Upon arrival to my Mom's house on Cape Cod late Saturday afternoon, I was starved. She provided quite a spread to kick off the Easter celebrations starting with deviled eggs.
How appropriate.
Following the luscious deviled eggs was a cheese board boasting three types of cheese; Jarlesberg, Triple Cream Brie and Gruyere, as well as cherry tomatoes and crusty loaves of bread.
Triple Cream Brie
Jarlesberg
Red wine + Gruyere
After I stuffed my face with cheese, a warm bowl of Minestrone Soup perfect for dunking in some of that hearty bread was served!
And with stars and stripes pasta to boot.
Adam and I brought dessert in the form of lobster tails and red velvet whoopie pies from Bova's Bakery.
The red relvet whoopie pies are one of my favorites. Dense yet pillowy deep red cakes sandwich a rich fluffy buttercream that is out of this world. You should probably try one the next time you're in the North End. Or make a special trip here for them. Either way.
We stopped eating long enough to take in a movie at the
Cape Cinema, a single theater historic venue located just off Route 6A in Dennis.
It is one of the only theaters on Cape Cod where you can view independent films. Showing this evening was
Win Win, one of this years Sundance Film Festival movies. It ended up being a really enjoyable film that I'd recommend if Independent flicks are your thing. The movie generated a lot of laughs, and struck a good balance of funny and lighthearted to meaningful and heartwarming.
The Cape Cinema serves the usual concessions as well as beer and wine. I sipped an un-pictured Sam Adams Noble Pils.
Right next door to the theater is the newly opened
Harvest Gallery Wine Bar. It's a cute spot to relax with a glass of wine or a draft beer (they don't serve hard alcohol), listen to live entertainment and enjoy some tasty bar bites surrounded by local works of art including paintings, photography and sculptures.
My Mom just so happens to hostess here(!) and seated us at two empty stools at the bar where I sipped a glass of
Cava ($8) and Adam and I shared the
Three Meat Antipasti Plate ($17).
The day's house cured meat offerings included prosciutto, salame and bresaola.
Once my Mom was off her shift we shared a classic dessert of
Creme Brulee ($8), the sweet custard was paired with a tart and fruity rhubarb compote.
I paired dessert with a glass of
Ruby Porto ($9). 
A jazz duo played well into the evening as I drank a nightcap of Stone Pale Ale, one of two choices on tap. Vacationing on Cape this summer? This place is a fantastic little addition to Dennis Village for some light eat and drink in a cozy artsy atmosphere.
The next morning my Mom served a hearty Easter Brunch of Strawberry and Raspberry buttermilk pancakes and Yarlesberg cheese and pepper omlettes with applewood smoked bacon.
Complete with warm blueberry compote and pure Vermont Maple Syrup, it was the perfect way to celebrate Easter morning and fuel for a long day of exploring the beaches of the lower Cape!
To be continued....
As I made my way down the deserted street which borders Fenway Park to the latest Boston Brunchers outing, signs of the previous nights debauchery lingered in the snow. The Lansdowne Pub banner twinkled in solidarity, set against a blue bird sky with the Prudential Building towering in the distance. 
I was decidedly more content to settle into the spacious yet cozy Irish Pub at 10:30am on a Sunday morning as opposed 10:30pm on a Saturday night. Time of day aside, drinks were most certainly in order. (Pre-gaming for the Patriots playoff game sounds about right!) 
Many of us started off with one of three signature brunch cocktails. The Liquid Caramel Coffee combining Baileys, Kahlua, Butterscotch Snaps and milk was equally strong and sweet. There is no coffee in the drink (just coffee liqueur) so don't let the name mislead you.
It is reminiscent of a white russian minus the punch of vodka, swap in some creamy Baileys and sticky butterscotch. Liquid Caramel Russian, anyone?
Amanda was the epitome of a New England sports fan that day; and in addition to sporting her Pats jersey, she was also promoting her Boston Marathon fund-raising efforts (A virtual bake sale, which is likely over by the time I get this post up.) However, just because the bake sale is over, doesn't mean you can't make a contribution to benefit the Lukemia & Lymphoma Society on her behalf. 
Heavy and ornate lights hang from exposed ceilings that meet brick walls adorned with Guinness parephernalia and Irish Heritage decor. Pretty stained glass windows give way to snug booths and inviting rooms with iron fireplaces. 
I've been to The Lansdowne once before, last January as a matter of fact, for a Seasonal Beer Dinner, which impressed far more than I expected from a Fenway Park bar. The weekend brunch was similarly impressive, though somehow I still did not expect the kitchen to turn out dishes as delicious as they did. 
The true test lies in the Traditional Irish Breakfast ($13) which is a well received plate of Irish bacon, white & black pudding, breakfast bangers, a grilled tomato, Batchelor's bean's and fried eggs. 
The homefries ($3 for a side portion) are excellent, golden brown and pleasantly crispy, void of excess grease and nicely laced with thin strands of onion. 
They also accompany a monstrous slice of Lansdowne Pie ($10) where Irish ham, eggs, potatoes, spinach, onions and cheddar cheese are layered for days and surrounded by a toasty, flaky crust. 
Sometime around the new year, I resolved to branch out at brunch. This means straying from my typical fare of Eggs Benedict (or anything with eggs, really) and Bloody Marys - if only just for a few meals in January. (This resolution was loosely based in my mind and just for fun!) If what I ordered for brunch at The Gallows wasn't any indication, my entree of choice at The Lansdowne certainly was. If there was ever a time to order Buttermilk Pancakes ($9), it would be the time they come topped with Bailey's infused whipped cream and strawberries. 
The silky whipped cream melted into ultra light pancakes; these didn't sit heavy in your stomach like some pancakes tend to do. A thin buttery and golden lacquer formed the exterior, while the interior yielded supreme fluffiness, the buttermilk adding a nod of complexity throughout. I managed to nearly finish all three, in between swapping bites with Renee for her Irish Breakfast, where the savory and salty elements were a welcome contrast. I washed everything down with a mimosa.
Since this meal was comped, all I had to pay for was the waitresses tip. (You know I have to tell you that right? There is a blogger law somewhere that says so.) I try very hard not to let that influence my feelings about the food. Brunch here was excellent and I would have happily paid $9 for that beautiful plate of pancakes! 
