Provincetown: Parking in City Lots and Restaurant Recommendations
 

So the 50th Birthday Extravaganza is set, and look out, P'town, I'm comin' at ya!

Our lodging is set, we're reserving shows (so many drag queens, so little time!) and we have a rental car. The complication is: The B&B (Crown & Anchor), right on Commercial St., doesn't have on-site parking. Last time we went, we got a spot for the rental up at a gym, four blocks away (big whoop-- we needed the walk!), but this year that's not an option.

So we're going to look into parking in the P'town city lots. The Pier lot is obviously closer, but they don't have weekly rates. Grace Hall (Bradford & Prince) does, but it's a bit farther and apparently the long-term spaces are in a remote corner of the lot.

Does anyone have experience with the Grace Hall lot, or suggestions for a parking "deal" for a five-night stay?

And while I'm here asking: We have dined at, and enjoyed, Central House, the Lobster Pot and (especially) Jimmy's Hideaway. What are some other outstanding P'town eateries-- both "splurge" and "cheap eats" level, and anything in-between?

And even more fun: We need to plan a lunch or early dinner for my father-in-law, who lives in an assisted living facility in New Bedford (this will be on a Monday, which may complicate things). Does anyone have ideas? We really liked Davy's Locker, but it's been sold and closed, to be re-badged as a sports bar.... Seafood, Portuguese or New England Chinese would be popular choices, but we'll go for anything.

In many ways, this is a hard-fought birthday; given my heart problems and my horrible family history, I'm very happy 50 is in sight for me! Some loved ones weren't so lucky. I'm planning to make it wonderful for me and my beloved husband, so any hints you can offer will be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance, Fodorites!! :)

I've never gotten the "deal" but the lot isn't that far from the Crown and Anchor, and that's usually where I park. I don't particularly like the pier lot anyway because of the congestion, so I think you're choosing wisely, and you can get there directly off Bradford so you don't have to drive on Commercial at all. The lots definitely get full, but I've never had problems finding some space, even on a busy holiday weekend.

I like Cafe Edwige for an upscale dining choice, but you have to climb up steep stairs, so it's not a good choice for your father. The Mews and Front Street are also good. I've not eaten at Devon's, but it gets good reviews from people I know.

For your father, perhaps Napi's? It's not fancy, but I like the food. I had Thanksgiving dinner there once of all things. It's not that far from the Crown & Anchor.

Thanks for the hints, Doug.

A gentle clarification: The meal with my father-in-law will not be in P'town, but in <i>New Bedford</i>. We will be starting our vacation with a couple of nights in the lower Cape (family living there), and we'll run over to NB to see my FIL on Monday. Last time we went, we found a hole-in-the-wall Portuguese joint for lunch; the food was OK, but nothing thrilling, and this time we'd like something a bit better. Davy's Locker was quite good (seafood, view, full bar!), but as I noted-- it's gone; RIP, Davy's Locker.

And yet another question: On the way to P'town, we usually stop at Captain Parker's Pub in West Yarmouth for clam chowder-- a "family tradition". Are there better joints for clam chowder between the Lower Cape and P'town?

Again: Thanks for your insight, folks!! ;)

Sorry... I misunderstood and thought you were bringing your father over to Provincetown from New Bedford. So I can't help you a bit there. But you may still like Napi's.

Just checked out Napi's website:

http://www.napis-restaurant.com/

It looks pretty great. Since we're going to be there five nights, we should be able to check it out! Thanks very much!!

Ciro's and Sal's on Commercial Street. Haven't been in a couple of years but it was always my favorite. Reserve table on lower level (only a couple of steps down as a I recall from the entry and much more "atmosphere.") NOTE: no restrooms on that level. Restrooms are up a steep flight of stairs, unless something's changed.

I love Napis and they have parking.
For an amazing experience check out Ceraldi , now in Wellfeeet.

I like the chowder at Arnold's.

We’ve been going to Provincetown for years. I always park in the Grace Hall parking lot for long-term parking and have never had a problem. I’ve never been regulated to parking in a certain area for the week.

The Mews and Fanizzi’s by the Sea both have really good food. I’ve always enjoyed Bayside Betsy’s for more casual dining. Saki is a Japanese restaurant with fabulous food. The Red Inn is my favorite. It’s more high end and right on the water.

DH and I recently had dinner at Baxter’s Restaurant in Hyannis. The seafood was excellent.

For anyone interested, I called the Parking department in Provincetown and got the 411 from an extremely friendly town official:

One can obtain a weekly parking pass for the Grace Hall parking lot for $75 by simply going to the police station (26 Shank Painter Road) weekdays until 3 PM; the Parking department is located there. They will take a copy of your driver's license and vehicle registration (NOTE: Make sure your rental car has a valid registration card in it-- and get it back!).

So one quick stop before checking in at the B&B, and we're set!

If anyone has more suggestions for dining in both P'town AND New Bedford, please speak up.

And now-- to get tickets for Kristin Chenoweth for 8/10...!!!

