The Mews Restaurant and Cafe, established as an eating and drinking society 50 years ago and long one of New England’s most popular gathering spots, is celebrating this milestone with a year of distinctive events, new and retro menu items, original drinks, giveaways, and special guest appearances. The festivities kick off with a Night of Nostalgia on Sunday, January 5 featuring a menu of regular as well as a few items from their original menu including 1964 prices for those items. As always, Chef Laurence de Freitas will be accessing local purveyors and his award-winning skills to create these dishes in the manner that has garnered excellent reviews from Zagat and multitudes of others, and bartender extraordinaire Pingle Bowden will be on hand to suggest accompanying wines and cocktails from The Mews’ impressive selection of vodkas (300 plus) and other liquors.

As General Manager and co-owner of The Mews, television actor, theater professional and radio personality Ron Robin has created a year of enticing events highlighting many of the culinary and entertaining triumphs of the last five decades. In classic Provincetown style, on Night of Nostalgia, the staff will be dressed in 60s garb to align with the evening’s specials and retro musical selections.

Continuing the celebration, the sweet vocal harmonies and exciting string arrangements of popular classic rock, folk and original tunes of Grace and the RSO will open the 2014 Coffeehouse season on Monday, January 6, for its 23rd year. Coffeehouse entertainment, with a variety of award-winning musicals acts, will continue every Monday night into the spring. Often standing-room-only affairs, those in the know will grab a table for dinner with a view of the stage.

Noted as a top choice by TripAdvisor, Yelp and Yankee Magazine, among many others, it’s not surprising that The Mews is the first choice for locals and visitors seeking repast and libations. Vice President Al Gore, Kathleen Turner, Whoopi Goldberg, Jason Robards, Ethan Hawke, Lee Remick, Anthony Perkins, Lily Tomlin, Norman Mailer, John Waters, Blythe Danner, Grace Jones, Cindi Lauper, Aerosmith members, Barry Manilow and Marc Jacobs, along with chefs Todd English and Rachael Ray, have dined at The Mews, enjoying its unique decor, exceptional service and beachfront setting.

Views of the Harbor and the shores of the Outer Cape, surrounded by art galleries and just steps from the Provincetown Art Association and Museum on Commercial Street, and a decor abounding with engaging appointments, ensure that Cape Cod’s best dining experience includes a most memorable environment inside and out.

For more information or reservations, please call 508.487.1500 or visit mews.com. The Mews is located at 429 Commercial Street, Provincetown, MA 02657.

Spend a weekend of sensual solitude in America’s First Destination

Provincetown, Mass. – As cold and snow begin to blanket the east coast, embrace the season’s romantic spirit and plan a warm winter weekend in Provincetown, Massachusetts. The seaside charm of America’s First Destination becomes candlelit and cozy this time of year, as award-winning local inns, B&B’s and boutique hotels light their fireplaces, welcoming guests for a festive New Year’s celebration or an intimate Valentine’s Day retreat.

Enticing off-season accommodation rates make a visit to Ptown that much easier, and the eclectic shops, galleries and restaurants offer world-class entertainment in any season. Far from the fashionable frenzy of summertime, getting snowbound in Provincetown means simple pleasures and laid-back luxury surrounded by the stunning beauty of this haven at the tip of Cape Cod.

For those looking to add a wild side to their quiet getaway, corks will start popping across Ptown as New Year’s parties begin welcoming visitors on Dec. 27. The town’s terrific restaurants will be preparing special tasting dinners all week, and the Eve itself will of course be cause for the biggest celebrations, punctuated by legendary parties at the A-House, Crown & Anchor, and the Sage Inn & Lounge. New Year’s Day will feature a number of tasty brunches and recovery celebrations.

As things in Provincetown quiet down after New Year’s Eve, they will also heat up as the town prepares a warm welcome for guests that take advantage of the long Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday weekend on Jan. 17-20. The extended Valentine’s Day / Presidents Day weekend on Feb. 14-17 is also a good time for couples looking to hideout among Provincetown’s fine selection of well-appointed accommodations, which are by turns charming, cozy, elegant, luxurious – and all generously hospitable.

