Annapolis Restaurant Buzz | September 2008
By James Houck
Summertime has come and gone, my, oh my. We’ve had a two-month break since our last checkup on the dining scene, and this summer has certainly seen some interesting development among area restaurants. Let’s start with a prognosis of recent openings.
Residents of Eastport have likely been hip to the recent closing of Café Gurus, which has been transformed into Leeward Market. The corner stop café remains a locals’ hotspot for a casual breakfast, lunch, or dinner but with a fresh palette washed on the walls (interior and out), new menu selections, and overall vibe, Leeward seems poised to succeed. On the north end of Baltimore-Annapolis Boulevard in Glen Burnie, Buffalo Wings & Beer has opened, much to the delight of sports pub fans. This is the tenth restaurant for the Maryland franchise, which boasts more than 78 combinations of award-winning wing sauces. The new 4,000 square foot space features 25 plasma televisions and hosts activities such as ski-ball tourneys and shuffleboard.
With great fanfare will open Stoney River Legendary Steaks on October 14 at Westfield Annapolis (Annapolis Mall). This location marks the 11th restaurant in the Stoney River collection, which has restaurants in Atlanta, Chicago, Columbus, Louisville, Nashville, and St. Louis. The steak house is described as upscale, comfort food in a comfortable atmosphere that speaks “welcome home.” The Lodge filet and tempura-battered lobster tails are two very popular dishes, according to Stoney River’s website. Another highly anticipated restaurant opening at Westfield is Punk’s Backyard Grill, self-described as a “new, fast, casual restaurant concept that re-creates the classic backyard cookout for today’s busy, health-conscious lifestyle.” The menu will include grilled beef, chicken, and seafood, garden salads, and classic side dishes. The anticipated opening date is October 15. We can’t wait to try these newbies! And at Main Street at South River Colony in Edgewater, the closing of the Italian-themed restaurant Pomodoro gave rise to the opening of Nannos in its place. We’ve heard from those who’ve already dined there that the food and atmosphere is more upscale-Italian than its predecessor and very, very good. We’ll have to see and taste for ourselves. Neighboring Foster’s Grill has closed and reportedly in its place has opened Shockers Bar & Grill. (More on these establishments next month.)
Over in Crofton, Lemongrass’ third restaurant in our county has been a hit ever since it opened in late spring at the Priest Bridge shopping center. Crofton couple Jared Isaacs and Becky Chall declared Lemongrass “one of the best restaurants in Crofton” and “a very good place to visit for happy hour cocktails followed by dinner.” We think the owners have found the recipe for success: slick and contemporary styling, authentic and delicious Thai cuisine, and very reasonable prices.
For jumbo margaritas that really pack the punch and a lively atmosphere in which you can hang loose, we recommend taking a drive to Pasadena’s Texas Roadhouse, off Mountain Road. The casual and family friendly restaurant serves buckets of peanuts for patrons to nibble on and two-shot fishbowl margaritas (about nine varieties). Definitely worth stopping by if you’re in that neck of the woods and have a hankering for something sweet ’n’ salty.
And in the wake of Starbucks’ July 1 announcement of closing 600 company-owned coffeeshops in the U.S., as bad luck would have it, the Annapolis location at 2 Park Place is on the cut-list. Fans of the Fortune-500 company needn’t fret though: there are nine more Starbucks locations in Annapolis alone.
Do you have any buzz-worthy dining news, adventures, and gossip to share? Email Managing Editor James Houck at JHouck@WhatsUpMag.com to share your experiences and information.
james houck
sep 08
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