Equipped in Cape Cod | OBX Connection Message Board (2024)

Date Posted: 7/23/2024 8:28 AM

Unlike years past in the OBX when the kitchen was supplied with who knows what, that looked like it came from yard sales, the Salvation Army & thrift shops. With at least one major appliance that seemed to come from appliance heaven because it didn't work 100%

She said "That's one of the reasons why when asked "Where do you want to go on vacation this year? You never hear me say the OBX anymore.

Date Posted: 7/23/2024 8:40 AM

Been a few years since we have been to the OBX. Just got back from a week in Cape Cod & when we were scouting our rental, I mentioned to the wife, "Have you noticed that this place is equipped like home? Lots of pots & pans that match, nice knives, matching dinnerware etc. & Everything works & was clean.

Unlike years past in the OBX when the kitchen was supplied with who knows what, that looked like it came from yard sales, the Salvation Army & thrift shops. With at least one major appliance that seemed to come from appliance heaven because it didn't work 100%

She said "That's one of the reasons why when asked "Where do you want to go on vacation this year? You never hear me say the OBX anymore.

Sounds like you stayed in some rentals that were not well cared for, or you are talking about rentals 15-20 years ago when that was very common to see here. I am sure there are still a few cheaper rentals that are equipped as you describe, but not most of them.

Date Posted: 7/23/2024 8:41 AM

Date Posted: 7/23/2024 9:32 AM

You guys on the inside or outside...if outside, hope you didn't have to deal w closures from the pooched wind turbine.

Date Posted: 7/23/2024 9:50 AM

Date Posted: 7/23/2024 11:17 AM

The higher end parts of Cape Cod provide a better experience than the higher end parts of OBX, and it shows in the fees. Waterfront in the Cape aint no joke.

This is a nice place in Chatham linked, and you get what you pay for.

Some owners on this board are targeting the same rental demographic for Cape Cod and OBX - wealthier PA, NJ families.

www.airbnb.com/rooms/4174...

Date Posted: 7/23/2024 12:37 PM

Date Posted: 7/23/2024 1:02 PM

I have run into kitchen short-comings and uncleanliness too many times to count. My no-stress solution has been to start meal prepping about 1 month before we go on vacation. I'll choose five dinners to prep in that month before vacation and I double, or triple the amount. Nothing fancy like I do at home, just simple food in large quantities, loaded into big ziplock bag(s) and frozen flat for the cooler ride. So meats are already trimmed/tied/seasoned/marinated and frozen, meatballs are ready and frozen in the sauce, sausages are parboiled and frozen, ready to grill - you get the idea. No worries about food prep tools or spices at the vacation house. Pull something from the freezer the night before and it is thawed and ready to cook the next evening. I'll pack a chef's knife, a whetstone and a flexible cutting mat to take along for cutting fruits and vegetables. There's always a fillet knife in my fishing gear if needed. Pack some non-stick aluminum foil, a couple of aluminum half chafing pans, some ziplock containers and I can roll out most anything with those on hand. If something still bothers me, I follow my doctor's orders and open another beer.

A guy renting near us couple weeks ago did the exact same thing - he was towing an impressive "off road" trailer (they used to do Carova but now kids are looking for more "action") - in/and on the trailer he had prob 15 pelican totes for dry goods stuff and another group of chilled (dry iced) stuff. Each fam members "stuff" in it's own water proof tote. I was blown away by the organization and level of preparedness...super cool dude to boot.

I contrast that with folks that (especially during covid stimi rentals) arrived with their stuff in garbage bags (which still do the trick) and then flumuxed to find out there is no "real" grocery store in the tri villages.

Like you, this was not this guys first rodeo.

Date Posted: 7/23/2024 1:03 PM

I'll pack a chef's knife, a whetstone and a flexible cutting mat to take along for cutting fruits and vegetables. There's always a fillet knife in my fishing gear if needed. Pack some non-stick aluminum foil, a couple of aluminum half chafing pans, some ziplock containers and I can roll out most anything with those on hand. If something still bothers me, I follow my doctor's orders and open another beer.

This ^. We don't do the "main meal" food prep ahead of time because, when at the coast, we're eating fresh seafood every day. But we bring kitchen knives, linens, spices and, if this rental is a first time for us, a few of the more commonly used pots/pans. In other words, don't bank on anything you need for food prep to be there.

A couple of times we have smoked a turkey breast and/or ham ahead of time to use for sandwiches and chef salads and that has worked out well.

