Serious foodies on the Cape may want to add the word “Sunbirdy” to their vocabulary. J’aime Sparrow uses it often to describe not only the food at Sunbird Kitchen, but also the ambience and the way things are done at this 2 1/2-year-old Orleans spot that began life as a popular food truck in Wellfleet. Sparrow, who owns the congenial restaurant with her graphic designer husband, Christian, introduced dinner last June, an “inevitability” she says, after seeing how well received their breakfast and lunch were and also to remain sustainable. With business partners Garrett Smythe and Karen Densmore overseeing the kitchen and wine (try the Feudi San Gregoria rosé), respectively, the evening meal embraces Sunbird’s foundational ingredient-driven recipes, many based on food the Sparrows became passionate about during 10 years in San Francisco. Humbly named Chips & Dip, charred eggplant spread with pickled currants brings the starter to a whole new level; Salt Cod Fritters, so creamy inside and crispy outside, conjure a savory version of fried ice cream; and Smythe’s spin on Beet Salad includes his own scratch-made horseradish ricotta and Wellfleet-grown pickled rhubarb. Adding kimchi makes a lunchtime Grilled Cheese “Sunbirdy,” while the same house-made Korean condiment spices up a Ramen Bowl on the dinner menu. Mushroom Pho is a meatless dinner standout with shiitakes cultivated on Martha’s Vineyard and seaweed from Maine. The entire menu highlights what’s fresh daily at nearby Chatham Bars Inn Farm along with pickled and fermented items from Sunbird’s own pantry. “Every piece of everything gets used,” says J’aime, “which forces you to be creative but is also practical.” And above all, delicious!

—Janice Randall Rohlf

Sunbird Kitchen, 85 Route 6A, Orleans, 508-237-0354, birdinthesun.com. Off-season dinner hours: Thursday-Saturday, 5:30-9:30 p.m.

Beet Salad

Salt Cod Fritters

Mushroom Pho

The post Café by Day, Lounge at Night appeared first on Cape Cod Magazine.

100 Freeman Lane, Orleans

Enjoy direct salt-waterfront access from this magical compound—perfect for your active family. Pack up the boat for an easy cruise to the Orleans-only side of Nauset Beach or launch kayaks from the backyard to explore some of the best paddling on Cape Cod. Take in spectacular views of Fort Hill, Nauset Harbor and the Atlantic Ocean. The open floor plan, which flows seamlessly to the pool, patios, decks and private grounds, make it the perfect home for entertaining.

The home also boasts a generous master suite with a renovated bath and dressing room, a private office and boathouse. Step outside on the private grounds to enjoy the gorgeous sunsets, which give way to mesmerizing starlit skies and the winking beacon of Nauset Light.

Price: $2,895,000

Living Area: 5,000 square feet

Bedrooms: 6

Bathrooms: 5

Lot size: 1.38 acres

Listing Agent: Eric Ehnstrom,
508-247-9700, ext. 204 (office) or
508-360-2244 (cell), eric@oldcape.com,
oldCape Sotheby’s International Realty

View the listing 

The post Magical Waterfront Views in Orleans appeared first on Cape Cod Magazine.

Formerly the Bramble Inn, the new restaurant and B&B serves up Mediterranean-influenced dinners and heavenly desserts in a warm, contemporary setting.

Chatham clams with pasta and fennel sausage

Within less than a year, what was once the Bramble Inn is now Spinnaker, a B&B and restaurant in the heart of Brewster. If the former was beloved (and it was), its successor is on the same path to enchant patrons. For the 18th-century sea captain’s house reincarnation, it was out with the quaint and in with a quiet, contemporary luxury expressed by fresh white paint on the once-papered walls, subtle nods to the seashore and a genuine, warm welcome from new owners Rob and Andrea DeSimone. The three refreshed guestrooms and triumphal breakfasts won’t disappoint even the most seasoned travelers (one online review claims the croissants are better than in Paris!), while the restaurant is open to the public for dinner. Trust me, you don’t want to pass up an opportunity to eat here.

Lucky for me, I arrived before my guest, which gave me time to pull up a stool at the cozy, five-seat bar and order a glass of Italian pecorino wine, a nice switch from my usual chardonnay or pinot grigio that is dry yet flavorful. Spinnaker’s signature cocktail, Pamplemousse Spritz, a refreshing mix of gin, grapefruit juice and rosemary simple syrup, sounds perfect to sip in summer out on the lovely back patio, while other cocktails hint at Rob and Andrea’s frequent travels—the menu descriptions cite inspiration from such exotic locales as Venice and Cannes.

Nursing our drinks and chatting with the friendly bartender, my guest and I lingered over appetizers of crispy lobster fritters with Fra Diavolo dipping sauce, and melt-in-your-mouth gorgonzola-stuffed dates wrapped in Applewood smoked bacon.

Roasted beets and Gorgonzola

Once settled in the dining room, which is in fact three separate areas, we noted a distinct Mediterranean influence to the menu in such dishes as Chatham clams with pasta and fennel sausage, turkey Milanese, and swordfish with red pepper and onion agrodolce sauce. It’s no surprise that Chef Rob’s culinary experience includes cooking apprenticeships in Italy as well as cooking at Bricco in Boston’s North End and helming Spiga, in Needham. His deft hand with la cucina italiana was also evident in my guest’s roasted duck ragu with handmade gnocchi; its robust San Marzano sauce smacked of a long cooking time and also introduced an essence of porcini mushrooms. I opted for Faroe Island salmon, served with seared cauliflower, sweet potato puree, crunchy capers and aged balsamic. It was exactly the embellished seafood dish I had hoped it would be.

Totally satisfied, we were cajoled into ending on a sweet note, and I highly recommend leaving room for dessert. Our verdict: a thumbs-way-up endorsement for the amazingly fudgy gluten-free brownie and also for the brioche bread pudding with salted caramel sauce and vanilla gelato. If ever there was heaven in a spoon, this is it!

Spinnaker
2019 Main St., Brewster, 508-896-7644.
Winter hours: Thursday-Sunday, open for dinner.

The post Restaurant and B&B Spinnaker Sails Into Brewster appeared first on Cape Cod Magazine.

A number of Cape organizations are not only helping to empower women with workforce training, educational opportunities and mentoring programs, but they are also offering support for those who want to be more civically involved or run for local office. 

Several years ago, Penelope Duby experienced a life-changing event. A car pulled up in front of her house and a woman got out and came to her door. She was out delivering pizzas, and she was lost. After talking with Duby about the street addresses, the woman said, “I better get going. I’m afraid I’ll lose my job.”

“That experience stuck with me,” says Duby, “that this gray-haired woman should be scared of losing her job as a pizza delivery person. I thought, there’s got to be something we can do.”

Penelope Duby, sitting in the front seat at right, rides a bus to Boston with local activists to the women’s march in January 2017. Photo from Cape Cod Women For Change. 

This chance encounter inspired Duby to start SWIFT, which stands for Supporting Women in Financial Transition. SWIFT’s mission is to raise awareness of the needs of women age 45 and older for information, educational opportunities, workforce training, housing and human services.

Recent SWIFT workshops have included Medicare, budgeting, banking and salary negotiation. “We can help women identify their personal value, what a woman’s target salary can and should be,” says Duby. “Massachusetts is one of the best states as far as the wage gap is concerned—women make 80 percent of what men make,” she says. But there is still work to be done, adds Duby. The organization is one of many groups on the Cape assisting and advocating for women.

Communities are being challenged to find realistic, sustainable solutions that help women and their families thrive on the Cape. According to Housing Assistance Corporation’s (HAC) chief executive officer, Alisa Magnotta Galazzi, 85 percent of HAC’s clients are women. “That’s because they’ve suddenly become head of household, without the financial means,” says Galazzi, adding that the No. 1 cause of homelessness on the Cape is domestic violence.

“It’s OK to say, ‘I need help,’” says Duby, who in 2017 was presented the Cornerstone Award from the Barnstable County Human Rights Commission for her work with SWIFT and Cape Cod Women for Change. There are several local organizations that work with women in immediate crises, including WE CAN and Independence House.