Take advantage of the year’s best rates and book a spa treatment or massage; pick a guilty pleasure off your reading list; pack your pajamas or something a little bit more comfortable; make a few reservations; select one or two of your favorite wines, and you’ll be all set for a relaxing weekend in what Smithsonian Magazine, Fodor’s and others have called one of the best small towns in America.

Press release, December 12, 2013

By M.Sebastian Araujo

Amid the flutter of the few golden leaves still clinging to the trees,the North wind has begun to blow. Christmas decorations are popping up in shop windows and as I parked my old boneshaker of a bicycle against the iron railing infront of the 1930’s W.P.A gem of a Post Office on Commercial Street,here in Gay Old Provincetown a word occurred to me « Iconic  » Everything about this edifice is a good example of the Roosevelt Adminstration’s initiative to « Put America to Work » . This resonates in the classical styling of its very American Architectural Style. At the time, the whole idea, like certain current Presidential initiatives was not heralded as a great idea by those who did not wish to alter the status quo. History, always provides the truth about civil initatives be they initially well received or not.. This is Frank Capra terroritory folks…surely you know « It’s a Wonderful Life » .Now we are still enjoying and using a solid,well balanced and built to last forever Post Office. But,do you know what is « upstairs » at the Post Office???
Follow me.It seems along with a working Post Office the US Gov’t also sought to create studio spaces for artists,which is where we are heading right now,to the Studio of Iconic portrait photographer and poet,Bobby Miller.

The word « iconic » is from the Greek, pertaining to an image. An apt moniker to Bobby Miller’s work. Once we cross the well worn threshold of this temple of glamor and creativity where magic is created, we LASH BACK to the 1970’s. Forgetting the number of years as I surely have, Bobby began working as a hair and make-up artist for ALL the top photographers back in the day. Carrying a portfolio which reads like a who’s who of NY Style Society. He was always right in the thick of it. Once during a photo shoot with the infamous Robert Mapplethorpe he proffered a suggestion about a certain angle to shoot from and Mapplethorpe suggested he get his own camera and take his own pictures.That year for Christmas Mapplethorpe gave him the camera he still uses today. So he began to snap pictures,all sorts of them,and thousands of them.Remember fellow travelers,these were Halycon daze of NYC’s.Studio 54.Andy,Grace,Bianca ,Liza and Halston, were not just images in soft focus,but actual « peeps » and Bobby was right there clicking away . Like a golden haired cherub who drank from the horn of Baccahus,till he became a Glam Rock version of Toulose Lautrec. Lucky for US he statshed the rolls of film away.Before he got too busy « Loving the Nightlife » too much.

Time passed fast, and looking to escape from the tumult of being a bonvivant,Ptown offered him an alternative. Washed ashore like so many of us he took root in the sandy soil.He became a writer,and penned many a genial poem . This man has been through it all, like a Shirley Bassey Song, he is still here.Recently he began to edit and publish the many fabulous photos of his time in NYC,before it all got too serious. He has published many books and has had numerous SOLD out showings,around the country. Proving that Life goes on and things change…however Great Art ,like Great Architecture always remains vital and pertinent. Proving that anything is possible and often does happen,in this Teeny Town on the Tip of Olde Cape Cod. It is to have a life like this, that a few of us remian year round knowing that here in Provincetown anything is possible!

Color Portraits by Bobby Miller

Sebastian M Araujo

Dina Martina

To see more of Bobbys Work just click on these links, it will blow your mind!
http://www.blurb.com/b/4628639-ptown-peeps#author-bookshelf
http://www.woodmanshimkogallery.com/
Bonne Chance, Stay Warm and Remember to Breathe Deeplly and let it Flow…..Sebastian

Enjoy the seasons of Peace in Provincetown

Want to stump guests at Thanksgiving dinner this year? Ask them where the 102 Pilgrims on the Mayflower landed when they arrived in the New World in 1620. Chances are, unless your guests are from Cape Cod, Massachusetts, they won’t know the answer.