We make the best effort to only buy food/groceries on vacation that are going to be consumed on vacation. The only food we want to be packing home is the already vacuum sealed fillets/steaks from the fish we caught on the charter.

Date Posted: 7/23/2024 2:00 PM

Date Posted: 7/23/2024 6:03 PM

Date Posted: 7/23/2024 6:15 PM

Date Posted: 7/23/2024 6:26 PM

Date Posted: 7/23/2024 6:59 PM

Date Posted: 7/23/2024 7:21 PM

It's wonderful that your kiddos cook and that your DIL is Italian and makes wonderful dishes!!

My son likes to cook and we made a lot of food together when he was in high school. Daughter was never really interested in cooking until she got married and is a great cook now. Mind you...low carb always. She reads a lot about food and the body......

With our children living out of town and just the two of us, I try new stuff and and sometimes it bombs, and sometimes it's edible. Fun to do while retired coming in five years this August.

Date Posted: 7/23/2024 7:29 PM

Date Posted: 7/23/2024 7:38 PM

We're big on ham too. My grandmother was a great southern cook and her root beer ham was always a hit.

Date Posted: 7/23/2024 7:58 PM

Bent, ask your daughter about short chained fatty acids (SCFA). That's a deep rabbit hole, but fascinating for a bio science guy like me. Docs don't go into why we need way more fiber in the USA, I had to find out why.

We're big on ham too. My grandmother was a great southern cook and her root beer ham was always a hit.

I'll ask her! Thanks! She is really into nutrition and makes us watch stuff on you tube and read certain articles. She's convinced that alztimers could be helped with the foods we eat...not to mention many more diseases. She's the one that makes her own clothes washing detergent and homemade deodorant because of cancer causing chemicals we put on our skin.

Date Posted: 7/23/2024 8:17 PM

Just eat real food.

Date Posted: 7/23/2024 8:43 PM

Geez....$30.00 for three chicken breasts! So expensive.

Date Posted: 7/23/2024 8:48 PM

Date Posted: 7/24/2024 10:37 AM

For those souls tired of the no-longer-cheap OBX, when you are shocked at the cost of Cape Cod, wait until you taste that food in Mass.

For those wealthier renters from PA, NJ, MD who want to try OBX once and skip Cape Cod, you could be in a newer home, a bigger home, and definitely one with a warmer pool. You will not be impressed with the food scene. It is perfectly average seafood at best.

Date Posted: 7/24/2024 10:58 AM

Not our thing. Maybe it's just the friends and relatives we have, but nobody is ever looking bigger, fancier, color coordinated, with matching kitchen ware. We only want a beach cottage with a screen porch, some pots and pans for me to fry crabcakes, steam shrimp, and prepare some ocean scallops in butter. Although I must say the scallops in lime cilantro at the Back Porch is better than what I can manage. Maybe we are just recreating our childhood memories of the beach. HA, but I'm not giving up the air conditioning which we never ever had in the '50s or '60s.

I know one guy, a fishing buddy and Friday lunch member, who has to have a pool. He does not like the sand. He just took the extended family to the Bahamas and they had a pool and two hot tubs. The place they rented on Eleuthera was beautiful. Isolated with a private beach and about the size of a small resort. And not at all pricey by OBX standards, even including the air fare.

Date Posted: 7/24/2024 11:06 AM

Date Posted: 7/24/2024 11:16 AM

For those wealthier renters from PA, NJ, MD who want to try OBX once and skip Cape Cod, you could be in a newer home, a bigger home, and definitely one with a warmer pool. You will not be impressed with the food scene. It is perfectly average seafood at best.

Totally agree, based on the "do I need pool heat" comments on here, water temp is a huge issue.

Re food - surprised to hear, you being Tri - that places like Waterman's, Goodwinds (fish tacos only) can't match up with the Cape and Islands. We've taken so many C&I folks (close friends and fam that wouldn't BS us) there and they are amazed at what we do here. Lobster rolls, I got nothin', but not my thing anyway...I will say, years ago, two of my then HS aged nephews made and sold lobster rolls on the beach...$30 a pop, made up a 100 a day, sold them out in less that an hour

But, yeah, if your thing is putting your best pappagallo / lity P outfit, and driving your range over to, say, Toppers, we got nothing close/white tablecloths and all that...possibly Cafe Pam (which, my opinion, is way better than anyplace up that way)