Supporting women in transition is the cornerstone of WE CAN, which stands for Women’s Empowerment through Cape Area Networking. No matter what the transition, WE CAN’s volunteers provide services from work support to legal counseling. “Our focus is on empowering women to advocate for themselves,” says

WE CAN, which stands for Women’s Empowerment through Cape Area Networking, organizes a bicycle team every year to ride in the Last Gasp fundraiser. Photo from WE CAN’s Facebook page. 

Pamela Kukla, president of WE CAN’s board of directors. Programs at WE CAN include the 10-month PathMaker mentoring program and a six-month GROW group that meets once a month focusing on professional development. One-on-one support is offered in areas such as debt consolidation, subsidized housing and finding work. “We want to stress that WE CAN is here for everyone,” says executive director Andi Genser. “We all need help going through change at some point in our lives.”

Women helping women is how Lysetta Hurge-Putnam, executive director of Independence House in Hyannis, describes that organization’s founding in the 1980s. “Independence House started as two women and a phone in a basement,” she says. “A hotline was the first service. Really that’s all it was—just women helping women. It wasn’t even thought of as a ‘service.’” Independence House has developed many programs since its inception, including a safe home network for women who need to flee their homes. “Not everyone has family here they can go to,” says Hurge-Putnam, adding that even leaving a dangerous environment doesn’t necessarily guarantee freedom. “So we offer ongoing support. We have a court advocacy staff that will help women through the often-intimidating court process.”

Lysetta Hurge-Putnam, executive director
of Independence House. Photo by Kim Roderiques.

While individual help is necessary in times of a crisis, there are also opportunities for women to make bigger changes in their communities. Issues range from housing, income equality, healthcare and childcare. These are not exclusively “women’s issues,” but are now being more focused with respect to a woman’s point of view, and how policy positively or negatively affects women and children, according to Liz Rabideau, chair of the Cape Women’s Coalition.

Like SWIFT, the Cape Women’s Coalition offers support for women who want to be involved in public policy, whether it is as simple as writing to elected officials or testifying at a local commission, being appointed to a town committee or running for office. Founded in 2012, the goal of the Cape Women’s Coalition is to increase the number of women in civic engagement and leadership positions in local, regional and statewide public office. The coalition hosts monthly roundtable breakfasts at the Optimist Cafe in Yarmouth Port, which seek to engage women through discussions on everything from understanding county government to writing effective letters to the editor.

“We wanted to demonstrate that it’s not hard to be involved,” says Rabideau. Every year on International Women’s Day in March, the organization holds an International Women’s Day breakfast, open to the public, to raise women’s awareness of their power to affect positive change in their communities. “Our sole interest is if a woman wants to run for local office, be appointed to a town committee, or just be more civically involved, we support her,” says Rabideau. “We know that having more women at the table can change the conversation.”

The post Women Helping Women appeared first on Cape Cod Magazine.

We reached out to some of our favorite social media stars and asked them to share their stories and stunning images. Here are some talented photographers you should be following on Instagram.

@elizabethev
Elizabeth Evans D’Ascensao

When did you start your Instagram account and what was the inspiration?

I started my account in 2011, shortly after Instagram launched. It has evolved quite a bit. One of my earliest photos was of my office chair. I love checking out new social media platforms and different ways to share stories and connect with people.

What camera or phone do you use? 

I use an iPhone 7 Plus for my Instagram photos.

Favorite filter?

I don’t use filters, but I do love shooting on overcast, foggy or rainy days, when there is as little contrast as possible.

Do you use any editing apps?

I occasionally use Color Story to quickly and easily adjust the brightness of my photos, and I use Planoly to preview my feed and keep it cohesive.

How would you adescribe the look of your Instagram feed?

Light and airy, an escape from the business of ordinary life.

Where are some of your favorite places to photograph on the Cape? 

The beaches and harbors in Harwich, especially with my two young children. I have so many happy memories of running up and down those same beaches as a kid with my own brothers and sister, and I’m grateful to be able to share those beautiful views with our community on Instagram.

@honoryourrhythm
Mike Bows

Day job:

I am a project engineer for a civil engineering company on Cape Cod. When I’m not doing the 9-5, I work part time for a landscape architect and on the weekends with my dad doing carpentry.

When did you start @honoryourrhythm and what was inspiration?

In 2014 when I started a new job on Cape Cod traveling to and from Exit 12, I would stop in the morning and on the way home to take pictures of the sunrise and sunsets (with my phone). From there, I became interested in night photography and got a hand-me-down Nikon DSLR. Not knowing the first thing about a real camera, I contacted photographers from all over New England to teach me their ways. If it wasn’t for @bx_photography (Bryan Xavier) and @bino_bodega (Sabino Flores) taking me under their wing, I would still have no idea what I was doing.

What is the meaning behind @honoryourrhythm?

It is part of a quote from George Denslow’s book “Living Out of Darkness.” “Clear your energy, honor your rhythm, live your vision.” It’s about learning how to dance with our shadows.

Favorite filter and why:

I seldom use filters on Instagram. I like to approach every photo from scratch. Ninety five percent of photos on my account are edited on my iPhone using apps like Snapseed, Lightroom Mobile or Photoshop Express.

How would you describe the look of @honoryourrhythm photos?

I like to think of my photos as vibrant. I like to oversaturate the colors and make my work stand out from the rest.

What cameras do you use?

Cannon 6D with a 16-35mm f2.8L lens and a Mavic Pro Drone. I still enjoy shooting with my iPhone, especially for time lapses and behind the scenes.

@capecodbeth
Beth Patkoske

Day job:

Director of communications for The Davenport Companies, based in South Yarmouth.

When did you start @capecodbeth and what was inspiration?

My first post as @capecodbeth was a snowy winter photo of the Dennis Village Green/Dennis Union Church in March 2013. I’m inspired by the idea of capturing glimpses of natural beauty as well as moments in people’s lives where they are engaged in something they love, primarily here on the Cape, but also in my travels. Initially, I was simply sharing these images with family and friends, but Instagram has transformed into a fun, creative outlet for me as well as a way to connect with fellow Instagrammers across the Cape and around the world.

Favorite filter and why?

Rise is one of my favorite Instagram filters. I like the way it seems to soften the light.

What kind of camera or phone do you use?

I’ve always used an iPhone, currently the iPhone 7 Plus.

Describe your look:

I try to take photos that focus on composition, texture and color by finding subjects that catch my eye and framing them in a unique way to give a different perspective and inspire people to seek out the locations and experience more of the Cape. I’ve also started using Instagram stories more often and hope to add some Instagram Live sessions as well.

Have you always been interested in photography?

I’ve always loved taking photos and capturing memories of special places and people. But as technology has improved, it has become even more fun to get creative with photography and we’re lucky to live in an area with so many fantastic locations.

@kerrycapecod
Kerry Spencer

Day job:

Server, bartender, trivia night host.

When did you start @kerrycapecod and what was inspiration?

In May 2013. My main inspiration was the natural beauty and light of the Cape. I’ve always been that person with the camera in my hand. Instagram gave me that space not only to curate photos, but also to join a community of fellow photographers, a place to grow my photography skills.

Favorite filter:

At the moment, I don’t typically use filters. I edit photos mainly in Lightroom. In the past, I often used the filter Clean in the Made with Faded app.

What types of cameras or phone do you use? 

Canon 5D Mark II, Nikon and iPhone 6s.

Describe your look:

Coastal landscapes with a dash of minimalism.

Where are your favorite places on the Cape to photograph?

Cape Cod Bay at low tide, Nauset Beach sunrises and Provincetown.

@capeology
Created by Samantha Sorabella

@andrea_spence

Day job:

I graduated from Bentley University last May with a marketing degree and I’m working as a marketing specialist.

When did you start @capeology?

In June 2015. My family had spent the summers in Falmouth and that year we bought a house by Menauhant Beach. That first summer when I drove by Falmouth Heights and took in the view overlooking the Vineyard Sound, I knew that I needed to share this place with more people.

