Bistro Bites’ Michael Barbieri Reviews Crown & Anchor

A Letter from Publisher Scott Barbarino – Direct from Provincetown

I arrived in Provinceton last night with our reviewer/food critic and Ptown virgin, Michael Barbieri. We had our first meal at Rick Murray’s Crown & Anchor. One of our goals for the weekend is to gather information and restaurant reviews for our upcoming pre-season feature story on where to go and where to eat, which will be published in February, 2019 and shared with major outlets, including our readers of NYC’s NiteLifeExchange, touting the quality of the restaurants and dining experiences in Ptown.

While life goes on in Ptown with Spooky Bear Weekend, an even spookier Halloween and the holiday season’s annual “Holly Folly,” activity winds down as winter approaches, but Ptown is far from quiet.

If you’re interested in a unique New Year’s Eve celebration, Ptown lights up when the ball drops. There are many events on New Year’s Eve, including Rick Murray and the Crown & Anchor at their annual dinner to welcome in 2019 and we will keep you updated on all of them.

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Enjoy Michael Barbieri’s first Ptown restaurant review in “Ptown Bistro Bites.”

Sincerely,

Scott Barbarino – Publisher & Editor-in-Chief

The Crown & Anchor

Yes!  My first trip to the beautiful seaside town of Provincetown, Massachusetts! Provincetown – quaint, picturesque, artistic and legendarily gay-friendly. And while this is only my first trip, I can already see that Ptown, as some folks call it, seems to have just about everything a person could want in a getaway destination: beautiful beaches, comfy guest houses and hotels, renowned art galleries, cute boutiques, hot nightlife, a world famous Bear Week, fantastic restaurants, amazing theatre and of course, drag queens. Lots and LOTS of drag queens!

And it’s the restaurants I’ll be writing about just now…

My publisher, Scott, drove us from NYC to Ptown. The journey took us about 6 hours. By the time we arrived, we were definitely ready for a good dinner and Scott suggested our first meal should be at the Crown & Anchor, a longtime favorite of locals and visitors alike. Located on Commercial Street, the Crown & Anchor is a hotel, restaurant, dance and video club, piano bar and cabaret complex that has been around – in one form or another – since 1868! Their restaurant is known for its rustic flavors and it’s simple, yet refined, menu, where every item is made in-house from scratch.

The Crown & Anchor did not disappoint!

Though it was quite busy when we arrived, Armand, our host that night, found us a table after only a brief wait.  Tiana, our

charming, efficient and extremely helpful server, took our drink orders while we studied the menu. We began with a couple of their signature cocktails; Scott chose the Raspberry and Ginger Martini – a mix of raspberry vodka and ginger liqueur. The martini was potent but smooth, with a strong dose of ginger flavor. I decided on the Absolut Outrageous, made with Mandarin and Citron vodka, cranberry juice, fresh lime and cherry. This concoction was also nice and strong, with a clean, cold bite from the vodkas. With the martini, the ginger was a tad overpowering and a drop of raspberry purée might’ve punched it up. But still, we were very pleased – especially with the nice heavy pours from the bartender. When we remarked on this, Tiana commented that there was one thing she knew about Ptown and it was that EVERYONE’S in favor of a good strong pour!

On to the appetizers. We shared the Deviled Eggs, which were prepared with bacon and mustard seeds. Tiana suggested we order them topped each with a fried oyster. This ended up as the best suggestion of the evening! On their own, the eggs were good. But when the briny flavor of the fried oyster mingled with the smoky

saltiness of the bacon, the bright flavor of the mustard seed and the herbal note from the chives sprinkled over the dish, there was a fabulous depth of flavor I’ve never experienced in a “simple” deviled egg before.  See?!  Always trust your server! The Red and Gold Beet Salad was also excellent – chunks of red and gold beets served with Little Gem Lettuce, pickled red onion, chopped pecans, a blue cheese crema and a touch of balsamic vinaigrette.  The balance in this

dish was wonderful; every element could be tasted clearly – the beets were sweet and earthy, the onion added a hint of acid, the pecans and balsamic vinegar added woodsy notes, while the lightly pungent blue cheese brought the whole dish together in lovely harmony! We were enjoying the appetizers so much,

we decided we ought to try one of the most traditional of dishes, the Clam Chowder. Just before our entrees were to be served, we threw Tiana a little curveball by ordering two cups of the chowder and she handled our last minute request gracefully and with a big smile! Made very simply with clams, leeks, celery, cream and butter, the leeks gave the chowder a mild,

sweet oniony flavor and the celery imparted a bright, clean, almost herbal undertone. Luxuriously thick and silky, this was a hearty, warming, homey chowder.

The entrees were equally tasty! Scott had ordered the Pan Roasted Rib Eye, which came served with mashed potatoes, sautéed mushrooms and a sauce au poivre. The steak was perfectly seasoned and cooked, just a bit fatty, but wonderfully flavorful and tender. And while the sauce seemed a bit too sweet to my palate, I felt the steak was so good the sauce was really unnecessary. My choice, the Sautéed Scallops, came served on a bed of

sweet parsnip purée, with Portuguese chorizo, leeks and garlic chips. Now, it did seem that the scallops were a tad overdone, but that might’ve been our fault for sneaking in that extra chowder

order. Still the scallops were very tasty, especially when eaten with all the other elements on the plate. When the scallop, leek and garlic were combined with the sweetness of the parsnip and the

smoky, slightly salty chorizo, it made for the perfect bite!

We were nearly stuffed, but we still wanted to sample some dessert. We shared the Lemon Pudding Cake – light, airy lemon cake sitting atop a smooth, delicious lemon curd, all topped with fresh strawberries and blueberries. The texture and flavor of the curd reminded me of a great lemon meringue pie and while lemon desserts can sometimes be a little too sugary, this one was perfect – not too sweet at all and a great end to a delightful meal.

Well, my first visit to Ptown was off to a great start! The town is absolutely charming, the people are fun and friendly and

dinner was remarkable. I’m certainly looking forward and to seeing what else this town has to offer – especially on the culinary scene. But I’ll tell you this: with food and service this good, it’s no wonder the Crown & Anchor has been a local favorite as long as it has! Owner Rick Murray is to be commended for his smooth operation of this historic, iconic property. If you’ve never been here before, be sure to make this one if your first stops!

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