For those of you who might be coming to Chatham on Cape Cod this year, for dining pleasure you might also consider the Roo Bar. I did not have it on my original list. Jan and I dined there this evening for the first time and were more than pleasantly surprised.

Chatham can be quite stuffy, eh what? When the Friendly Ice Cream Restaurant closed after years of neglect, it remained vacant for quite some time. Last year it reopened under new ownership as the Roo Bar. The locals scoffed. The wealthy summer people scoffed (but they always scoff). The outside appearance changed little and the local thinking was that there was one of these things in Hyannis and, good lord, Falmouth.

Well, you should not let appearances fool you. Inside I thought it was quite Tuscan, but Jan said, "No, it is really a cross between Pan-Asian and Mediterranean." What do I know? I do know that the food was terrific and the atmosphere was a bit noisy, but still chic. As a matter of fact, very chic for stuffy old Chatham. They don't take reservations for parties less than 6, but when the outside opens soon, there will be plenty of room. The service is fast and so many staff were interested in our meal that I almost asked our waitress to join us for a drink. They were not overbearing, but they were attentive.

Meanwhile, the sky tonight in Chatham right after sunset ranged from brilliant to robin's egg blue striated by subtle pink clouds. It was one of those Kodak moments, but the Kodak, the Olympus and the Nikon are back in Carlisle.

Tom in Chatham for the moment.