How do you curate your photos?

I try to diversify the posts by sharing various locations around the Cape and featuring different types of photographers. Every day, I search #capeology and check any submissions I’ve received and save the ones I like for the future. However, I do also feature photos that don’t use the hashtag. I’ve found that by utilizing #capeology on every post, it led to others using it on their posts as well and it just became a ripple effect. As of January 2018, #capeology has been used over 26,000 times!

Favorite Instagram filter?

I don’t use filters much, but I do boost the saturation a little and increase the sharpness on some photos. A lot of the times, the photos are already in great shape when they are submitted, so a filter isn’t necessary. The key is maintaining a consistent look to all of the photos on the account.

Describe the look:

The look of Capeology is more scenic than anything. As a general rule, I don’t feature people or faces on the account. I love using vibrant colors and keeping the feed as clean looking as possible by simply focusing on the beauty of Cape Cod.

What type of camera or phone do you use?

I use my iPhone 7.

@msmimmy

@davidlong3653

@wickedcapecod
Created by Ryan Johnson

Day job:

Photographer and student

When did you start @wickedcapecod and what was the inspiration?

In August of 2014. I created the account because I wanted to have a community where people can see other people’s images of the Cape.

How do you curate photos for your site?

I look for photos that capture my attention immediately and that I find visually appealing. I only look at photos that use the tag #Wickedcapecod.

Favorite filter and why?

I don’t use Instagram filters. My editing is done with Lightroom and Photoshop.

Do you ever post some of your own photos? If so, what kind of camera (or phone) do you use?

I do post my own work occasionally. I use multiple cameras depending on the subject, but the cameras I use the most are the Canon 6D and various 5D models.

How many times a day do you post?

I try to post at least once a day, but sometimes even two or three times.

The post In An Instant appeared first on Cape Cod Magazine.

Three local fabric artists share their passion for design.

Julie Lariviere

A house fire is devastating, so anytime items can be rescued from charred remains can offer some reassurance. For Julie Lariviere, a math teacher and prolific quilter, retrieving singed folds of fabric led her to create new art.

“It was a faulty dryer that caused it,” says Lariviere, referring to the 2016 fire that destroyed her Cotuit home. “I was dropping off the last load of my younger son’s belongings at his first apartment when I came home to find the house on fire.”

The Cape Cod native moved temporarily into a good friend’s guest house and found solace in her two passions: teaching statistics to high school students at Barnstable High School and quilting. As a participant in Mutual Muses—a visual arts and poetry project created a decade ago by local author and artist Lauren Wolk—she had been assigned a poem to inspire her. Lariviere produced “Fox,” a glorious orange and purple phoenix made from her salvaged fabrics whose burnt edges had been snipped away. “It was really good to do,” she says.

Lariviere didn’t start quilting until the early 1990s, when she was pregnant with her first child. “I was taking an education class and we were asked to come up with something we wanted to learn to do. I thought that I’d really like to make a quilt.” Her mother had taught her how to sew, so together they took a quilting class with Helen Weinman, who owned Heartbeat Quilts in Hyannis.

“She taught me all the basics,” says Lariviere of Weinman. Fellow quilters would meet at the shop to share ideas and eventually they formed the Thursday Night Quilters group she has belonged to for two decades. Heartbeat has since closed, so TNQ, (as the members refer to it), now rents space from the Deer Club in Barnstable for weekly get-togethers.” Being around creative people is wonderful. You see something they are doing and you say, ‘Ooh that’s interesting. I will try that.’” Lariviere regularly attends quilting workshops and showcases her work at art fairs, often sharing a booth with her glassblower son, Spenser. She creates both traditional and non-traditional quilts. “I make them because I have an idea and I want to try it and see where it goes—sometimes it is a terrible disaster, and sometimes it works out.”

Lariviere doesn’t see that much of a divergence between algebra and quilting. “You need to figure out how many yards you need and how to cut it. It’s just finding the missing value, and we do that all the time, in quilting and in life.”

Amy Mason

“I want people to feel joyful at home,” says Brewster’s Amy Mason, “and I think my fabrics can evoke the happy, carefree feeling of summer.” The vivid whales, waves and sand dollars on her linen/cotton blends, especially when skillfully transformed into lampshades, cushions and window treatments, do exactly that.

Mason, whose Stony Brook Design offers art, textiles and style services out of the home she shares with her carpenter/woodworker husband, David, started her professional career designing retail displays in Boston. She had studied graphic design at Simmons College and found that her artist’s eye complemented her innate talent for arranging spaces.

Once they moved to Cape Cod to start a family, Mason began creating original cards with whimsical images and pun-filled greetings and turned her craft into a cottage industry. “It was a way to make some money and be home with the kids,” she says. “I would hand-color everything with pencils, even while we were at the beach or watching a movie.”

Segueing into computer graphic design opened up a world of possibilities for Mason and she found herself drawn to the bold imagery of block printing. She taught herself to digitally “carve” bright fish and ocean images and reproduce them on cards and stationery. Mason had long wanted to branch out into fabrics, and felt that these seashore images would make cheerful interior design products. She found a fabric printing company in North Carolina that offers high-quality materials and allows her to order smaller batches of each design. Currently she works with seven basic images, such as codfish and seahorses, with variations in color and size.

The results have been thrilling to Mason. “It was so exciting to see my images on round lampshades and squishy pillows instead of paper,” she says. She collaborates with skilled sewers, including her mother, Janie Needel, and fiber artist Jackie De Ruyter, to produce home goods and personal items out of her fabrics, and she also sells the fabric by the yard. For four years, she partnered with designer Bridget Cahill in running Deep Blue, a design services, vintage furnishings and gift store in Dennis Village, where she was able to highlight her fabrics alongside her cards and abstract paintings.

Mason adores helping her home design clients find their personal style to turn their house into a home. “I just love bringing their vision to fruition, and certainly my fabrics go with many decors. It’s a lot of fun!”

Susan A. Clark

Growing up in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, Susan A. Clark was encouraged to learn how to crochet and needlepoint. But by the time she finished high school, she was eager to leave home and study fashion design at the French Fashion Academy in New York City. “My training involved learning how to make a pattern, how to drape fabric and create a garment from scratch,” says Clark.

Eventually she returned to the Berkshires, where she worked as a designer for a retail/mail order clothing company and did freelance work recreating bridesmaid gowns. She then met her husband, Daniel, and worked in bridal fashion and managed the ladies’ department at a local Pendleton shop before they and their two young sons relocated to New Jersey.

Once her children got older, the family moved to the Cape and Clark started looking for a creative outlet. She ended up taking tapestry weaving classes in Orleans and eventually joined a collective of fiber artists known as The Weaving Network.

“I had no idea what weaving was then,” says Clark. Two women in the class loaned her small, portable floor looms and soon she wanted to learn more. After taking a course at the Vävstuga School of Weaving in Shelburne Falls in Western Massachusetts, Clark returned to the Cape eager to buy one of the Swedish floor looms for herself.

“I started creating placemats, dish towels and shawls, and my work just took off,” she says. Clark enjoys using organic fibers, like wool and cotton, and many of her most exquisite wearable pieces are woven with mohair or alpaca. She says she found herself branching out to include colors that she wouldn’t normally choose. “I had an array of dishtowels on the loom in blues and purples and greens and reds,” she says.” The colors seemed to just jump out of the fabric. It was wonderful.”

Everything Clark weaves is a one-of-a-kind piece, and her work can be found at the Cultural Center of Cape Cod gift shop and at fiber art exhibitions. “I feel I’ve come full circle from fashion and using material cloth to create a garment to going back to the root where the fiber is,” says Clark. “I still consider myself a designer, just with weaving.”

The post Common Threads appeared first on Cape Cod Magazine.

Tiffany Jazelle’s career has skyrocketed over the past few years. After tirelessly working trunk shows across the Cape when she first started out, the local jewelry designer and entrepreneur recently opened her first retail store in Dennis, completed licensing deals with the Boston Bruins and Boston Celtics and is planning a line of handbags and a collection of men’s jewelry.

