By Michael Barbieri****When writing a restaurant review, I generally like to open with a snappy introduction or colorful description of the venue and my dining experience. In this case, however, the eatery in question is so good, so marvelous in its simplicity and terrific service, that I feel the best way to open is to say this: You absolutely must try Bubala’s by the Bay!
Established in 1993 and located in the heart of Provincetown, Bubala’s is a Ptown mainstay. Serving up some of the freshest, tastiest seafood I’ve ever tried, along with salads, pastas, vegetarian options and meat dishes like braised short ribs and rack of lamb, there’s something on the menu for just about everyone! The decor at Bubala’s is simple, yet comfortable, featuring a
good sized bar accented with lavender neon, a large alfresco dining area out front, allowing for great people-watching along Commercial Street and a terrific view of Provincetown Harbor at the back. The only real splash of color comes from the wonderful Picasso-esque mural by James Hansen, that covers one wall of the main dining room.
There were four of us for a staff dinner: Scott Barbarino, our PtownNiteLife Publisher, Penny Landau, our PtownNiteLife Editor and Lynda Sturner, our Ptown Buzzz columnist and a Ptown/Truro local. Julius, our super-friendly,
knowledgeable and helpful server, took great care of us all evening long and we were definitely not disappointed!
Now, I don’t usually mention a restaurant’s bread; I mean, bread is bread, right? But at Bubala’s, the warm, hearty bread came with two heads of soft, sweet, spreadable roasted garlic, as well as Greek olive oil, balsamic vinegar, red pepper flakes and Parmesan cheese, all of which made the bread a heavenly experience! We also sampled some of the adult libations: a lovely glass of Italian Rosé for Lynda, a Margarita for Scott and I had the extremely tasty Nantucket Sound, made with blueberry vodka, basil, fresh lemon and soda. Yum!
We split two appetizers: first, the Carpaccio – paper-thin slices of Angus tenderloin topped with capers, shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, a drizzle of olive oil and a touch of lemon. The beef was fresh and gorgeously red and the cheese added a sharp nuttiness, but the dish could’ve used a bit more lemon, frankly. The flavor of the beef was good, but a bit bland. A bit more acid would’ve made the dish pop. The Caribbean Fish Cakes, however, were terrific! Made from minced cod, they were crispy and golden brown on the outside (perhaps a tiny bit over fried), delicate and tender inside. Similar to the ubiquitous crab cakes, these morsels packed just the right amount of heat that hit right at the back of the palate. A cilantro lime aioli served on the side, provided a cool, creamy touch of acidity to offset the spice, which made them a perfect way to start the meal.
Shortly after finishing the starters, our entrées arrived. I was able to try a taste of everyone’s dish, and they were fantastic, across the board! Penny chose the Steamed Lobster, served with basmati rice and vegetables. The lobster meat was firm, fresh and enticingly sweet – clearly caught within hours of being served. Lynda ordered the Roasted Whole Fish – de-boned flounder prepared with garlic, shallots and aromatic herbs, filled with a shiitake mushroom stuffing
and topped with a tangy, slightly spicy escovitch – a pickle of white onion and yellow and red bell peppers. The fish was delicate and flaky and while flounder is usually very mild-tasting, the roasting process and mushroom stuffing gave it a smoky, earthy depth of flavor. The escovitch was the perfect foil for the flounder, adding bright notes of spice and acidity. Scott selected the Roasted Half Duck. Now, in my years as a food writer, I’ve tasted some very good duck dishes and I have to say, this was one of the best! Roasted beautifully, the skin was crispy and delicious, with a hint of
sweetness from a housemade honey barbecue glaze. In addition, the fat to meat ratio, which can be difficult to achieve, was spot on, with the fat enhancing the pleasant gaminess of the duck. Superb! I decided on the Native Mussels served over linguine. Smothered in a mixture of fennel, sausage and cream, this was a dish that will stay with me. I generally don’t like fennel or anything that tastes of licorice, but Julius recommended the dish and it won me over! The mussels had a subtle brininess and were fresh and clean,
without a trace of grit, while the cream mellowed out the flavor of the fennel, rendering it wonderfully sweet. The sausage gave the dish additional heartiness and when everything was combined with the al dente pasta, the dish was rich, unctuous and unforgettable!
Luckily, we had saved room for dessert. The desserts at Bubala’s are all baked in-house by Mary Jo Avellar and they were all amazing! We tried the Mile High Coconut Cake – delicious, airy and very coconutty, with a trace of sweetness from a light dessert wine in the cake. We also sampled the
Key Lime Tart, which was more like a bright, tangy key lime custard in a delicious homemade crust, the Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie – thick, rich and decadent; a bit heavy, but not overly filling, with an addictive Oreo cookie crust and chocolate chips and finally, the sublime
Chocolate Ginger Mousse, made with dark chocolate, infused with Canton Ginger Liqueur and shot through with finely minced bits of fresh ginger, which balanced out the sweetness of the chocolate. All of the desserts were yummy and satisfying, yet not cloyingly sweet. The perfect ending to a fantastic meal!
This was only my second visit to Ptown, and yet I’ve already reviewed quite a few of the local restaurants, all of which have impressed me tremendously. I now find myself looking forward to more trips to Ptown and more great meals at Bubala’s by the Bay! It’s a winner!
