Tag Archives: Provincetown

Taste of Provincetown, Saturday, August 25

taste-of-ptownOn Saturday, August 25th The Taste of Provincetown will take place with all proceeds going to benefit MassEquality, and yours truly has been invited to attend the event.

Thirty of Cape Cod’s most highly-rated restaurants and chefs will be on-hand to tempt your taste buds and satisfy your stomach.  I will share more about The Taste of Provincetown over the next few weeks, but I hope you will come and join me for an evening of cocktails and good food, knowing that your money goes to such a worthwhile non-profit. You may purchase your tickets here.

The Taste of Provincetown is at 6PM on Saturday, August 25th. The event will be hosted at Provincetown Town Hall, 260 Commercial St.

Armistead Maupin in Provincetown

Tales of the CityArmistead Maupin is the author of nine novels, but he is best known as the writer of the Tales of the City series, which was eventually turned into a miniseries starring Olympia Dukakis and Laura Linney.  This series first aired on PBS in 1994 and was the first time I can recall seeing a story line that included viable gay characters.

Armistead Maupin was in Provincetown last week at The Crown & Anchor where he shared anecdotes about his life and writing. After the program concluded Sergio bumped into Maupin, and I couldn’t resist posting the photo. Did you read Maupin’s Tales of the City series?

Hanging with Chris Marchant

Well StrungHere is Sergio hanging out with Chris Marchant (2nd violinist, vocalist) from one of Ptown’s many talented summer acts, Well Strung.

Well Strung is an all-male singing quartet that features classical musicians who put their own spin on music new and old.  This handsome and talented troupe is performing at the Art House in Provincetown through September 22nd.  Tickets are $30 with V.I.P. seats only five dollars more.

You may buy tickets here.

Restaurant review: Fanizzi’s in Provincetown

AtanasLast Friday we were encouraged to try the year round Ptown restaurant, Fanizzi’s, located deep in the East End at 539 Commercial Street.

Fanizzi’s offers home cooking in sizable portions that will leave you full and content.  The restaurant features a Fish-n-Chips special every Friday that comes with a garden salad all for $11.99.  If that doesn’t tempt you or if you are not there on a Friday, the menu is mostly comprised of seafood and Italian plates from $19 – $26 you may also order several burgers ranging from $10.00 – $12.00.

We were happy and impressed by the friendly waitstaff that took time to answer questions about the menu. Shown above is Atanas who waited on us at Fanizzi’s. You will be in good hands, assuming all of the staff is as knowledgeable about the menu and helpful with their suggestions.

Shown below are the: stuffed artichoke $10.99, steamed mussels $8.99 and the garden salad that accompanied our fish-n-chips order.
Provincetown FanizziAlthough all were good, our waiter recommended we try the mussels and it turned out to be the most satisfying of the three.  The broth with white wine, herbs and butter was intoxicating and we devoured them.

The Friday night Fish-n-Chips deal may go down as the best value for your money in all of Provincetown.  The portions are hearty and the fish is only barely fried allowing you plenty of white flaky fish.  Another surprise was the accompanying house slaw made with vinegar.

FanizziThis family-style dining restaurant is a hike so plan to give yourself enough time to get there, but it is worth trying – if only for the Friday Night Fish-N-Chips special. To avoid a wait in season, make a reservation.

Hint: Request a table with a view overlooking the water.
Fanizzi's By The Sea on Urbanspoon

Margaret Cho in Provincetown

Margaret Cho ProvincetownFour weeks from today Margaret Cho will kick off a one-week run at the Art House in Provincetown.  If you’ve never seen Margaret Cho perform on stage and will be in Ptown during Carnival Week this is one show I’d highly recommend you go see.

Margaret Cho is a regular here, spending part of each summer in Provincetown.  Although she’s a San Franciscan through and through there is no doubt her heart has room for two homes and she considers Ptown a second home.  Her performances here tend to be more raw and her audiences more adoring.

Margaret Cho will be peforming from Saturday, August 11th through Saturday, August 18th.  You may purchase tickets online here.

Returning to Provincetown

Entering-ProvincetownLater today we take the high speed ferry back to Cape Cod; specifically Ptown.  Each year very good friends rent a house for a week and my partner and I make sure to go down for part of that week.  This has been a tradition that has been going on for several years now and is one of those annual vacations that we don’t even question.  There is something so relaxing about being in Provincetown with this particular group of friends that makes the trip unique from our other jaunts here during the summer.  Boston Guy

Overheard

Boston GuyMy good friend and fellow Boston blogger of You Think You Know has a regular post called Overheard where he shares humorous quotes he’s observed.

I couldn’t resist featuring a version of his Overheard posts on my blog after returning from my last visit in Provincetown during the week of 4th of July.

I’m a HUGE fan of yours and think you are fantastic Ms. LuPone (as in Patti LuPone)

I’m not Patti LuPone, I’m a man (Ms. Coco Peru)

Let me explain the situation… or to quote Estelle Getty from the Golden Girls “Picture this”… it was the summer of 2012 the place, Provincetown. A young(ish) man is standing outside after watching a variety show called ShowGirls talking to one of the drag queen performers when Patti LuPone’s “Huge Fan” interrupts me to shake the drag queen’s hand and gush a bit before calling him Patti LuPone.  I was that youngish man and the drag queen was Coco Peru.