As a teenager summering on Cape Cod, Tiffany Jazelle made rope bracelets for family and friends. Today, she owns a national jewelry brand in more than 400 stores on the Cape and across the country. T. Jazelle has more than 37,000 Instagram followers and her online exclusives of 100 bracelets typically sell out in minutes. After a storybook wedding at Wequassett Resort & Golf Club last September, she postponed a honeymoon in Hawaii to enable her to complete licensing deals with the Boston Celtics and Boston Bruins. In 2017, she also launched a clothing line, opened her first retail store and was honored by the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce with a 40 Under 40 award.

Tiffany Jazelle Snow Narbonne combines a breezy beach girl persona with that of a motivational life coach. She is fond of expressions like “Set goals and crush ’em.” Her vibrant personality and Cape Cod lifestyle are integral to her brand. She’s her own best jewelry model and appears on most of her thrice daily Instagram posts wearing stacks of her bracelets made with semi-precious stones and charms. Many of her summertime posts include pictures of Jazelle on her favorite beaches like Grays or Chapins partying with friends.

The designer and entrepreneur majored in communications at the University of New Hampshire and worked briefly in the newsroom of a Boston TV station writing scripts for the news anchors. But her first love has always been fashion and design. In 2013, at age 23, she quit her TV job and launched her jewelry business. Her late father, Terrence Snow, who helped build the Nine West and Rieker shoe brands, has been her greatest inspiration. Her husband, Leon Narbonne, whose family owns the Westies shoe outlets on Cape Cod, helps her with product development and oversees the business. “Leon is my backbone and helps make me stronger.”

When she first started out, Jazelle appeared at up to four trunk shows a week at various Cape Cod stores. Among her first retail accounts and biggest supporters include Sativa in Harwich Port and the Pump House Surf Shop in Orleans. Jamie Rivers of the Pump House recalls when Jazelle appeared with 10 bracelets and persuaded her to try them out in the store. “She was passionate and always smiling,” says Rivers, “with impressive energy and drive, and that’s what sets her apart from everyone else. Tiffany Jazelle commits herself 110 percent to whatever she’s doing.”

Calista Remondino of Sativa, a good friend, remembers when Jazelle made all of the jewelry herself and her living room was strewn with boxes of beads and charms. “Every time I see her, she’s excited about her latest ideas and wants to share the excitement,” says Remondino. She works harder than anyone else and is deserving of her success.”

Crucial to Jazelle’s success and to the essence of her brand is her connection to the Cape. “I see Cape Cod as an amazing place to establish and grow a business,” says Jazelle. “It would have been more difficult to start a business in the city. Local love has been strong and inspiring. I immediately began working with local stores and thrived on their immediate feedback.” Her exposure to vacationing retailers and jewelry buyers also led to many other new accounts. Some of her best-selling collections are nautical and beach themed and she seeks to transmit the “good energy” she feels on the Cape.

Each piece of jewelry is assembled by staff at the T. Jazelle headquarters in Dennis in a neatly organized space lined with shelves and drawers containing thousands of sterling silver charms and an array of colored stones. Her employees refer to her as “Toots” or “Boss Lady,” and she credits them for “believing in me and inspiring me.” The jewelry collections have grown to include necklaces, rings and earrings, but the bracelets are her top-sellers. In the near future, she plans a line of handbags and a collection of men’s jewelry.

Jazelle enjoys thinking of ideas for new charms and looks for symbols that offer meaning and connection to the wearer. For instance, her “core” pieces all have two pyrite beads, which convey good luck and protection. Every one of her products must have a story and Tiffany writes each story card. For her Cape Cod charm, she writes: “Cape Cod is a small island filled with serenity, comfort, happiness and memories. Wear your bracelet as a reminder that a part of Cape Cod is always with you.” She measures her success not only by the amount of revenue she earns or the number of stores carrying her work, but also by the amount of good energy she can generate. She is dedicated to two major charities. Part of the proceeds from her Paw Print bracelet go to the Humane Society, and the Hugs bracelet proceeds go to Massachusetts General Hospital.

“I define myself as a free spirit and a dream chaser,” says Jazelle. She is living both a Cape Cod and an American dream. “I am grateful for the freedom to do what I love.” Her business is growing rapidly and her biggest challenge is handling the growing pains. One gets the sense, however, that she is unstoppable and destined for even greater success. She literally dreams about her business in her sleep. “I go to bed with dreams and wake up with plans.”

T. Jazelle’s store is located at 416 Main St., West Dennis, tjazelle.com

The post Living a Charmed Life appeared first on Cape Cod Magazine.

Founded in 1998 by the late Guy Strauss (pictured below), a professional stage and film actor who lived in Truro, Payomet Performing Arts Center originally started with theater productions and has since grown into a popular music venue. “In the beginning, our audiences numbered anywhere from 6 to 60,” laughs Kevin Rice, artistic director of 11 years and an award-winning playwright and actor. Today, the venue’s 600-plus seats are usually filled to capacity. Payomet, which celebrated its 20th anniversary last August, features legendary artists such as Arlo Guthrie, Judy Collins and Aaron Neville. The venue’s location is unusually located, as it is situated on the abandoned Cold War-era North Truro Air Force Station. The National Park Service/Cape Cod National Seashore subsequently took it over after the Air Force vacated the area in 1984 and created the Highlands Center, whose mission is to use the property for scientific research, educational programs and the arts. In 2017, four buildings on the former base were demolished and Rice plans on using the open space for a circus lot. This summer will be Payomet’s sixth year of offering circus camp for kids. “We’re excited to focus more on the circus over the next few years,” he says. Also watch for more concerts in the shoulder seasons since the tent is insulated and heated.

Payomet Performing Arts Center, 29 Old  Dewline  Road, North Truro, 508-487-5400

The post Payomet’s Staying Power appeared first on Cape Cod Magazine.

Michelle Itzkowitz, owner of Innerglow Yoga in Mashpee Commons, has built a growing community around her studios with diverse classes, a yoga book club, monthly workshops, massages and a retail shop. Itzkowitz’s success led to the opening of a second studio just last year—Innerglow North—which offers stress reduction workshops, pre-natal yoga and private sessions. A native of Framingham and former middle and high school teacher, Itzkowitz has been involved in her yoga practice for more than two decades. “I discovered yoga in the 1990s in my little apartment in Hackensack, New Jersey,” says Itzkowitz. “I moved back to Framingham in 2001 and was going to go back to New Jersey, but 9/11 happened. That’s when I got deeper into my practice.” At Innerglow’s main studio, which opened in 2013, instructors teach everything from gentle yoga to heated power vinyasa, yin yoga, Barre and Pilates. For those interested in teaching yoga, Innerglow offers a 200-hour teacher-training sessions three times a year. Itzkowitz says she’s grateful for the community that has grown around her studios. “It’s exciting to have so much interest.” 

Innerglow Yoga
Main Studio: 30 Steeple St., Mashpee Commons; North Studio, 20 Bates Road, Mashpee Commons, 508-477-9642

The post Strengthening Community Through Yoga appeared first on Cape Cod Magazine.

The new store On The Fringe embraces the “paper and vintage” theme by offering high-quality used books, stylish vintage clothing and an eclectic mix of hand-crafted tiles made with old magazine advertisements and photos. The store’s three owners—Wendy Howard, her son, Conor Howard-Rose, and his girlfriend, Janna Powell—opened the unique gift shop in Dennis Port last spring. “I actually started out making lampshades,” says Howard, a former TV producer from New York who, with her professional cameraman husband, Michael Rose, moved full-time to their Harwich home six years ago. There was quite a bit of fringe on the shades that Howard sold at artisan markets in Wellfleet and Provincetown. “So, we just sort of tossed some ideas around,” says Howard, “and On the Fringe kind of made sense.”

