They’re Making It On the Cape – Mooncusser’s

Mooncusser’s outside at night

Located on a quiet stretch of road in Harwich Port sits Mooncusser’s Tavern Inn & Restaurant. Residing in a former sea captain’s home on Sisson Road this establishment combines a hearty Cape Cod atmosphere with some of the finest cuisine one can find. It also includes an inn above the restaurant with five rooms available to stay in. It has received a Certificate of Excellence from TripAdvisor and is gaining a reputation as one of the top high-end dining establishments on Cape Cod.

Originally opened in June 2011 by father and son Patrick and Damien Wiseman Mooncusser’s began a slow but steady climb as word of mouth spread about the delicious menu items one could fine there. The former sea captain’s home had been abandoned for three years and coupled with being constructed in 1830 there was much work done by the Wisemans to turn it into a cozy, unique place to dine.

Executive Chef Mason Pryme

The slow but steady climb by Mooncusser’s continued with the hiring of Mason Pryme four years ago. Brought in as sous chef Pryme would quickly gain the trust and confidence of the Wisemans who would make him their executive chef after one year on the job. Though he was new to Mooncusser’s Pryme was certainly not new to the culinary landscape of Cape Cod.

Mason Pryme came to Cape Cod thirteen years ago after being born in Upstate New York and going to college in Vermont. He came to the Cape with fishing dreams which came true.

“I got addicted when I hooked a 700-lb tuna,” he says. Pryme stayed on the Cape, commercial fishing whenever he could while honing his culinary skills in some of the finest kitchens. He was offered the sous chef job at The Red Pheasant in Dennis then moving on to Chillingsworth in Brewster and The Marshside in Dennis. His time at Mooncusser’s has been the most gratifying for Pryme though.

Once becoming executive chef he was given carte blanche with the menu. Despite that he was very shrewd with his choices. He kept roughly half of the items from the old menu, knowing that regular customers would be upset if their favorites were removed. Pryme explains his process of designing the new menu.

“It came down to things like feedback,” he begins, “finding out what the locals wanted. I’ve been on the Cape long enough and worked in enough kitchens that I feel I have a good grasp on what will sell. I stand by everything on the menu, otherwise it wouldn’t be there.”

Some of the most popular items on the current menu include the Wild Atlantic Salmon and Shrimp, Lobster, and Scallop Papperdelle. The latter can sell anywhere between 30-40 orders during the summer which can be almost a quarter of the total orders. The chocolate bread pudding is also a special delight.

The secrets of the increasing success of Mooncusser’s are simple. First off everything is from scratch. The French fries are hand cut; even the ice cream is homemade in small batches. Secondly is trying to do things that other places don’t do to make themselves stand out. One shining example of this is the Game Special night which runs during the summer.

Chocolate Bread Pudding

“I order every possible kind of meat that is legal in this country,” Pryme says, “and run different specials using them.” Exotic meats such as kangaroo, alligator, caribou, and ostrich among others are part of this wildly popular special.

The hard work has paid off as business has gone up an average of 35% per year since Mason has been executive chef. However there was a time not too long ago when he, like so many young professionals, faced the crossroads of leaving the Cape to find greater success. He was offered a high profile job in Boston but then fate intervened. His wife announced she was pregnant.

“Having a child is definitely a life changing event,” Mason says. “We decided to stay on the Cape because the quality of life is much better here.” The decision has worked out well for him and his wife but Pryme also knows that finding success on Cape Cod is difficult.

“There’s not enough opportunity here,” Pryme continues, “it’s very seasonal. You need to be really good at what you do, or just get lucky. It’s the nature of the beast.”

Seafood Pappardelle

Despite finding success at Mooncusser’s Mason is not resting on his laurels. 2017 is shaping up to be a banner year for the high-end establishment. It will feature the return of the aforementioned Game Special in the summer. Starting on Easter there will be a Sunday Brunch which will be followed up with full breakfast service beginning Memorial Day Weekend. Breakfast will be the same as dinner, high-end, unique, and from scratch. Chef Mason Pryme would have it no other way.

Mooncussers Tavern Inn & Restaurant is located at 86 Sisson Road in Harwich Port. Call ahead at 508-430-1230, reservations are strongly recommended during the summer. Or visit them online at MooncussersTavern.com.

By Christopher Setterlund



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