Last Call: TPA Mudslide at Tin Pan Alley

Tin Pan Alley is one of those many long, narrow, shotgun shack-like establishments that line Commercial Street in Provincetown. One that has the best of both worlds. You can sit at the bar or front table in the window along the street to people-watch as the world goes by in the shadow of town hall. Or, grab a table in the back dining room or on the back deck overlooking the sand, beachgrass, and the harbor beyond. Wherever you settle your bones, a bracing cocktail to start your experience at Tin Pan Alley is in order, and the martini and cocktail lists have enough creativity to help you to enjoy new flavors and combinations with such elixirs as Te-Quil-A Mockingbird, Ptown Tea, Unfriendly Ghost, and The Ricochet.

At first glance, the name TPA Mudslide doesn’t jump out above the others. Mudslide? What’s so unusual about that? Most Cape Cod establishments don’t even bother to put it on the menu it’s so ubiquitous. The TPA Mudslide, however, is wholly different from the frozen concoctions we know and enjoy on hot summer days. First off, the TPA Mudslide is a martini, not a frozen cocktail. Made with a cold brew coffee liqueur and a splash of Irish cream, the wrinkle really arrives when the Ketel One Oranje vodka is added. The cream and orange flavor combine to make that soft pillow-like flavor of a Creamsicle. The acidity of the cold brew liqueur offers a light punch to balance the sweetness. It’s a perfect way to start or finish a meal. Even though there are so many other imaginative creations, who’s to say you can’t bookend a fabulous meal from the menu (featuring a new American cuisine with worldly influences) with another TPA Mudslide? “It’s just a fun twist on a classic mudslide,” Tin Pan Alley’s owner, Paul Melanson, says. He, along with his husband and business partner, Jack Kelly, recently celebrated Tin Pan Alley’s tenth anniversary in April.

The tin ceilings and quilted bar front give a timeless feel to Tin Pan Alley. The baby grand piano in the corner of the front lounge is put through its paces regularly as Tin Pan Alley is a rare species of restaurant that features live music seven nights a week year-round – a singular treat these days, to be sure. The absence of the haze of smoke filling the air is the only detail missing from this spot that otherwise could harken you back to the 1920s or 30s. A color palette of greys and blues even aid in the smoldering feel without all of that unpleasant second-hand smoke. A martini glass filled with the caramel-hued TPA Mudslide can certainly slip you into a chill, hepcat vibe. Let the caffeine take hold, and you’ll be toe-tapping and joining in on the songs. Chomp on the three floating coffee beans, and who knows, you could be taking hold of the mic yourself!

Tin Pan Alley
269 Commercial Street, Provincetown
508-487-1648
tinpanalley.com