Howard had also been making coasters and trivets for years, focusing on travel-related arcana such as old maps, guidebooks and vacation brochures. Howard-Rose specializes in valuable old books and Powell is skilled in sourcing distinctive vintage clothing. When this retail space became available in early 2017, the three artisans leapt at the opportunity. “Everybody on this block is awesome,” says Powell, of the Route 28 strip that boasts restaurants, art galleries, coffee shops and an organic market. “Something that I really like about Cape Cod,” she says, “is that everybody is doing their own thing and they are really supportive.”

On the Fringe, 672 Main St., Dennis Port, 508-394-9000, follow on Facebook and Instagram

The post Fringe Benefits appeared first on Cape Cod Magazine.

Meet Lynne Freedman, owner of Village Trading Company in Cataumet

How long have you owned Village Trading Company? 

For 13 years! The store has been in business for more than 20 years.

What do you sell at your shop? 

We think of ourselves as an old-fashioned department store. We are known as the go-to for wedding gifts and top bath and body products. We carry baby gifts, jewelry, gourmet food and women’s accessories. Since moving from Mashpee Commons to Cataumet, we have added rugs, lamps and pillows. 

What are some of your top-selling items?

Simon Pearce hand-blown glass from Vermont. We have the largest display in Southeastern Massachusetts. We also carry Mariposa, Nora Fleming, John Medeiros Jewelry, Spartina and Scout bags and Jellycat toys.

What do you look for when choosing merchandise?

We look for quality items that we can stand behind. We also consider price points—we want every customer to find something. 

What products are you excited to bring into the shop for spring and summer?

This is our first spring with Nora Fleming (fun and festive serving platters) and we are looking forward to her new offerings. We are expanding our Scout bags and are bringing in S’well bottles. We are also going to be offering monogramming in our baby department.

What is your store’s motto or tagline?

Perfect gifts for giving … and getting.

Village Trading Company

1379 Route 28A, Cataumet, 508-356-3093

TOP PRODUCTS

Cape Cod Tote, by Spartina. Also available in wristlets, wallets and beach towels. $98

Cape Cod Lamp Table lamp crafted from high-quality clear acrylic. Hand polished, Cape Cod image embedded. $250

Mariposa Boxed Canape gift sets. $49 each

Soft fleece pompom blankets with whimsical pompom trim. Custom monogram available.
Prices start at $28

The post Q&A with Lynne Freedman, Village Trading Company appeared first on Cape Cod Magazine.

In celebration of Cape Cod Magazine’s 20th anniversary, writer Lisa Cavanaugh goes back in time to dig up fun facts from the past. Here is a look at some comparisons of life on the Cape between 1998 and today.

1

In 1998, you could get a taste of the world-famous chowder at Mildred’s Chowder House in Hyannis. Although Mildred’s closed more than 15 years ago, you can still find a great cup or bowl of Cape Cod’s signature soup at the Seaside Pub on Main in Hyannis, last year’s winner of the WCOD Cape Cod Chowder Festival.

2

The Black Crowes and Bruce Hornsby performed at the Cape Cod Melody Tent in the summer of 1998, playing hits like “She Talks to Angels” and “The Way It Is.” This summer, the Melody Tent will embrace a retro atmosphere with acts like Straight No Chaser, The Temptations, The Four Tops and The Beach Boys.

3

Back in ’98, the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce license marketing committee kicked off a campaign to sell specialty Cape & Islands license plates (MASS-DOT first began issuing them only two years prior.) Radio listeners heard Dan Rather, Patti Page and Charles Osgood encouraging locals and visitors to purchase the plates to benefit local Cape Cod nonprofit groups. Since then, the Cape & Islands plate, which features Eastham’s iconic Nauset Lighthouse, has become the most successful specialty plate program in the Commonwealth with more than 45,000 plates on the road.

4

If you wanted to dig into a good romance novel in the summer of 1998, you had three Danielle Steele bestsellers to choose from. But you would have to wait two years to start to enjoy the romances from Nantucket’s own Elin Hilderbrand. Her debut novel came out in 2000. Since then, she has written more than 20 books, including two published last year, so there’s a good chance you could be reading a brand new Hilderbrand romance this July.

5

Listening to music on your (soon-to-be-obsolete) Walkman in 1998 might have meant singing along to Usher or Shania Twain. This year, we expect a lot of music lovers will be streaming Ed Sheeran, Bruno Mars or Cardi B on their Sonos systems at their Cape houses.

6

In 1998, you might have seen “Shakespeare in Love” or “Saving Private Ryan” at the Airport Cinemas in Capetown Plaza in Hyannis (which closed the next year), but not at the Chatham Orpheum Theater, which didn’t reopen until 2013. And even though most of Cape Cod’s old drive-in theaters are now gone, you can still catch movies, like 2018 upcoming releases “Incredibles 2” or “Ocean’s 8” at the Wellfleet Drive-In Theater.

7

In the summer of 1998, the top prospect of the Cape Cod Baseball League was pitcher Kyle Snyder of the Chatham Athletics (the name changed in 2009 to the Chatham Anglers). Snyder would go on to play professionally for the Kansas City Royals and the Boston Red Sox. This summer, look for him during Boston Red Sox-Tampa Bay Rays games: Snyder is the new pitching coach for Tampa Bay.

8

The number of annual births at Cape Cod Hospital has not fluctuated much in the past 20 years, but babies’ names have changed. Little ‘Ashley’ or ‘Jacob’ would have made their first trip to the beach in 1998, while this summer we should expect to hear the names Sophia or Lucas.

9

Ice cream is a forever favorite on Cape Cod, but in1998 you wouldn’t have been able to eat at the Cape Cod Creamery, one of the most popular ice cream places on the Cape today. With locations in Yarmouth and Hyannis, the parlor didn’t open until 2005. But frozen treat lovers still had plenty to choose from 20 years ago, including Sundae School Ice Cream, which has been serving cones and cups since the 1970s, and opened their Harwich Port location in 1998.

10

Many of us regularly bank on our phones these days, but it was big news when Cape Cod 5 opened their “Internet bank” in 1998. Customers were able to use the online service to view account activity and transfer funds between Cape Cod Five accounts for the first time.

Fred Savage | Photo by photo by Alan Light, via Wikimedia Commons

11

Theater lovers bought tickets to see Fred Savage of “The Wonder Years” perform at the Cape Cod Playhouse in 1998 in a play called “Wendell and Ben.” This season’s schedule includes “Million Dollar Quartet” and “Altar Boyz.”

12

In 1998, 34.2 million cars crossed the Cape Cod Canal, over either the Sagamore or Bourne bridge. In 2018, it might feel like it is a trillion or more! (Last year’s estimate was 47.5 million.)

13

Participants were thrilled when, in 1998, the Cape Cod Marathon in Falmouth inaugurated a new, earlier 8 a.m. start time (now 8:30 a.m.), meaning less traffic and missing the warmest part of the day. This coming October, runners can compete in not only the full 26.2-mile marathon and the relay course that were part of 1998’s program, but also a half marathon and the Cape Cod Chowdah Challenge (started in 2011): Compete in both the half marathon and full marathon, running 39.3 miles over two days.

14

Sending a picturesque postcard from Cape Cod is a time-honored tradition. In 1998, that would cost you 20 cents in postage; this year, it’s 34 cents.

15

Baby, it’s cold outside! The high temperature on Jan. 1, 1998, at the Cape Cod Coast Guard Air Station reached 35 degrees. This year, the low on the same date hovered at a frigid 0 degrees.

16

A wedding on Cape Cod in 1998 would have included disposable cameras on every table. This summer, brides and grooms will be asking everyone to post their pics on Instagram with their special nuptial hashtag.

17

The Falmouth Free Clinic opened in 1998 to provide free health services to uninsured residents of Cape Cod and the Islands. Today, the nonprofit organization is called the Community Health Center of Cape Cod and welcomes a range of patients at three locations in Mashpee, Falmouth and Bourne.

18

The Cape Cod Symphony Orchestra has grown over the past 20 years, merging with the Cape Cod Conservatory of Music and Arts (now known as Cape Conservatory) eight years ago and currently numbers nearly 75 musicians. In 1998, the conductor was Royston Nash and today the symphony is led by Jung-Ho Pak.

