The Cape’s Best Scallops

On Sunday night I ate some of the best scallops I have ever tasted.  Granted I might have been extra hungry as I biked 11 miles to get to dinner but they were absolutely fantastic.  Today is my last day of vacation in Cape Cod and I think I actually do more exercise here than I do in New York City. I have been swimming every day and  on Sunday afternoon my dad and I jumped on bikes and headed west to Woods Hole, Massachusetts: 

I had not done the bike from my parents house down to Woods Hole in a few years thanks to my knee surgery and it was even better than I remember – the ride down was beautiful and my knee felt great the entire time.  We arrived in Woods Hole on the early side and I would usually have felt uncomfortable walking into a restaurant in my workout clothes but it is the Cape and anything goes. 

The restaurant we went to, The Quicks Hole Tavern, opened last summer and they are known for their seafood.  As we sat down a mouth-watering lamb dish headed out of the kitchen and I had a feeling we were in for a great meal. My dad and I ordered the large caprese salad of heirloom tomatoes, burrata, basil oil and balsamic to start while my mom had the Quahog chowder, similar to a clam chowder.  

While the chowder was nothing to write home about, it was apparent the mozzarella in our caprese salad had been made that morning and my dad and I exclaimed after every bite that it was some of the best we had ever tasted.  As we ate we overlooked the Martha’s Vineyard ferry coming and going – every time it unloaded passengers the restaurant was swarmed.  

Despite the lamb looking delicious when at a fish place, you order fish. After three bites of our entrees we all agreed we had made the right decision. My dad had the special of the evening a pan-seared sea bass served with conch fritters and fresh snap peas in a cucumber dressing while my mom chose the grilled swordfish with fennel pollen, green beans, and fried polenta in a Sicilian sauce.  

I would argue though that my dish was the best.  I ordered the seared sea scallops which were served with a sweet corn succotash along with a arugula and bacon salad. Oh my goodness, perfection. I watch a ton of cooking shows and would like to think I know how a scallop should be cooked and these four were seared and seasoned perfectly. 

After dinner we walked around Woods Hole for a bit, admiring the boats in the marina before we got back on our bikes and headed home before the sun set. 

Have you been to Cape Cod?