lot of interesting and varied meal choices for all different tastes and nutritional needs. On our last foray for iced tea, a couple of frozen chicken entrees caught our eye.  We figured the ingredients sounded good as did the per plate cost of less than $4.

First up was the Chicken Serenada.  The box promised, "seasoned cooked chicken breasts with rib meat with a Coco Caribe sauce topped with Poblano Peppers."  We flipped the box over and along with the very simple instructions (30 minutes in an oven preheated to 400 degrees) was the further promise of the tastes of coconut, ginger and pineapple.

After a half hour, the Serenada was spirited out of the oven and laid upon a bed of lightly buttered angel hair.  Pure heaven.  The spiciness of the sauce flavored the pasta perfectly.  The chicken was tender and not at all rubbery as poultry in prepared frozen dinners can often times be and the peppers were crunchy and flavorful.  This quick and easy meal, with virtually no clean up, made it difficult not to lick the plate clean!

Happy with finding a new entree to introduce to the work week repertoire, we eagerly awaited the Chicken Gorgonzola a few nights later. 

I enjoyed the spicy Mexican-Thai flavors of the Serenada, but I just knew the Gorgonzola would be more up my alley--and was it!  The Gorgonzola box read, "fully cooked chicken breasts with rib meat topped with portabella mushrooms, diced tomatoes in a Gorgonzola cheese sauce." And, given the same treatment as the first, 30 minutes in the heat then a date with a plate pasta, the Gorgonzola met if not exceeded the taste of the Serenada.  The cheese sauce was not overpowering and the dish reminded me of a Chicken Bruschetta. 

Two great dishes on the cheap with very little clean up and time slaving away in the kitchen.  Definitely worth an increase in trips to the Trader Joe's in Hyannis.

Both chicken dinners contain two servings.  Trader Joe's is located on Route 132 in Hyannis in the Christmas Tree Plaza.

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Wednesday is fish 'n chips day!

Let's face it, the current economy is quite unnerving. Everybody is pinching pennies and many folks are cutting back on eating out.  But many area restaurants are feeling the pinch too and offering great deals for folks who really need a night out and away from the kitchen.

Early birds, two for ones and coupon savings are a great way to treat yourself to a little something special and support local businesses. After all, we are all in the same boat!

In addition to restaurants, many local markets offer inexpensive, quick and tasty premade meals for working families, couples and singles. 

What would you say to a delicious, inexpensive, take-out dinner?  

Peterson's Fish Market in Yarmouth Port is offering just that.  Every Wednesday, between 11am and 5:30pm, you can call up (or go in) and place an order for fish and chips.  Your meal comes complete with lightly battered fish, spicy french fries, cole slaw, a wedge of lemon and tartar sauce--all for just $6.99!

The fish was tasty and piping-hot and the portion was surprisingly large for the price.  Aside from the taste, the best part was we didn't have to buy the ingredients, schlepp them home, prep the fish, fry the fish and clean up.   In fact, it quite possibly would have cost more if we made it at home!

Peterson's Fish Market is owned and operated by the same folks who own Peterson's Supermarket, right next door. If you are in the mood for something other than fish, the supermarket offers a wide selection of premade meals and soups and deli sandwiches and subs. 

If it's pizza you are pining for, you are in luck. RC's Pizza, located in the food market, dishes up a tasty pizza pie in three sizes, 12", 18" and the huge 25" (just make sure you'll be able to fit it in your car first!). 

If you find yourself in the area or you live close by, make Wednesday Fish 'n Chips night!

Peterson's Supermarket and Fish Market are located at 918 Route 6A in Yarmouth Port.  508-362-2147.  Peterson's is a farm stand, butcher, deli, liquor store, coffee shop and bakery all in one.  The staff is pleasant and helpful and the prices are comparable to those of larger supermarkets.

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It's the Talk of the Town with great food and low prices

The alluring smell of syrupy pancakes, sizzling bacon, and oozing eggs made my breakfast decision, well, pretty straightforward.

The ultimate diner experience awaits you in Falmouth at the Talk of the Town.

Ya Ya’s Special gave me all that and more.

Imagine starting your day with this in your belly.

A warm, woody, friendly atmosphere.

In an simple setting, see the map below.

Story and Photos by Samantha Pearsall

I’ve gone out to some great breakfast spots, but the menus are not at all flexible and neither is the wait staff. You can only get chocolate chip pancakes on weekends, you can’t customize your veggie omelet, and no substitutions on any specials.

Talk of the Town Diner in North Falmouth is the place to go if you’re looking for “quality food, service with a smile, and a touch of nostalgia.”