19

Both JT’s Seafood Restaurant in Brewster and Bass River Marina’s Sailing Cow Cafe (now in Dennis Port) opened in 1998, joining hundreds of other eateries featuring local Cape Cod seafood. In 2018, commercial clam diggers on Cape Cod will harvest more than five million quahogs. That is a lot of clam rolls!

20

There was no Facebook in 1998, but Cape Cod Magazine’s Facebook page this year has more than 7,000 followers.

The post Look Back: Cape Cod Living, 20 Years Ago Today appeared first on Cape Cod Magazine.

“Oishi!” means delicious in Japanese—a perfect description of the dishes served up in the glimmering, chic dining room of Bamboo Fine Asian Cuisine and Sushi Bar in Hyannis. “Reasonably priced, high-quality Japanese and Chinese dishes prepared with love” are what manager and part-owner Eric Lam and his staff serve up daily with warmth and enthusiasm. Bamboo’s Hyannis location is the seventh restaurant in Massachusetts owned and operated by the Wong family, and their first foray into the Cape Cod restaurant scene. “Our customers really enjoy it—we opened last May, and we already have many regulars who appreciate the food and the great atmosphere,” says Lam. The extensive menu features Japanese favorites, such as sushi, tempura and teriyaki, Chinese classics like Moo-Shi and Kung Pao Chicken, as well as house specialties like Pan-Fried Chilean Sea Bass (pictured above), Singapore Rice Noodles and Crispy Pad Thai. A varied and generous lunch buffet is available daily, with a family-friendly dinner buffet on Sundays: Oishi! —Marjorie Naylor Pitts

Bamboo Fine Asian Cuisine and Sushi Bar, 574 Iyannough Road, Hyannis, 508-778-8188, bamboohyannis.net

The post East Meets Cape appeared first on Cape Cod Magazine.

The owner of Angel Foods market opened Liz’s Cafe, Anybody’s Bar in the West End of Provincetown last summer and it hasn’t slowed down since.

On any given day at Liz’s Cafe, Anybody’s Bar, you will likely find Liz Lovati chatting and laughing with customers, serving delicious plates of food, and making sure everyone is happy. She even responds to last-minute delivery requests via text. On a bustling late Tuesday morning, the day after New Year’s Day, Lovati received a text from Provincetown Town Hall: “Sorry for the short notice. Can you bring assorted sandwiches, chips and cookies to town hall for the visitor’s service board in 40 minutes?”
“So, I say yes,” says Lovati, who personally delivered the food herself, “because it’s for the town.”

Lovati is a beloved local figure, so it’s no surprise that her latest venture, Liz’s Cafe, has been “wildly successful,” in her words. The café, the former Devon’s restaurant most recently, opened June 29 and hasn’t slowed down since—even in the off-season. “This has changed my life,” says Lovati.

After trying her hand at a Jamaican restaurant called One Love and running a restaurant in the Gifford House Inn with tepid results, Lovati, also the owner of Angel Foods market, says she has finally discovered the recipe for success: Serve affordable, comfort food for breakfast, lunch and dinner in a warm and sunny atmosphere, with a dash of good cheer, and the community will follow. Lovati says she couldn’t do it without her husband and chef, Danville Brown, outstanding friendly staff, and loyal customers. She’s also grateful to friend, designer and Provincetown resident Ken Fulk, who inspired the historic maritime theme, which features items like a big ship’s wheel behind the Dory Bar, chairs from the 1940s, a Provincetown map from the 1800s and bright yellow seating lining one wall.

On the day I visited with a colleague, we sampled the vegan scrambler with tofu; the Western omelet with ham, cheddar and peppers; the hash and eggs with the best home fries you have ever tasted; fried chicken and waffles; and the lobster benedict. Every dish was outstanding, flavorful and perfectly prepared. The night menu continues with comfort food that Lovati says she would serve at her house—spaghetti and meatballs, shepherd’s pie, meatloaf and mashed potatoes. “It’s no fuss, no muss,” says Lovati.

Vegan scrambler with tofu, veggies and a side of fruit

Part of the menu also pays tribute to Tip for Tops N’—an institution for 40 years at this location known for their breakfast specials. The name Anybody’s Bar comes from Anybody’s Market, which dates back to at least the 1940s.

“We are fortunate to have Liz,” says regular customer Stephen Lorello, who eats at the cafe several days a week with his family. “She’s not just putting on a show.”

If you visit this café, chances are good you might run into someone you know. As we were heading out, we bumped into local singer Jordan Renzi and her mom, Jane. It was Jordan’s second visit to the café.

“The food is excellent and the atmosphere is cozy and bright,” says Jordan. “I just love their yellow motif, with all of the artwork on the walls and the boat-themed bar. I also love their sub-heading—Anybody’s Bar. Everything about the place feels good.”

Liz’s Café, Anybody’s Bar
31 Bradford St., Provincetown
508-413-9131
lizscafeptown.com

Fried chicken and waffles

Hash Benedict, with homemade corned beef hash

The post Liz’s Café, Anybody’s Bar Finds Success in P’Town appeared first on Cape Cod Magazine.

The third time seems to be the charm for Ireland native David Keville, who opened Kelly’s 134 in Dennis just before Labor Day. Keville, who owns both Kelly’s on Main in Hyannis and Kelly’s Cellar in Quincy, continues his mission of sharing the warmth of the public houses of his home country with the residents of Southeastern Massachusetts. The menu at Kelly’s 134 reflects many of the dishes Keville grew up with, says manager Mary DeSimone. Specials such as Lamb Stew and Bangers and Mashed join regular items like Shepherd’s Pie (ground beef, peas and carrots in a Guinness gravy and baked with cheddar mashed potatoes) that harken back to Keville’s childhood in Belfast. A popular item called the Irish Cigar (pictured above) is an egg-roll appetizer made from corned beef, gruyère cheese and sauerkraut and served with whiskey mustard. Even the name Kelly’s is a nod to a pub in his hometown.

Sweet Potato Tots

Keville completely gutted the former All American Bar and Grill and installed a brand-new kitchen, new lighting and refinished floors and walls, while his wife, Sara, added warm decorating touches, such as a collage of photos from Ireland, some from Keville’s own family, embedded in the U-shaped bar. DeSimone says the restaurant has been busy every night since they opened, with more than 20 flat-screen televisions tuned to every possible sport—even some from the old country. “I never knew there could be sports on at 10 in the morning,” she laughs. An outdoor deck is ready to offer warm-weather seating and there are plans for live entertainment as well. With Guinness on tap and Irish whiskey ready to pour, Kelly’s 134 has the welcome mat out to all. —Lisa Cavanaugh

Kelly’s 134, 50 Route 134, Dennis, 508-258-5418, kellys134.com

The post Irish Eyes at Kelly’s 134 appeared first on Cape Cod Magazine.

Photo by Joe Navas/Organic Photography

Singer-songwriter Jordan Renzi of Orleans had always dreamed of driving cross-country and exploring the U.S., so she mapped out her own 12-city solo tour, which kicked off Feb. 24 in Charleston, South Carolina. Before hitting the road, Renzi packed her Subaru Forester with her guitar, microphone, an amp, a tent, camping stove, clothes and a few books. “I’ve been craving the freedom and unattached feeling of being on the road and living super light for an extended period of time,” says Renzi, who is also traveling to Los Angeles, San Diego and Portland, Oregon. “I’ve never taken my music too far beyond the boundaries of Cape Cod, which is something I’ve been looking forward to for a long time.” Renzi, who performed at Boston Mayor Marty Walsh’s inaugural gala at the Hynes Convention Center in 2014 and plays regularly at the Harvest Gallery Wine Bar in Dennis, says she is playing small venues while on tour—coffee shops, bars and house concerts. “I’m looking forward to new places, new faces and a little adventure,” says Renzi. She wraps up her tour of bluesy-soul music on April 29 in Asheville, North Carolina, and her debut full-length album, “A Bird That I Knew,” comes out in June.

