Having been to Abba a couple of times with mixed results we wanted to try this fusion style restaurant again. One reason is that we have had guests return raving about it. The second reason is we love the style of food Chef Erez Pinhas has on his menu. Originally from Israel, Chef Pinhas draws upon the Middle Eastern cuisine of his home and fuses it with Thai and Asian flavors. With items on his menu like Thai steamed mussels in coconut milk and grilled tuna with vegetable nori roll in a balsamic miso mustard sauce we had to give Abba another taste.
Open since 2001, Abba is located in Orleans on the corner of Old Colony Way and West Rd. just a 15 minute drive from The Carriage House Inn. The atomosphere is very soft with white beadboard and pastel walls, plush banquets with many pillows. Silky curtains hang in doorways. Candles were lit everywhere which gave the small interior a warm glow. We especially like that they had every table and half walls filled with candles giving the restaurant a warm glow. We are always dismayed when we go out to dinner and most of the tables are are not lit looking half closed. Not the case here!
We started with Falafel with Israeli salsa in a tahini amba sauce. The dish was excellent. The Israeli salsa was tomatoes and cucumbers and the tahini sauce was flavorful yet light. The amba (which is Sri Lankan for mango) tropical fruit lightened up the tahini and was delicious. We were mopping up the sauce with our bread, always a good sign.
For entrees we ordered the braised short ribs and vegegtables in Masman curry with jasmine rice and the stir fried scallops with sweet chili jam, basil and gnocci. The short ribs were very tender with a good size portion and out of this world butternut squash. The Masman curry sauce was a disappointment it lacked any curry flavor and was a bit heavy. This is a trend with the chefs' sauces that we experienced on previous visits. Overall though very good. The scallops were cooked perfectly ie: not overcooked and the gnocci were nice and light, not the usual rubberball gnocci that you usually find in this country. The sweet chili jam sauce was overpowering to the dish. Once again I feel that chef Pinhas could use a little lighter hand with his sauces such as he did with tahini amba sauce in the appetizer.
We were too full for dessert but the offering looked interesting (although spendy at $10.00 a pop) with an Asian twist such as Sticky Rice Pudding with pineapple and coconut ice cream.
Service was friendly but a bit rushed. It seemed like they were a bit understaffed with two people handling all serving and bartending to an almost half full restaurant. All in all a good experience. We would come here more frequently if were not for the miscues on the sauces on the entree dishes. We still recommend this restaurant to our guests who want an upscale, interesting alternative to the many seafood restaurants on the Cape.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
In Search of the Best Lobster Roll on Cape Cod
As innkeepers at The Carriage House Inn, the second most asked question (right behind where is the beach) is where do we find a great lobster roll. Now Cape Cod is known for its "chowda" but lobster rolls are just as popular here on the Cape as they are in Maine. They are almost too popular in Maine because even the McDonald's up there sell lobster rolls although they are a poor excuse for one.
Many of the Cape Cod restaurants are very proud of their own version of the lobster roll. Now we are talking about the New England style lobster roll with the traditional squared off roll usually sauteed on the sides in butter and split from the top filled with a mayo based lobster salad. The kind we are looking for are fresh and full of nice lobster chunks with not too much mayo or other filler. So with that in mind we are off over the next several months to search and find the best (5 starfish) lobster roll on the Cape and report our findings back here.
Impudent Oyster -One of our favorite spots in Chatham for dinner, they also have quite a lunch business, so it is here that we start our search. Open for 35 years, the Impudent Oyster with delicious food and large portions is a Chatham institution. The atmosphere is casual with wood paneling and plant filled wooden beams. A comfortable large u-shaped bar takes up most of the lower level. Insiders tip..this is where you will find most of the locals dining on a busy day or night. The lunch menu is big with both sandwich and seafood entree choice plus a daily special sheet with no less that eleven additional items. Of course we zeroed right in for the lobster roll from the regular menu. Listed on the menu for $14.95 it is served with your choice of fries, cole slaw, potato salad or chips. It comes in a nicely sauteed New England style bun with a too large piece of lettuce surrounding the lobster in the roll. There were good size chunks of claw and knuckle meat. (Knuckle meat is the meat between the claw and body of the lobster). The meat was a bit dry and maybe a bit too much onion and celery. Overall we would rate it 3 starfish.... pretty good, but not the great, fabulous roll we are in search of. The Impudent Oyster's food and service is very good overall and a great place for lunch or dinner, but I probably would not go there for just a lobster roll.
Many of the Cape Cod restaurants are very proud of their own version of the lobster roll. Now we are talking about the New England style lobster roll with the traditional squared off roll usually sauteed on the sides in butter and split from the top filled with a mayo based lobster salad. The kind we are looking for are fresh and full of nice lobster chunks with not too much mayo or other filler. So with that in mind we are off over the next several months to search and find the best (5 starfish) lobster roll on the Cape and report our findings back here.
