5 Reasons Why We Love Cape Cod: Things to Eat

There are so many reasons to make a summer escape to the Cape and Islands, in fact, that we filled more than two dozen pages of Yankee’s May/June issue with a selection of our favorites, including things to see and things to do. Here’s a look at some of our favorite things to eat on Cape Cod.

Favorite Things to Eat on Cape Cod

You Can Really Get Your Licks In

Choosing a favorite homemade ice cream on Cape Cod is like choosing a favorite child. That said, here are three to get you started on finding that superlative summer scoop: Sundae School Ice Cream in Dennis Port, an old-fashioned parlor with a marble soda fountain, doles out ginormous portions of coffee-based Bass River Mud, among other delicacies. At Four Seas Ice Cream, at Centerville’s Four Corners, family-owned since 1934, make a beeline for the coconut, mint chip, or fresh strawberry. And Twin Acres Ice Cream, set in a little oak grove in Sandwich, dishes up banana boats, hot fudge sundaes, and scoops of such perennial favorites as blueberry parfait and pumpkin. 

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It’s Deep-Fried Nirvana

Clams, scallops, French fries, onion rings—guilt-free if you’re on vacation, fried food just tastes better outdoors. You can’t go wrong with a classic roadside shack like PJ’s in Wellfleet, but if you want to up the ante with a water view, try the Barnacle by Craigville Beach, Sesuit Harbor Café in Dennis, or Osterville Fish, Too, overlooking the salt marsh by Barnstable Harbor.

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Dinners You Can Dig

Grab that clam rake and bucket: Many Cape towns offer both temporary and seasonal shellfishing licenses, meaning you can treasure-hunt for mussels, oysters, scallops, and clams. Properly refrigerated, most will keep a few days—but we bet you won’t want to wait that long.

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Delicious Dueling French Bakeries

The Cape Cod food scene owes a debt to French pastry—specifically, two pâtisseries whose success heralded a wave of next-level dining here. It all began in 2009 with Wellfleet’s PB Boulangerie Bistro, where Philippe Rispoli and Boris Villatte first turned out their Paris-perfect baguettes and croissants. Alas, the partnership soured, and Villatte went on to open Maison Villatte in Falmouth. But happily, Cape diners now have two great spots to choose from.

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You’ll Never Run Out of Great Places to Eat

From avant-garde farm-to-table dining in Falmouth to chic seaside bistros in P-town, from clam shacks to artisan ice cream shops, the Cape has a flavor for every vacation. For a tour of Yankee senior editor Amy Traverso’s favorite food destinations on the Cape, go here: Amy Traverso’s Cape Cod Dining Guide

More Yankee Cape & Islands Love: 63 Reasons Why We Love the Cape & Islands