Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Tickle Your Senses!

Harvest Gallery and Wine Bar - by Susan

I’m always looking for new places to go, so when a friend suggested we try out the Harvest in Dennis - I was in. We chose an evening when Kami Lyle was performing. A while ago Marty wrote a post about Kami’s versatility as a musician and I was anxious to hear her band.

The Harvest is a little bit hard to find; it's on 6A but set back behind the post office. Once you find it you’ll be glad you did because it’s a real treat to your senses! As we made our way to the big front porch, we were surrounded by gorgeous flower gardens filled with contemporary sculpture. We followed the sound of a trumpet to the front door where we were greeted and chose seats at the small bar. The overall feel is cozy, intimate and sophisticated.

Art is everywhere ..a diverse and interesting collection of paintings, glass pieces, photography, collages, and jewelry by over 30 Cape Cod artists. On the night we were there, despite it being early (around 6 pm), almost every table was filled. Even better, the crowd was really interesting; all ages and different types of people. Some from the young “artsy” crowd, a sprinkling of yuppies, a bunch of “boomers” like myself and a few hip older people clearly enjoying the music. This made for great people-watching, one of my favorite sports.

The wine menu was wonderful… with interesting choices of white, rose, red, sparkling, and desert wines. And best of all you can get a taste, pour, carafe, or bottle. I love being able to taste new wines which is exactly what I did. Each red I tried was better then the previous one. So many Cape restaurants serve the same wines but, at the Harvest, most of the wines on the list I had never tried before. Best yet, they update the wine list weekly so there are always new wines to discover. They also have a variety of other beverages for those of you who don’t like wine.

We decided to have a bite to eat and, though the food menu is more “lite fare,” it is designed to compliment the wide variety of wines at the Harvest. The menu uses local foods and changes seasonally. We started with a small cheese plate, which came with a variety of seasonal cheeses which were delightful (they change the cheeses daily). The plate was artfully arranged with fruit, nuts and crackers (unfortunately not gluten-free crackers but maybe that will change in the future). The Fresh Mozzarella with Roma tomato and basil aioli was marvelous.

They also have a nice olive plate, nachos, salad, various crostini, panini, antipasti, and a small dessert menu. On Fridays in the summer, from 5-8 pm they have a raw bar… I’m going back soon for that since oysters are a favorite of mine.

The service was exactly how I like it: attentive and friendly but not over the edge and no introductions ("Hi. I’m Sally and I’ll be your server tonight"). The bartender happily helped me choose my wines and checked back to be sure I liked them. She gracefully answered my questions about the business, artists, and music.

And speaking of music… they have live music Thursday thru Sunday from 7 – 11 pm and it’s a great mix: Jazz piano, Rock, Blues, Pop, Bluegrass even Country. The music is usually acoustic but, either way, it was quiet enough for the small space. It allows the musicians to interact with the crowd, which I enjoyed. Kami Lyle was excellent. I’ve since been back a few times and it’s always been a great experience.

So if you want fabulous ambiance, a great glass of wine, some light fare, or dessert and coffee (great for after the theater) with some of the best music the Cape has to offer, the Harvest Gallery and Wine Bar is the place to be.

Harvest Gallery and Wine Bar
776 Main Street (6A)
Dennis, MA
508-385-2444

1 comment:

  1. Its about time the Cape got a wine bar! Great scoop Sue!
    -Jess

    ReplyDelete

We'd love your comments about this post!