Impudent Oyster -One of our favorite spots in Chatham for dinner, they also have quite a lunch business, so it is here that we start our search. Open for 35 years, the Impudent Oyster with delicious food and large portions is a Chatham institution. The atmosphere is casual with wood paneling and plant filled wooden beams. A comfortable large u-shaped bar takes up most of the lower level. Insiders tip..this is where you will find most of the locals dining on a busy day or night. The lunch menu is big with both sandwich and seafood entree choice plus a daily special sheet with no less that eleven additional items. Of course we zeroed right in for the lobster roll from the regular menu. Listed on the menu for $14.95 it is served with your choice of fries, cole slaw, potato salad or chips. It comes in a nicely sauteed New England style bun with a too large piece of lettuce surrounding the lobster in the roll. There were good size chunks of claw and knuckle meat. (Knuckle meat is the meat between the claw and body of the lobster). The meat was a bit dry and maybe a bit too much onion and celery. Overall we would rate it 3 starfish.... pretty good, but not the great, fabulous roll we are in search of. The Impudent Oyster's food and service is very good overall and a great place for lunch or dinner, but I probably would not go there for just a lobster roll.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Cape Cod in Winter - More of Our Favorite Things To Do
When we have some extra time but not a full day we love exploring route 6A or "Old Kings Highway" a wonderful rural country road along the northern part of the cape. This Native American trail became the major east-west connection and trading route between Plymouth Colony and Provincetown in the late 17th century. The route is filled with mature growth trees planted in the late 1800's, historic buildings and views of salt marshes and farmland. On a recent winter day just after a light snowfall the road was particularly nice with the sparkle of the new snow on the branches of trees. Certainly a winter wonderland.
From The Carriage House Inn we usually start in Brewster with a stop at the Brewster General Store. Your typical general store from a bygone era is filled with knick knacks, candy, food items and supplies is fun to browse and think about a day before strip malls and monster shopping plazas.
Proceeding west you encounter colonial and old sea captains houses, artisan craft and antique stores all along the way. A few other points of interest are the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History in Brewster. Besides a small museum there are hiking trails across the marsh and out to the beach on Cape Cod Bay.
We then like to stop at the Cape Museum of Fine Arts in Dennis where they offer exhibits of art works by fabulous artists who have a Cape Cod connection as well as independent films and events with live music.
Traveling into Yarmouth brings views of historic buildings such as the Winslow Crocker House and Bangs Hallet House and then on into Barnstable Village the Olde Colonial Courthouse.
We love ending up in Sandwich for a visit to the Dunbar Tea House to get some tasty scones and tea sandwiches in an authentic atmosphere. After our fill of the delicious treats, we head over to The Sandwich Glass Museum. The Sandwich Glass factory was in the late 1800's to early 1900's was one of the largest and most successful manufacturers of fine glass. The museum has displays of over 5,000 pieces from 18th and 19th centuries. You can even get your own glass pieces dated.
There is so much to see right along Route 6A but don't hesitate to explore a little of the the main route to see the beautiful harbors and beaches such as Sesuit Harbor in East Dennis and Barnstable Harbor and Sandy Neck to name just a few. These small side trips complete a day full of stunning natural beauty, cultural and artistic wonders and historic times gone by that are too easy to forget in today's rushed world.
From The Carriage House Inn we usually start in Brewster with a stop at the Brewster General Store. Your typical general store from a bygone era is filled with knick knacks, candy, food items and supplies is fun to browse and think about a day before strip malls and monster shopping plazas.
Proceeding west you encounter colonial and old sea captains houses, artisan craft and antique stores all along the way. A few other points of interest are the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History in Brewster. Besides a small museum there are hiking trails across the marsh and out to the beach on Cape Cod Bay.
We then like to stop at the Cape Museum of Fine Arts in Dennis where they offer exhibits of art works by fabulous artists who have a Cape Cod connection as well as independent films and events with live music.
Traveling into Yarmouth brings views of historic buildings such as the Winslow Crocker House and Bangs Hallet House and then on into Barnstable Village the Olde Colonial Courthouse.
We love ending up in Sandwich for a visit to the Dunbar Tea House to get some tasty scones and tea sandwiches in an authentic atmosphere. After our fill of the delicious treats, we head over to The Sandwich Glass Museum. The Sandwich Glass factory was in the late 1800's to early 1900's was one of the largest and most successful manufacturers of fine glass. The museum has displays of over 5,000 pieces from 18th and 19th centuries. You can even get your own glass pieces dated.
There is so much to see right along Route 6A but don't hesitate to explore a little of the the main route to see the beautiful harbors and beaches such as Sesuit Harbor in East Dennis and Barnstable Harbor and Sandy Neck to name just a few. These small side trips complete a day full of stunning natural beauty, cultural and artistic wonders and historic times gone by that are too easy to forget in today's rushed world.
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