—Lisa Leigh Connors

A suitcase, an amp, pillows, a guitar and camping light are some of the items that local singer Jordan Renzi packed in her Subaru Forester for her 12-city cross-country tour.

The post Jordan Renzi’s Musical Road Trip appeared first on Cape Cod Magazine.

For the third year in a row, A Great Yarn in Chatham is teaming up with the Housing Assistance Corporation of Cape Cod to make blankets for the Cape’s homeless population. Last year, more than 250 individuals participated in the Knit-a-Thon, knitting 155 blankets for the homeless. All of the blankets and 100 percent of the donations—more than $6,000 was raised last year—are distributed to shelters in Hyannis.

After reading about homelessness on Cape Cod and how some people were living in the woods with nothing to keep them warm, A Great Yarn co-owner Mary Weishaar was inspired to start the Knit-a-Thon in the winter of 2016.

Here’s how it works: Participants are asked to knit or crochet long panels, about 1 foot wide and 6 feet long, which are then sewn together and turned into blankets by the shop’s staff. Four panels make a blanket.

“The panels can be made by any knitter, even a novice knitter, which means that anyone can participate,” says A Great Yarn co-owner Ron Weishaar, who says he is always impressed by the colorful and vibrant blankets. “We have even had a number of high school students participate in the event.” —Lisa Leigh Connors

The Knit-a-Thon started in February and runs through April 30. A Great Yarn, 894 Main St., Chatham. If interested in participating, email info@agreatyarn.com or call 508-348-5605.

The post Helping the Homeless, One Stitch at a Time appeared first on Cape Cod Magazine.

Barnstable County was at one time an agricultural hub, with a large variety of fruit, vegetable and dairy farms thriving across the peninsula. Although other industries eventually took over, there is still a strong community of commercial farmers on Cape Cod who help satisfy our desire for locally raised products.

CAPE COD ORGANIC FARM

3675 Main St. (Route 6A)
Barnstable, 508-362-3573

In 2008, Tim Friary acquired the former Barnstable County Farm on Route 6A, a 100-acre property that includes 50 acres of farmable land. Today, Friary’s Cape Cod Organic Farm sells products at local farmers markets and services local restaurants such as Vers, Spoon and Seed, and Blackfish.

On an overcast July day, Tim Friary, the owner of Cape Cod Organic Farm in Barnstable, is busy overseeing his summer staff as they gather orders for local restaurants. “You done with the kale? You need onions … get 30 onions,” says Friary, as he continues to pile zucchini on a display at his farm stand, an open-sided wooden shed halfway up a dirt road bordered by rows of crops. For a farmer, especially one with livestock, the work never stops. “I take some time off after Christmas (his farm sells trees and wreaths), but if you’re a farmer, it’s 365, every year.”

Growing up in Taunton, Friary cherished the time he spent on his grandparents’ small farm. So in 1995, after years of working in horticulture and owning a native plant nursery, he began farming for himself—opportune for a stay-at-home single dad with three young children. The farm’s original location was in Cummaquid, and in 2008 he acquired the former Barnstable County Farm on Route 6A, a 100-acre property that includes 50 acres of farmable land.

Elizabeth Morse

“The property needed a lot of attention. Ten years on, it still does,” he says. But he loves the work and speaks with pleasure about spotting wildlife at dawn and dusk and watching his crops grow. In addition to running the Certified Organic Farm, Friary is also the largest organic producer of pork in the state. He raises about 100 heritage breed pigs annually for pork, and trucks his pigs off-Cape to a USDA-certified organic slaughterhouse. He sells chops, ribs and roasts, as well as sweet and hot Italian sausage, bratwurst and kielbasa.

Along with bringing his products to farmers markets in Truro, Wellfleet and Orleans, and servicing restaurants such as Vers, Spoon and Seed and Blackfish, Friary operates a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Program. For 19 weeks beginning in late May, paying members can pick up a weekly box of freshly harvested organic produce. “A box might have Swiss chard, beets, garlic, potatoes, strawberries, beans, herbs or flowers,” says Friary. “We try to make sure the value of the produce is 15 to 20 percent over the membership cost.”

Through 20 years of farming on Cape Cod, Friary has made deep connections. Cape Cod Organic Farm regularly donates to the Cape Cod Hunger Network and has won awards for being a socially responsible business. “We like being part of the community and offering high-quality products,” says Friary, who is also proud of having always grown organic produce. “My grandparents didn’t use chemicals, and I wouldn’t do it any other way. It’s just the way I grew up.”

Tim Friary

CROW FARM

192 Old Kings Highway (Route 6A)
Sandwich, 508-888-0690

Soon after Paul Crowell and his wife, Ellen, got married at his family’s farm, other staff went to work on the field that had served as their wedding venue. “We left for our honeymoon and they plowed it and planted Brussels sprouts!” laughs Crowell. Their nuptials field now serves as one of their pick-your-own apple orchards, a popular new program for the 102-year-old Crow Farm property located in Sandwich on Route 6A that was founded by Crowell’s grandfather and great-uncle in 1916.

Young Paul always wanted to be a farmer. “I started off picking peas and beans as a kid, working through all the jobs so I’d know how to do them,” says Crowell, who lives with his family on the 40-acre property. His father, Howard, is still active on the farm, while his sister, Jean (who also began working the fields when she was very young), and Paul’s son, Jason, both do whatever needs to be done: planting, picking, sorting and selling.

Crowell’s wife, Ellen, who was not born on Cape Cod, calls herself the “summer girl who never went home.” With a background in the restaurant business, she took on the role of baker, inheriting recipes from her mother-in-law, Judy, and now produces between 20 and 40 pies a day when the farm stand is open. “I make strawberry rhubarb, peach, blueberry, apple,” says Ellen. “I run my warm pies down to the stand and they fly off the trays.”

Crowell encourages everyone on the farm to share ideas. Their newly launched CSA was suggested by one of their farm workers, and his son spearheaded the pick-your-own program. “The secret is to have people smarter than you work for you,” he says.

He also diversifies his crops. Crow Farm produces a variety of flowers, herbs, fruits and vegetables, including corn and 15 varieties of apples in orchards, fields and greenhouses. As he traverses the farm, he meets with a crew planting strawberries for next season. It’s a challenge to gauge how many years the plants will produce, and while this year has been rainy, other years have required 14 hours a day of irrigation. “I like to be outdoors though, “he says. “I like growing things and meeting people.” For Crowell, customers have become friends, and the rest of the farming community on the Cape are good colleagues. “It’s a pretty tight-knit group. You help each other out.”

Back up on the apple orchard where he said “I do” years ago, Crowell gazes across his land to Cape Cod Bay. It’s a beautiful vista, one that not many pick-your-own farms can offer. “Families come here, pick apples, take pictures, hang out on the hay bales,” he says, smiling. “People love it.”

PUNKHORN FARM

315 Cranview Road
Brewster, 406-600-1214
On Facebook: @punkhornfarm

Another Cape Cod family is just starting their farming tradition up the road in Brewster at Punkhorn Farm, located in the Punkhorn Parklands. With just over 3/4 of an acre being utilized so far, farm manager Dani DeRuyter has big plans for the project she and her two brothers first opened in 2015. Her parents had invested in the 14-acre property in the mid-’80s as their family home, but things really kicked off when DeRuyter moved back to the Cape from California, where she had learned permaculture farming. “It’s about using patterns in nature and replicating them for sustainability and livelihood,” she says.

Her brothers Ben and Nick, who both live on the property with their families, cleared land, mulched and composted before DeRuyter moved back East. “We had this dream of raising all our kids together on our small farm.” Both brothers have other jobs, but continue to assist whenever needed. “Ben is the ‘CFO’ of Punkhorn,” says DeRuyter. “Nick is land management, which means he uses all the heavy machinery.”

Punkhorn manager Dani DeRuyter, who does all of the designing of the farm, grows kale, chard, kohlrabi, beets, cilantro, dill and flowers. 

