Once you head east on Commercial Street, you start heading out of the main tourist district. Things calm down as you move toward the beach, and it becomes more residental. Then you come across the perfect small inn, The Red Inn. If you were to shut your eyes and try to picture the perfect, small Cape Cod Inn, this is what your mind would come up with.
The Red Inn is a small farm house that was built in 1805 by Captain Freeman Atkins for his wife Emily. It overlooks P'Town harbor and has a wonderful view of the town and harbor. This is a true inn, as it also has rooms for rent. The inn has a fabulous garden in the front. The colors of the flowers and the red, red inn are like a painting come alive. The place is so perfect that the inn has been used a backdrop for movies. The most memorable was the Norman Mailer film "Tough Guys Don't Dance".
Inside the inn's dining room, there are several small rooms, some with fireplaces. The rooms have a breathtaking view of the harbor. The old farmhouse still has wonderful plank-pine floors. You feel like you are dining in history.
The food is outstanding here. The last time I ate here, I had the scallops. Chris had the New Zealand rack of lamb cooked in English Sherry. Both were perfect. I will advise you to save room as the Red Inn has wonderful desserts. They have great homemade pies.
One of my fondest memories of this last trip was having drinks at The Red Inn. We met Aunt Martha Jane and Uncle Bert and sat on the patio overlooking the harbor. It was a perfect night. The kids were busy looking for crabs at low tide, and the weather was warm. The garden was in full bloom and the sunset was perfect. We were sipping our Pimms Cups and just enjoying being alive and being here in Cape Cod. Life was good at that moment!