Photos from the Beat
Shop and Zoom at the Cape Cod Factory Outlet Mall
Ok. Except that’s sort of like saying ‘Nauset Beach has the most sand.'
Still, we decided to stop in recently and check out the Cape Cod Factory Outlet Mall, in all its red-roofed grandness.The CCFOM (as I’ll call it from here on out to avoid carpal tunnel) is in Sagamore, nestled between the Bourne and Sagamore bridges and therefore a perfect pit-stop for travelers making their exodus from the Cape.
On first glance from the parking lot, it’s a little disheartening. There’s a sports bar in the distance and, next to the abbreviated strip of windows that is the mall’s entire facade, I spotted a weathered old wishing well that leaned sadly to one side.
But we were there on a mission -- clothes. Shoes. Maybe a colander.
Inside, we stopped to look at the store directory and quickly realized a glance to the left and right was sufficient. But it’s here that this rickety old strip mall turned into a wondrous paradise. The outlet stores, like Bass, Reebok, Bali, Van Heusen, and some local favorites like t-shirt shop Soft as a Grape, have quality merchandise , i.e. last season’s best, at up to 70% off regular prices.
Feverishly, I racked up a meager $121.72 on boots, two pairs of pants, a top, pumps, a necklace, and a skirt. I ran to the parking lot -- my car conveniently just feet away -- and placed my bags in the trunk, returning to the mall with free hands and wild eyes. I was able to curb spending despite the dizzying array of red stickers and slashed prices, though, and save some excitement for the quiet food court. It, too, is small and understated, with a tempting hot dog stand in the middle and a standard food-court Chinese place. But I chose the American Sidewalk Cafe, for a chicken salad wrap with tarragon that was ab-fab. To enjoy the sun, we went to the second-level balcony of the food court, resplendent in red linoleum, and it was there that we found, simply, the best thing ever.There on the second floor was a wide array of full-size arcade games, including, to my glee, pinball and honest-to-goodness Centipede.We dug out every quarter we had and peered through fingerprinted plexiglass screen-guards to reach high score ... it was all that I thought it would be.