And one last thing-- THANKS to everyone who responded! Your tips are very much appreciated. :)

FYI, I'm leaning toward the Mews for the BIG Birthday dinner, although the Red Inn is singing its siren song.... We want good steamers and any and all seafood-- and maybe some good dessert. Is that so much to ask?!? LOLZ

Thanks again!!! ;)

I love dining outdoors at Bubala's! Good food, good drinks, decent prices and people watching. Can a casual meal get better than that?

I'm topping my own post to report on parking and food and stuff for P'town....

1. Getting into P'town during High Season really raised my blood pressure. Whatever Google Maps says for your trip, add an hour for the slog through Eastham and Wellfleet and Truro.... But oh, it's worth being in Cape Cod, let me tell you!

2. Getting the parking lot pass couldn't have been easier.

3. Getting a space in the parking lot couldn't have been harder. We should have shown up earlier that day. Say, 7:30 AM. It took us a bit of time to find a space, but find one we did, and the car was perfectly safe. And it never moved. Not. Once. We stayed put.

4. We stayed at the Crown & Anchor, which was perfect for us. Clean, not horribly expensive, on the beach (we went tide pool walking quite a bit), with a pool (and Speedo-clad cocktail waiters!), poolside bar, three nightclubs/cabarets, an excellent restaurant and piano bar, and a starry clientèle.

5. Celebrity sightings...? The first morning, we ran into Carol Channing and Tommy Tune in the hall outside our room (she's sweet and frail, he's tall and very nice). Walking around, we saw John Cameron Mitchell, co-creator of "Hedwig and the Angry Inch", sitting outside his B&B on Commercial. One night at dinner my husband saw Billie Jean King walking around-- I called out and she waved. Another day we ran into Sandra Bernhard as she checked into the Crown & Anchor; brassy and brash but very nice. We ran into Bob Mackie at the 9 PM Town Hall performance of Kristin Chenoweth. I was hoping we'd see John Waters, but no such luck.

6. I thought I was beyond being nonplussed by a performer's schtick. Then I saw Lady Bunny's one-drag queen show "That Ain't No Lady!" Completely outrageous. Completely hilarious.

7. We also saw Jinkx Monsoon and Major Scales in their stage piece "The Vaudevillians". Superb. Excellent. If they hit your town, RUN to see them.

8. We also saw Miss Richfield 1981 in "Play with My Poodle!" Another hysterically funny show. A bit off-color in the humor, but not extremely so, and full of fun and heart.

9. Kristin Chenoweth-- well, that was just Magic. A superb singer, a great actress, charming and funny (VERY funny) and gifted. And she has a huge heart. She made us laugh, she made us cry, she even threw in a quick tribute to the late, great Madeline Kahn with the help of the hunky singing string quartet Well-Strung. Something they apparently had put together that afternoon for the fun of it.

10. My birthday dinner was at the Red Inn. Specifically at its bar. We couldn't get a table. But the view of the bay was just as lovely at sunset (and the sea air just as fragrant), the food was just as delicious, the wine just as smooth and the company just as delightful and adorable as if we'd had a table. I loved my 50th birthday dinner celebration.

11. The Lobster Pot was so good we ate there twice. Lobster rolls, fries and a Sam Adams draught-- does it get any better for a summertime lunch?!

12. The P'town Portuguese Bakery was a hit. Malassadas and lulas and coffee-- perfect breakfast fare.

13. Central House at the Crown & Anchor is still a solid place for a very good dinner in P'town. And you get preferred seating for their shows afterward. Win-win!

14. Bubala's was quite OK for lunch. Patio dining is always nice when the weather allows it. The food was fine-- nothing special, but tasty for lunch, and not too expensive.

15. The Mayflower restaurant in town was perfectly mediocre diner fare. Having said that, it was always crowded when we walked by (and walked in). And the Portuguese soup was, according to my Portuguese husband, EXACTLY like how his beloved Vavó made it. It WAS good-- lots of linguiça and kale, not too salty, just right.

16. Our last night's dinner was at a relatively new place called Tin Pan Alley, across the street from Town Hall. Delicious. They had a table outside, just off the beach, and we enjoyed the perfect weather and practically-perfect seafood very much.

I will cherish the memories from this trip forever. We planned as little as possible, went with the flow as much as we could (we ran into Lady Bunny on the street, talked with her for a couple and then ran over to buy tickets for her show-- all within five minutes, all completely unplanned), and savored every single second of our vacation together. It was perfectly imperfect, a magical improvisation, Ours and Ours Alone. We couldn't reproduce it if we tried. And we wouldn't want to. It was just for us. ;)

Thanks for the great recap of your trip. I hope you'll be able to return. My neighbors saw John Watters in the grocery store looking at a Cheerio's box!

Sounds like a happy 50th celebration. May you continue to celebrate many more birthdays.

Glad you had a good trip!

rjw_lgb_ca,

Indeed, a great 50th birthday treat! I didn't know Carol Channing was still around; glad to hear she not only is, but seems to still be living it up in P-Town!

I've stayed at nearby Moffett House in a secluded alley accessible next to Mayflower Cafe and the best part is I have left P-Town having made new friends (some that have lasted several years!). Glad to hear that all the spots I enjoyed are still around (sometimes more for the camp ambience than food): Lobster Roll, Bubala's, Mayflower, Portuguese Bakery... I agree with your take on all of them.

Best wishes, Daniel