EmmaBelle's — Restaurant in Chatham

Very disappointed at the entire makeover. While I realize that things change, depriving Chatham of one of the last places people could stop in, grab a donut or pastry and coffee is sad. Especially when it is replaced with another overpriced non essential restaurant with nothing memorable on the menu and nothing you couldn't make at home by going to the Village Market. It was also a place you could run into neighbors and stop and chat or have a coffee together. That will not be the case with the new cafe because no one is stopping by to get their morning donut and coffee.

While the food is fresh, it is very overpriced and I suspect it will do poorly during the off season because locals are not paying $15 for a bagel and cc, whatever it is for the egg sandwich, and $16 for a lunch sandwich. (I'm from Manhattan. $15 for a bagel and cream cheese without lox is laughable.) The prices are so high, they're not even listed when you pull up their menu on the internet. That says something about their prices and the people they are targeting. They will not get the CBI crowd. They have Perks and their overpriced tiny donuts out of a box at more than $3 each.

The garden was a lovely oasis to sit in, filled with fragrant smells from rose bushes and flowers and the famous "wave" bush. Now it's sterile and pedestrian and has neither style nor ambiance. What a shame to remove such a lovely patch of nature that required little maintenance. It's like the Joni Mitchell line: They paved paradise and put up a parking lot.

The quiche was good, but who is ordering quiche and a salad on their way to work? You can go to the Village Market and buy an entire quiche for $16 which serves four. It's not as light and airy but it certainly beats the cost. I also tried the cappuccino which was nondescript and tasted more like plain coffee. Starbucks has better cappuccino. I'm sure the rest of the food is clean and fresh but I'm not interested in spending $16 on a sandwich especially when I can get a delicious one at Friend's for $10 when I drive to Orleans once a week. Again, I am talking about locals which will be the majority of business off season. A large segment of our population works for just above the minimum wage. They were the foundation of Rick's business. I do not believe without their support, this cafe will be able to survive the off season months.

The new restaurants that are motivated by money have something unique to offer and many are not open five days a week off season or have limited menus: Chatham Cuts has $50 rib eye steaks that are incredible. Mac's has the best clam chowder on the Cape and has since it opened on the Wellfleet pier about 40 years ago. Mom and Pop's has fabulous burgers for $15. Then there are the long standing places like Marion's Pies. The memory of the food you ate there lingers and you long to go back. There is nothing memorable here that couldn't be found somewhere else for less.

While I certainly don't wish bad luck to the new owners, it would have been nice if he/she had been more aware of what the needs of the town's people were instead of creating another high end restaurant that exists solely to make money especially now when we need a good place the most. Unfortunately as the homes get sold off to wealthy people who are uninterested in preserving the things that made the Cape so special, this becomes another example of change for the worse. Going to Hole in One (Orleans) once a week for the best (and least expensive) muffins and donuts on the Cape has now become a necessity and grabbing a bit of breakfast on the way to somewhere has now become even...

INCREDIBLE FARM TO TABLE FRESH EATS! I’ve been saying for the past 10+ years Chatham needs a dining establishment that serves farm fresh food bowls, and now it does!!! Breakfast Bowls, Food bowls, items for vegetarians, AMAZING COFFEES & Tasty Smoothies! And the quality of dining & Ambiance in this establishment inside and out are Top Notch! Prices are reasonable, reflect the quality of the ingredients & culinary expertise and are large enough for sharing! Way to hit it out of the Park Shane & Amy McHugh! I pick something new EACH and EVERY TIME! Only open a week and Each Time I Say, WOW! Try them out! You will not be...

I had the ham and Brie sandwich, my husband got the Izzie’s salad, and we got the loaded fries to share. We also got a matcha latte and chai latte. The food was amazing, you can tell they use very high quality ingredients. The drinks were perfect, exactly what you want for a pick me up. The outdoor seating was clean and cute, with great landscaping/ flowers. The service was quick and they bring your order to your table so that’s nice to just hang out and wait and not have to worry about hearing your name. Such a great addition to Chatham! Will be coming back multiple times this week, and every summer...