From Boston to PTown: Beer, clams, onion rings, chowder...

[Buttered Toast]

I moved to Cape Cod (Orleans) from Santa Fe last week, and it looks as though I'll be I driving back and forth between Boston and PTown very regularly throughout the winter and spring.
I'm on the lookout for the best fried clams between Boston and the Outer Cape (I take I-93 to Rt.3 to Rt.6 homeward bound). I'd also love to know where I can find some good coffee on the Cape. I have had some terrible coffee here this past week. Ooh- and beer! Any suggestions for tasty local brews? I typically go for amber ales, IPAs, Belgian style beers etc. Most importantly, where can I find some serious onion rings like the ones they used to have at Liam's (Nauset Beach)? I think they're considered "Yankee-style"; sweet onions, very thin batter coating, melt in the mouth texture. None of that business with the bloated breadcrumbed bracelets you get elsewehere.

[Lily]

We have had some awesome coffee at The Chocolate Sparrow on Route 6A in Orleans! Great place for ice cream and chocolate, too.

[AGM/Cape Cod]

Welcome to the neighborhood! For fried clams and onion rings try Kreme'n'Kone at the corner of Rt 134 & Rt 28 at exit 9 off the Mid-Cape Highway. The other place for fried clams is Captain Frosty's on Rt 6A in Dennis. They are both seasonal and I don't know when they close so call and see.

[M-L.]

Ditto Kreme 'n' Kone, an awful name but great stuff.

[M-L.]

Oops...beer. Hang with the locals at Land Ho in Orleans.

[Jim]

Second on the Land Ho. Can't speak for the clams, but the fried oysters are excellent. They are good with the fryolator, you should also try the kale soup. I recall a good selection of beers on tap.

[Ann]

My husband loves the onion rings at the Orleans Inn and the onion straws at JT's on 6A in Brewster.

good luck
ann

[rl]

Not much good beer in between Boston and P town, but there is good beer in the area. Offshore Ale Co. from Martha's Vineyard bottles a solid Amber. Smuttynose is probably the best regional brewery around and all of their beers are good - especially the IPA. Check out Luke's Liquors in Rockland for a good selection of locals.

I have heard that the Rock Bottom in Braintree is decent. They have a Jalepeno beer that I just tried that was interesting and tasty. Cambridge Brewing Co has some great beer and just won a Silver medal at the Great American Beer Fest for its experimental beer Benevolence. Anam Cara in Brookline is probably the best beer bar in Boston.

Check out the site below for a quide to beer in Boston.

Link: http://beeradvocate.com/beerfly/city/3/

[Buttered Toast]

Thanks for all the great suggestions.

I've been loving all this great food; I hit the Cottage St. Bakery every morning for pastries and baked goods; the chocolate almond cream croissant is wonderful, but it's the amazing muffins that keep me coming back.
After two weeks of searching far and wide for a good cup of coffee, I finally found it at Jo Mama's Juice bar on Rt. 6A. The herb shop on 6A in Brewster also does a great job, and they use organic milk.
In Orleans, I've enjoyed a few knockout salads at The Binnacle (Caesar salad with scallops, the Binnacle Salad). I have also had fantastic dinners at Abba and Terra Luna (Truro), and I've fallen in love with the linguine with calamari (spicy with lots of garlic, cream and anchovies) at Finely JP's in Wellfleet. The espresso/vanilla milkshakes at the Chocolate Sparrow help me sleep better at night.
For beer, I'm really loving the Nantucket-made Cisco Brewery pale ale. Expensive, but delicious.

This week I'm going to hit Kream 'n Kone, Cape Sea Grille (Harwich), The Flume (Mashpee) and Land-Ho!.

Thanks again!