“We started growing with only 1/16 of an acre, then I began working with chefs of small specialty restaurants such as Sunbird and Clean Slate,” says DeRuyter. This past summer, DeRuyter started selling at farmers markets in Brewster and Provincetown. Dabbling in both helps DeRuyter manage her inventory; if things don’t sell at the markets, she can call chefs who are happy to take the surplus.

“It inspires me when chefs come to the farm and walk around with me,” she says. “I learn so much from them.” She also relishes the experience of selling to the public, hearing stories from return customers of what they made with her produce. “I try to bring one crazy crop each time—like purple kohlrabi—and bring recipes,” she says. “People are psyched, and I get to reintroduce amazing food to them. It’s an awesome circle of learning and sharing.”

DeRuyter, who does all the designing and managing of the farm, has squeezed quite a bit into their small footprint. She grows kale, heirloom tomatoes, broccoli, peppers, chard, beets, carrots, cauliflower, parsley, cilantro, dill and lots of flowers. “Some are edible, like nasturtiums, but I have others just for the birds and the bees.” Tall stalks of sunflowers give birds a perch from which they can hunt bugs, which is part of DeRuyter’s system of using plants to attract or deter. “This is a shared ecosystem. You put it in place and it thrives and flourishes on its own.”

She envisions her new large barn as a location for events, with a commercial kitchen in which to make jams and pesto from her farm produce. “Punkhorn has grown a little every year, “she says. “My background in permaculture is all about starting small and scaling up as you go. We are getting positive feedback from the ecosystem here, so we feel like we are doing the right thing.”

The post Cape Cod’s Commercial Farms Alive and Well appeared first on Cape Cod Magazine.

We got the ‘dirt’ on two gardens that benefit the community: a children’s garden in Brewster and Pizza Barbone’s rooftop garden in Hyannis

Lower Cape Children’s Garden: A Place to Explore, Learn and Grow

Photographs by Meryl Gartside/Blue Lobster Flower Farm

Down a quiet, tree-lined street in Brewster that runs parallel to Route 6A is an enchanting place where children and their adult mentors mix together dirt, seeds, curiosity and dedication to create something out of nothing—the Lower Cape Children’s Garden.

Founded in 2006 and tucked in a corner of the Brewster Community Garden, the Children’s Garden sits on land granted by the Brewster Conservation Society. Here, children 8 to 12 dedicate 1-1/2 hours every Tuesday afternoon from May to August to learn how to grow something from seed to harvest. Each child is paired with a volunteer mentor from the Master Gardener Association of Cape Cod, which runs the program.

On their first day, students design and paint name plates for their garden beds. They choose what they want to plant—from vegetables to flowers. Their mentors teach them how to cultivate their garden beds, tend to each variety of plant and when to harvest. During the first week, the Master Gardeners give short lessons on several topics, including seeds, soil and composting. Throughout the season, guest speakers present talks on subjects ranging from bees to worm farming. 

When vegetables and other plants are ready to harvest, the students pick the fruits of their labor and take them home to share with their families. The goal is to foster an understanding of where food comes from and a respect for the land. These children enter the program with wonder and an eagerness to learn, and they leave with knowledge and pride from working hard that will serve them throughout their lives.

The Lower Cape Children’s Garden is the only garden/farm to donate fresh flowers to Flower Angels, a nonprofit organization that delivers bouquets to the elderly and disabled of Cape Cod.

If your child is interested in joining the Lower Cape Children’s Garden, contact coordinator Lynn Lalor at lynnlalor263@gmail.com. You can also visit capecodextension.org/aghort/mastergardener/ (click on community outreach and education).

Pizza Barbone’s Garden: Up on the Rooftop

“The garden goes hand in hand with everything we do, including making things from scratch and using whole and fresh ingredients,” says Ali O’Toole, co-owner of Pizza Barbone on Main Street, Hyannis.

You won’t see the garden in question where you would usually expect one. It’s on the roof—typical in cities where space is limited, but not so common on the Cape. But when Ali and her husband, Jason O’Toole, decided five years ago that they wanted a garden, the only way to go was up.

Jason built eight wooden raised planting beds and added 30 self-watering plastic containers while a crane lifted 18,000 pounds of organic soil onto the roof to begin their growing adventure. “It’s definitely been a learning curve. We have learned by doing,” says Ali.

For example, they discovered early on that tomatoes didn’t thrive on the roof due to extreme heat and hungry seagulls. Eventually, they added hoop houses to the roof to prevent pesky birds from snagging fresh produce. Their garden’s yield and variety has increased considerably year to year, and last season, they began composting—an eco-friendly way to nourish their garden.

During the April to October growing season, a variety of tomatoes, potatoes, beans, beets, carrots, onions, peppers, parsley, cucumbers and fresh herbs flourish, as well as edible flowers. Much of their harvested vegetables can be found in the restaurant’s daily specials, where Jason creates dishes based on what’s in season.

Pizza Barbone’s rooftop garden can be spotted at the back of the building, above Morgan Stanley. Look closely in the spring and summer and you’ll see several plants peeking out above—a little green above the brick and asphalt. 

The post Local Gardens that Yield Educational and Healthy Results appeared first on Cape Cod Magazine.

Not a day goes by that Michelle Amaral isn’t painting exotic wildlife. The Osterville-based artist paints zebras and giant koi fish on old doors, and she recently started memorializing beloved pets who have passed. Amaral shares a cottage with her Pekingese, Pi, and her ferret, Baby Girl. “I love being able to do [pet memorials] for people and to see their reactions—especially when I can capture the eyes.”

Amaral has been drawing and painting animals since the age of five and studied painting and decorating during the 1980s at Bourne’s Upper Cape Regional Technical High School, where she also got experience painting murals. “Back then, I was just painting and giving my paintings away to friends,” says Amaral.

In her early 20s, a friend commissioned a mural for her daughter’s bedroom. Word spread of her talent and, for example, the owners of Sundancer’s restaurant in West Dennis commissioned her to paint murals that are still there today.

Michelle Amaral is known for painting wildlife.

“I’ve done a lot of murals and children’s nurseries,” says Amaral. “In the ’90s, I got into faux finishing, which was all the rage back then. That took my work to Boston, New York and Florida.” Amaral often gets repeat customers at different stages of their lives. “Clients would get married, have kids, and say, ‘Oh, let’s hire Michelle to paint this,’” she says. Amaral likes to paint on pretty much anything– furniture, doors or slabs of slate.

While a bartender for many years on the Cape, Amaral often showed her art at the venues where she worked. “A big part of my art was doing trunk shows in restaurants,” she says. Amaral has since painted for numerous well-known Cape establishments, including the sign and awning in front of the Foxhole in Osterville, the faux finish in the Eclectic Café in Hyannis, and she even painted the mural in the children’s play area in the waiting room at Hyannis Honda’s service center.

“Michelle’s talented, she’s artistic and her pieces are unique,” says Centerville resident and longtime friend Dennis Aceto, who over the years has commissioned Amaral to paint items in his home, including furniture and a faux finish on a living room wall. Most recently, Amaral repurposed an old metal sign that used to hang at Aceto’s grandfather’s store in East Cambridge. She transformed the sign by painting a masterful scene of a humpback whale breaching out of the water, and it now hangs in Aceto’s living room. “I love that I can repurpose something that’s sentimental to someone,” says Amaral.

Five years ago, Amaral was diagnosed with breast cancer. She subsequently gave up drinking. “With over two and a half years of sobriety under my belt, my art is alive and thriving more than ever,” says the cancer survivor.

Amaral puts on several art shows a year throughout the Cape. This month, the Osterville Village Library has hosted an exhibit of Amaral’s work featuring shadow box found-object art.

Michelle Amaral can be reached at fuzzything10@gmail.com.

Amaral recently started memorializing beloved pets who have passed.

Amaral repurposed an old metal sign by painting a humpback whale breaching out of the water. It hangs on a faux finish wall painted by Amaral.

The post Animal Instinct: The World of Osterville Artist Michelle Amaral appeared first on Cape Cod Magazine.