The vindaloo must go on: Mews in Provincetown opens pop-up restaurant at former Spindler's

Gwenn Friss, Cape Cod Times
·3 min read

The Mews Restaurant & Cafe in Provincetown has opened every year since 1964.

So, when a snag in kitchen renovations threatened The Mews' 60th season, co-owners Ron Robin and Edmund Teo leased a temporary space a tenth of a mile down the street at 386 Commercial St.

Then the staff moved lock, stock and lion carving (above the bar) to the Mews' temporary location, which is scheduled to open Friday, March 1, in the space that was formerly Spindler’s and part of The Waterford Inn.

"We will have a pop-up restaurant known as The Mews at The Waterford," Robin said.

“In our new home, there will be elements of the menu but we cannot do the full menu because the kitchen space is much smaller,” he said.

The Mews Restaurant has temporarily set up at 386 Commercial St. to avoid closing for a summer for the first time since 1964. The Mews at 429 Commercial St. is undergoing renovations.
The Mews Restaurant has temporarily set up at 386 Commercial St. to avoid closing for a summer for the first time since 1964. The Mews at 429 Commercial St. is undergoing renovations.

Two dishes that are fixtures on The Mews menu ― Shaking Beef and Mews Vindaloo ― will be available during the year-long lease, Robin said, along with daily specials, vegetarian and vegan choices.

“The Vindaloo is spicy but not outrageous,” Robin said of the Indian dish known for its levels of spiciness. “We used to kid that it came with extra socks because the Vindaloo would knock your socks off.”

Another change is that the leased space has only 50 inside seats, compared to the 120 in The Mews’ location under construction at 429 Commercial St.

Robin said he and Teo are working with Mews Chef Carlos Millan to explore the possibility of serving lunch or light afternoon fare in the temporary restaurant’s 90 or so outside seats.

Mews Restaurant owner Ron Robin is photographed inside a dining area of the temporary location. The Mews Restaurant & Cafe has temporarily moved a few doors down from its Commercial Street location in Provincetown while the regular space is closed for renovations.
Mews Restaurant owner Ron Robin is photographed inside a dining area of the temporary location. The Mews Restaurant & Cafe has temporarily moved a few doors down from its Commercial Street location in Provincetown while the regular space is closed for renovations.

But for now, The Mews will be open and accepting reservations, 5 to 8:30 p.m. or so, Tuesdays through Saturdays, Robin said, with hopes of opening daily for dinner and adding lunch service if enough staff can be hired.

Back at 429 Commercial St., construction workers were installing a new kitchen floor in the waterfront restaurant and some additional kitchen equipment, Robin said, when the owners learned a structural study would be required. Robin said the structure was originally built as a house in the 1860s, and became a restaurant in 1936, which had been shored up with tree trunks that had to be replaced with steel and other modern construction materials.

Robin said he and Teo have been working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency or FEMA on flooding prevention and mitigation for the historic property.

This antique wood carving hangs in the new Mews at Waterford location. The piece is from the nearby The Mews Restaurant & Cafe, at 429 Commercial St., which is undergoing renovations.
This antique wood carving hangs in the new Mews at Waterford location. The piece is from the nearby The Mews Restaurant & Cafe, at 429 Commercial St., which is undergoing renovations.

In terms of what customers will see when The Mews reopens for the 61st season, Robin said there will be more seats, 143 up from 120 because the first-floor apartment is being moved upstairs. There will also be cosmetic improvements to the entrance.

Run by former Boston radio personality "Rockin' Ron Robin," The Mews is a Provincetown fixture that draws regulars as well as celebrities over the summer. Robin, who legally changed his name from Ronald Polcari (not from the restaurant family) said he generally didn't approach guests at dinner but did stop to chat with tough-guy actor Jason Robards.

"He said 'The tuna is good.' and nothing else," Robin recalled with a chuckle.

Gwenn Friss is the editor of CapeWeek and covers entertainment, restaurants and the arts. Contact her at gfriss@capecodonline.com. Follow her or X, formerly Twitter: @dailyrecipeCCT

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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: The Mews in Provincetown opens a pop-up restaurant. What we know.