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Cape Cod Cuisine: Falmouth Edition

August 16, 2012

Quaint ‘downtown’ Falmouth.

I love Cape Cod for a number of reasons–the people are amazing, there’s lots to do, the beaches are pristine–but I have to admit that on the cape, just like everywhere else in the world, I make dining a number one priority.  Which is why finding something to have for lunch was goal number one when I arrived for my week long Cape Cod road trip.

One of my favorite things about the cape is that there’s no need to ever dine at a fast food restaurant–which is good, because on certain parts of Cape Cod you simply won’t find one.  You will encounter a myriad of pubs, restaurants, cafes, bistros, and roadside seafood shacks (the latter entirely replaces fast food by the time you reach Brewster).  For my first meal, which I enjoyed on Main Street in Falmouth, I chose something entirely non-New England-y–a Mexican restaurant.

It was the patio that drew me towards Anejo Mexican Bistro and Tequila Bar.  Well, that and the ‘tequila bar’ part of the name (hey–if you’d spent the morning driving solo up I-287 in the pre-dawn rush hour, you’d have a drink with lunch, too!)  Isn’t it lovely?

I selected three different options from the extensive menu and had the extremely helpful waitress help me decide upon the best choice–the Baja tacos which were, appropriately, comprised of beer battered cod.  They were also covered in a tangy, crunchy red cabbage slaw, sprinkled liberally with some sort of crumbly, salty, earthy cheese.  And in case you were wondering, crumbly, salty, and earthy are all really great things for cheese to be.  The taco was served with marinated black beans that were citrusy and silky; a great compliment to the piping hot battered fish.

Of course, I had to try one of their signature margaritas as well.  After all, it is a tequila bar.  It would almost be irresponsible of me to not review the tequila, right?  I’m happy to report that the cucumber margarita did not disappoint.  It was a spicy margarita, containing not just cucumber but a bit of jalapeno as well.  It reminded me a bit of cucumber gazpacho, which is one of my favorite things on earth.  In fact, I’ve now determined that the only way one could improve upon regular cucumber gazpacho would be to add a bit more lime and a generous amount of tequila.

After my lovely lunch and beverage I decided to walk around Main Street for a bit, stopping into many of the quaint little stores lining the street; one of my favorites was a place called Twigs, a cute little home and gift store that had beautiful wind chimes and other earthy-looking home decor and jewelry.  After my shopping trip I checked into my hotel, took a walk down to the beach, and then made my way to the harbor for a cruise on the Liberte Schooner.

And then it was 9pm–and I was hungry again.

I was a bit concerned that the little town of Falmouth would be completely dead by this hour and that I’d be forced to dine on gas station–or, worse, vending machine–fare that evening.  However, I was more than pleasantly surprised when I walked into Liam Maguire’s Pub to find it not only not-dead, but positively hopping.  And the kitchen was still open.  I grabbed the last available seat at the bar–yet another benefit of solo travel–and ordered a $10 combo comprised of one huge stuffed quahog and cup of chowder.  While the food was simply good–the chowder hot and full of clams, the quahog insanely overstuffed and served with hot sauce and drawn butter–it was the atmosphere that knocked me off my stool.  As I had arrived later in the evening, live music filled the entire space; people were singing along to Wild Rover and clapping their hands three times quickly between verses.   This was the bar I was looking for.  Sadly, I don’t have one single photo of Liam Maguire’s, as I was having too much fun to think about taking pictures.  Which, for me, is the highest level of fun possible.

Both Anejo and Liam Maguire’s are located on Main Street in Falmouth, and both are an easy walk from The Shore Way Acres Inn (blog post to come) which I also highly recommend.  Parking is free along Main Street, however, if you are staying out of town.  Both establishments are worth the drive, as are the great shops and shady public park. While you are there, be sure to walk down to the harbor and inquire about a sail on the Liberte.  You won’t regret it!