The family-owned diner on Route 28A certainly showcases its retro flare with the likes of Marilyn Monroe, The Rat Pack, and James Dean on the pale blue walls.

Our young waitress was friendly and patient (despite the packed dining room), the table settings were tidy and clean, and everything was full (ketchup, salt, pepper, etc.). But most importantly, I could order what I wanted and exactly how I wanted it.

Mix & match to your belly's content

I was able to order strawberry pancakes instead of plain buttermilk with Ya Ya's Special, and instead of ham or sausage, I could have bacon. My eggs did not have to be scrambled either if I preferred them differently.

Open daily 7 a.m. until 2 p.m. and offering great eats at reasonable prices, it’s no wonder why this is such a hot spot for both breakfast and lunch.

Back in a flash with the hash

The food came within about 5 minutes of ordering, and when I saw the multiple plates I knew my eyes were bigger than my belly.

My strawberry pancakes were at least 8 inches in diameter, my home fries were overflowing my plate, my eggs were cooked just the way I like them—over-hard, and my bacon was perfectly crispy.

All this great grub for just $8.95—cheap and huge portions. It was the first time in my life I’ve actually had breakfast leftovers to take home with me!

The sizeable menu also offers daily specials, French toast on Italian Scali bread, Belgian waffles, pancakes from blueberry to banana, fruit smoothies, any kind of eggs or omelets you can conjure up, TOTT Favorites like Big’s Monte Cristo Sandwich, and other sandwiches and wraps. For those health-conscious patrons, choices include cholesterol-free egg whites and omelets, various salads, Lissa’s Special fruit platter, and a number of club sandwiches. Just about every item on the menu is under $10, with most breakfast plates being anywhere from $5 to $9, and most sandwiches about $5 or $6.

The Keuchkarian family also owns Talk of the Town Restaurant located just minutes from their diner off Route 28A, as well as another Talk of the Town Diner in Watertown, Ma. And don’t forget to pick up one of their catering menus that offers a number of popular entrees, salads, and desserts serving up to 10 or up 20.

Talk of the Town Diner, 326 North Falmouth Highway, Rte. 28A • North Falmouth. (508) 563-3041. Menu.

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Get ready for the T.G.I. Inauguration Day party

T.G.I.F. to celebrate Tuesday with "World's Largest Inauguration Party"
And the Hyannis spot is low cost conscious for the recession-minded

"We look for any excuse to have a great time, and the inauguration was the perfect way to get a party going on a Tuesday." says TGIF's Senior VP Andrew Jordan, and having the biggest bar in Hyannis makes that easy.

Prices at the Hyannis location are a bargain any day, like a Petite Sirloin with 5-Cheese Mac for $9.95, a Full Rack of Jack Daniel's slathered Ribs (above) with fies for $16.95 or this Half Rack with Fries for only $9.95.

By Walter & Patricia Brooks

T.G.I. Friday's restaurants, including the one on Route 132 in Hyannis, have completed their final plans for the "World's Largest Inauguration Party" which they will host at more than 920 restaurants in 62 countries around the world all day on Tuesday, January 20.

"We look for any excuse to have a great time, and the inauguration was the perfect way to get a party going on a Tuesday," said Andrew Jordan, Senior VP at TGIF.

"Like we say, 'In Here It's Always Friday'!" he added.

At 9 p.m. local time, the famous T.G.I. Friday's bartenders will lead guests in a "Toast Heard 'Round the World," which will honor the to-be-named All-American Drink.

• All guests will enjoy special drink prices at participating restaurants. "In other words, in those restaurants where we can legally do it," said Jordan.
• All guests in the USA will be treated to half-price appetizers with the purchase of an entree during the month of January. Now that's cool!
• All guests at the party will receive a commemorative Friday's-style button to show that they were at the World's Largest Inauguration Party.

Meat Lover's Nirvana
We ran a test run on the TGIF' at the mall in Hyannis last night, and discovered a meat lover's recession paradise. The menu is full of mouth-watering delights at very affordable prices.

My wife and I chomped down on their famous Jack Daniel's glazed ribs and steaks, and if your cholesterol needs a mega boost, be sure to try the Mac with Five Cheeses.

Fish folks catered to as well
TGIF may be famous for steaks and ribs, but the selection of seafood will more than satisfy those with a different taste, try the Honey Pecan Salmon or the Spicy Southern Shrimp,  and they offer low carb and low fat selections as well.

Be aware that TGIF at Cape Cod Mall is open long after the mall itself closes, and you enter from the parking lot on Route 132.