Honestly, watching Coco Peru blink once then in her best deadpan voice utter “I’m not Patti LuPone, I’m a man” might go down as my funniest moment in 2012.  Coco – you are funny on stage and even more funny in real life.

Photos from Ptown: 4th of July

While the bears have invaded Provincetown this week, last week saw tens of thousands of club kids in Ptown.  Here are a few of the many images from last week.  As you can see it was hot and sunny making for a great week and a lot of fun.

Ptown

Parties in Provincetown start early. The first photo to the left shows what the Boatslip looked like by 12pm as many flock here to relax beside  Provincetown Harbor while listening to music, sipping cocktails and socializing with friends.Ptown

Temperatures soared into the low and mid 90s most of the week making Provincetown an ideal location.  A steady ocean breeze helped to keep everyone cool, but even still shirts remained optional for most.Ptown

Of course the Hat Sisters – Boston icons in the gay scene – did not disappoint with their one of a kind hats designed for each public appearance. Ptown

Coco Peru: There Comes A Time

ProvincetownCoco Peru performed in Provincetown last week.  She has since moved on to Rehoboth Beach where she will be performing on Wednesday, July 11th.

We attended her show on Thursday, July 5th in Provincetown, but we received a sneak peek at Ryan Landry’s weekly talent show, ShowGirls.  Due to recent drama between Ryan Landry and the owner of the Crown & Anchor (ShowGirls previous home) the show had been moved to The Pied.  The venue was tight to say the least and the acoustics left a lot to be desired so apologies for the background noise.

Enjoy Coco’s take on the Mormon Church and her theory on why there are so many “out” gay men in Australia.Note: this is a bonus track and not part of Coco Peru’s There Comes A Time show.

4th of July in Provincetown

Last Wednesday was the 4th of July.  My partner and I opted to escape the heat of Boston and spend the week in Provincetown.  Lucky for us (and half of Boston or so it seemed) Brian Piccini – owner of dBar and DeuxAve – hosted a fantastic party at his house in Provincetown, which has a beautiful view of Provincetown Harbor. Listed below are some photos from his Independence Day bash. Thank you to all those who posed for a picture. And thank you Brian for the invite. Brian PicciniBrian PicciniBrian PicciniBrian PicciniBrian Piccini

Hide your honey… Bear week starts

Provincetown Bear Week2012 Bear Week in Provincetown officially starts today.  If you are heading to Ptown for the week, enjoy your time and have plenty of fun.

The Marc Jacobs shop is ready for the expected crowds. Before the 4th of July theme week had ended they had already added these two guys out in front of their shop on Commercial Street.  I predict more than a few will pause to have their photograph taken with these guys.

I call these two buddies “da bears”.Provincetown Bear Week

Provincetown: Bear Week

Immediately following 4th of July Week is Bear Week in Provincetown.  The two weeks could not be more different as twinks, circuit boys and others will file out on Saturday, July 7th and burly, hairy men arrive.

I stumbled upon this excellent YouTube video from Provincetown’s Bear Week 2011.  It is worth watching.  TorontoKub did a great job pulling this together, and if you identify as a bear, cub, otter (whatever) I think the video will make you smile and perhaps even consider booking a trip to Ptown for Bear Week 2013.

Lee Castoro: RAW Fine Art

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I recently had the opportunity to meet the exceptionally talented Provincetown artist, Lee Castoro. He conceived and created the powerful fine art photography exhibit RAW Fine Art, which premiered in August 2010 and toured the United States. The subject matter addressed in the collection is powerful and Lee’s vision, brought to life through his photography is moving and relatable.

If you visit Ptown, you can see some of Lee’s work on display at the prestigious Julie Heller Gallery in Provincetown at 2 Gosnold Street. Definitely a gallery worth seeking out on the Friday night gallery stroll or as an alternative to the beach if you need a break from the sun.

If a visit in Provincetown isn’t likely this year you may see more by visiting the RAW Fine Art website, or you can visit and “like” the Facebook page.

The circuit hits Provincetown

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The circuit is in full swing in Provincetown as men from all over descend upon this tiny town. The crowds seem more manageable this year but the town still seems to be filled to capacity. I’ve spent much of my time relaxing and going to shows including Ryan Landry’s Show Girls and Mary Poppers. Later this week I’ll check out Ms. Coco Peru at The Crown and Anchor.

I’m really struggling with writing posts and adding images to my blog using my iPad so I promise to add more once I get home and to have those posts drop next week. I’ve included a photo of what the daily Tea Dances at the Boatslip look like, proving that the crowds continue to flock to Ptown no matter what people say about the economy. Below is a photo from Monday’s Tea Dance.

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Miss Coco Peru in Ptown

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Ms. Coco Peru made a special appearance at Ryan Landry’s “Show Girls” performance on Monday night. The show – the first since being kicked out of The Crown – was filled to capacity at The Pied and the audience included Broadway legend, Patti LuPone.  In addition to Ms. Coco Peru and many other talented guests last night, Varla Jean Merman provided colorful commentary through the evening as co-emcee with Ryan.

I’ll be blogging much more about Ryan’s show after I get home, but thought I’d share this photo from after the show. Yes, that is a squeaky toy in Sergio’s pants. They were given out at the show… “Show Girls” is a classy act as one can imagine.