The Pilgrims first landed and spent an estimated five weeks in what is now Provincetown, MA, where they created one of the most famous documents to frame American Democracy. With their ship anchored in the town’s harbor, the Pilgrims drafted and unanimously adopted the Mayflower Compact, America’s first declaration of equality and justice for everyone. Today, that same spirit of freedom and independence is the hallmark of the town known as America’s first destination.

To commemorate this historic event, The Cape Cod Pilgrim Memorial Association chose a design submitted by Willard T. Sears of North Carolina, himself a descendant of the Mayflower Pilgrims.

Construction of the monument Sears envisioned began in 1907, and President Theodore Roosevelt spoke at the cornerstone ceremony after arriving in Ptown (as the locals call it) in his presidential yacht, aptly named the Mayflower. Workers at the time used stone exclusively from Stonington, Maine for construction, and President William Howard Taft dedicated the 252-foot tower nearly three years later. Believed still to be the tallest all-granite structure in the United States, the monument marked its 100-year anniversary in a special ceremony on August 5, 2010.

The Pilgrim Monument can be seen from nearly everywhere in Ptown, reminding residents and visitors alike that they are walking in the footsteps of the country’s forefathers. Today the eclectic shops along historic Commercial Street, the towering sand dunes and beautiful beaches of the Cape Cod National Seashore, the intimate art galleries of America’s longest continuous artist colony, and Ptown’s eclectic and fine dining, quiet inns and popular events attract a diverse and loyal visitor base. Vacationers often decide to extend their stays thanks to the town’s relaxed, friendly and vibrant atmosphere.

The Pilgrim Monument itself continues to be a popular attraction. It encourages visitors to take the 10 minute climb up its 116 steps and 60 ramps, pausing along the way to have a look at the 175 plaques adorning the inside of the structure, which mark the contributions of several towns formerly composing Plymouth Colony that donated stones for the monument’s construction.

The annual « Lighting of the Monument » is a free ceremony that takes place Wednesday, November 27 from 5 to 7 p.m. The lights are considered « Landing Lights, » and they will remain shining until January 6, 2014, symbolizing the approximate amount of time the Pilgrims stayed in Provincetown before moving on to Plymouth, MA. Admission is free, and the Provincetown Business Guild will provide refreshments, while entertainment by Peter Donnelly and John Thomas will be offered. For a small donation, you can help support the traditional lighting of the Pilgrim Monument. More information is available at www.pilgrim-monument.org.

Another special lighting ceremony takes place Saturday, November 30 in what is known as « Lighting the Provincetown Lobster Pot Tree 2013 » ceremony, now in its 9th year. Provincetown artist Julian Popko and family build a unique lobster pot tree right in the heart of Provincetown’s Lopes Square. Stacked with over 100 real lobster pots borrowed from local lobstermen, the tree rises up over 2 stories and is lit with thousands of holiday lights. Come be a part of the lighting, where cookies and hot cocoa will be served at 5:30p.m. There will be a big crowd counting down as the giant tree topper is lifted and then lowered onto the tall ‘tree’ in the center of town.

History buffs will appreciate another of the town’s famous monuments to American Democracy. Ptown is home to a bas-relief of the writing and signing of the Mayflower Compact sculpted by Cyrus Dallin, who is famous for many bronze sculptures commemorating the important moments and individuals in American History.

Between attending ceremonies and soaking up American lore, visitors can get a little action in on the tables by attending a Casino Night benefit for the Provincetown Business Guild on November 29. The event takes place 8 p.m. until midnight, and there is no cover charge. The Provincetown Business Guild has a list of places, events, specials and more that will be a part of Thanksgiving 2013. Visit http://www.ptown.org/Thanksgiving.asp for more information.

Stay an extra weekend or come back to Provincetown to take part in Holly Folly 2013, which runs Dec. 6-8. This LGBT holiday festival features a Santa Speedo Run, Drag Bingo, a Shop Hop, Drag Brunch, the Boston Gay Men’s Chorus Concert plus Ptown’s clubs and dance halls. Support your special cause at the annual Snow Ball. More information about the celebration may be found at ptown.org/HollyFolly.asp.

Provincetown for the holidays is a perfect place for solitude or bringing in the New Year with a roar!