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The Coffee Table Cafe--a friendly place to grab a bite on the harbor

Enjoy a tasty breakfast or lunch and a hot cup of joe down at the harbor

Story and Photo by Peter Robbins

Even in the winter months there is something magical about a harbor view as you watch the boats glide in and out of port.  The Coffee Table Cafe at the Hy-Line Landing at 230 Ocean Street in Hyannis is a wonderful spot for breakfast, lunch or a quick cup of coffee. 

The Breakfast

Breakfast sandwiches are served on homemade breads and bagels and are beyond compare.  The self-serve coffee bar offers a selection of fresh brews to compliment the  baked goods.  Cinnamon rolls, coffee cakes, muffins, turnovers, danish, cakes, scones, and croissants are baked fresh daily.

The cafe atmosphere is pleasing and friendly and it is one of the cleanest establishments I have ever visited.  Relax and surf the net with their free Wi-Fi service. 

The Coffee

Don't miss out on the cafe's a "save-a-tree" coffee special.  Bring in a mug (any size) and  fill it with one of their coffees for only 99 cents.  Now that got my attention!  Make sure you pick up their coffee club card.  After purchasing nine hot or cold coffees, you receive one large hot or cold coffee and a pastry of your choice--free.

The Lunch & Bakery

As you enter, the aroma of fresh baked goods fills the air and that certainly doesn't hurt your appetite! The bakery & pastry shop in the cafe is taking orders daily for your holiday pies and baked goods needs. The luncheon menu boasts a selection of gourmet sandwiches featuring Boar's Head meats and cheeses, salads, and even box lunches to go.  For you vegetarians they serve the "Martha's Vineyard", a veggie wrap with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, green peppers, roasted red peppers, feta cheese, black olives, artichoke hearts and your choice of dressing. 

The Coffee Table Cafe is a casual but elegant place to grab a bite whether or not you are heading to the islands.  Stop in and check it out, I guarantee you will return!

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Howard Mitcham must be spinning in his grave

 Ptown has lost it's Kale Soup reputation
Two strikes and you're out Ptown

If American cookin' makes you think of Mom and Apple Pie, then Provincetown should make you think of the late Howard Mitcham (on right in artist rendering) and Kale Soup.  If Howard were alive today he would be mounting a protest movement in his Cape Tip home over the sorry deterioration of one of his favorite local dishes, Portuguese Kale Soup. 

I took a sail Sunday on the maiden voyage of the Hindu, and after three hours on the briny I headed for the Foot-long Hot Dog stand on the wharf for a hot bowl of kale soup.

It was HORRIBLE - tasted like vinegar. When we returned it to the counter they threw our money at us and we headed for the Portuguese Bakery around the corner for respite.

Their kale soup tasted like dish water - UGH !

There was a time a generation ago when Cape Codder from the Lower Fourteen (Truro through Sandwich) would drive all the way to Ptown for a bowl of kale soup at Cookie's Tap in the West End, sadly long gone.

John Murphy to the rescue

John Sr. is also an established artist who had had one-man shows in Paris.Thank God for the Land Ho! in Orleans and its artist-owner-chef John Murphy.  He has preserved this Iberian blessing know as Caldo Verde in Portugal, and preserved it in a manner which would give Howard Mitcham envy. 

Not only is Murphy's Kale Soup the best on Cape Cod, it may also be the least expensive at $3.75 a cup and $5 a bowl.

And face it, dear readers, the Land Ho! is what a local Cape fisherman's tap is supposed to look like.  It's simply a  wonderful add-on that the food is both excellent and inexpensive.

Howard Mitcham: artist, poet, writer, chef 

James Howard Mitcham was born 1917 in Winona, Mississippi and died on August 22, 1996 in Hyannis. He was a lot of things; an artist, poet, and cook best known for his books on Louisiana's Creole and Cajun cuisines and that of New England, with an emphasis on seafood.

The strength and honesty of a correctly concocted kale soup is beyond compare.

Deaf from spinal meningitis as a teenager, Mitcham attended Louisiana State University and moved to Greenwich Village where he owned an art gallery. He acquired a reputation as a bohemian, raconteur, and "Renaissance man", spending much of his life in Provincetown, Massachusetts and New Orleans. He contributed a column to the Provincetown Advocate, since absorbed by the Banner.

Many of his books combined personal memoir and recipes with his own woodcuts and drawings. Anthony Bourdain has described Mitcham's Provincetown Seafood Cookbook as "a witty, informative ode to local seafood, sprinkled with anecdotes".

 His opening chapter in the Provincetown Cookbook about Provincetown when it was Helltown is nearly unique in our local literature.

• Read Howard's Obit in The Banner here.
  
• Buy his cookbook here.
• See Mike Stine's Kale Soup recipe here.
• Caldo Verde recipe here.
  

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