We asked a local for her year-round favorites.
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Ask anyone who lives here, and they’ll tell you that Cape Cod gets even better once the summer crowds thin out. The pumpkins show up, the farm stands fill with apples and cranberries, and the good coffee is still worth waiting in line for. We asked Erica Dunn, a Cape Cod local and the woman behind Dunn Hospitality (The Pheasant, Baleine, and Dunn & Sons), where she likes to spend her time when she’s not running her businesses.
Her answers read like a cozy family weekend, and that’s exactly why we love them.
Photo: Adam & Erica Dunn, Paige Ashley Harding
Staycation Mode
When Erica wants to get away without going far, she heads to AutoCamp Cape Cod in Falmouth. It’s her go-to for a staycation with the family, and the dog comes too! The kids are in it for the s’mores, but her favorite part comes later: “after they fall asleep, when we cook over the fire with a good glass of wine.”
For easy get-togethers, there’s Tree House Brewing in Sandwich. It’s a great place to meet up with friends and bring the kids along. As Erica puts it, the pizza is so good, and nothing beats the view.
Photo: Autocamp Cape Cod, Jonathan Kozowyc
Farm Days
A few of Erica’s regular stops are working farms, and she’d tell you the best ones feel like part of the neighborhood.
Coonamessett Farm in Falmouth has been a favorite for a long time. Her family stops by regularly to pick up vegetables and visit the animals, but for her it’s all about the food. Chef Laura is “amazing,” and it’s Erica’s favorite place for a breakfast sandwich.
Crow Farm, on Scenic Highway in Sandwich, is where the family recently got very lost in the corn maze and had a blast. They left with a huge bag of Honeycrisp apples. Erica loves that it’s run by a husband-and-wife team, and that it’s just down the road from home.
Then there’s Cape Abilities Farm in Dennis, her spot for gifts. She loves putting together gift baskets with local ingredients, including Seawind Meadow beef from a Highland cattle farm right down the road from her Dennis restaurants. Right now, though, it’s all about the pumpkins.
Photo: Cape Abilities Farm, Randi Baird Photography
Bread, Burgers, and Banana Bread
Of course, a restaurateur’s list wouldn’t be complete without a few places to eat and linger.
At Falmouth’s Maison Villatte, Erica will happily wait in line for good bread. Her only warning: expect a line. It’s worth it.
Old Village Store in Barnstable Village was recently reopened and renovated by her friend Cyrus Buffum, who grew up on the Cape. His eye for design and passion for Cape Cod history really shine through. Erica’s usual order is the Reuben or the burger, and a Guinness with a burger is her perfect meal. The book selection is great too, so save time to browse.
Finally, there’s Ann & Fran’s in West Yarmouth, where the family goes very regularly on weekends. Her order is “all over the place,” but lately she’s been obsessed with the banana bread with hazelnut crumble. She loves the space, and says the people are so great.
What Ties It All Together
Look at the list again and a pattern shows up. Family-run farms. Friends who care about Cape history. Places where the people make you feel at home, and where you’d happily wait for bread or get lost in a corn maze.That’s what a local’s Cape looks like: unhurried, a little muddy, and best shared with family. And you don’t need summer to enjoy it.
To learn more about what the Cape has to offer after the summer months, explore Cape Cod in the fall and winter.