Eastern Shore Restaurant Buzz | January 2009
By Brent Lewis; Pictures By Marie Thomas
“What’s the Buzz?” informants tell us that
Ava’s Pizzeria and Wine Bar in St. Michaels is well worth a visit. Salads and pizzas are delicious, and the new restaurant’s popularity has grown as the good word spreads. Chef Chris Fazio comes to St. Michaels after working as Sous Chef at Central Michel Richard in Washington, D.C., the 2008 James Beard Award Winner for Best New Restaurant, a national award for a new restaurant that has displayed excellence in food, beverage, and service. Impressive credentials, indeed.
Harry’s at the Goldsborough House in Greensboro is a “What’s the Buzz?” favorite. Hosts Harry and Jeri Wyre serve up enticing soups (gumbo!), salads (blue Cheese and Blackberry Vinaigrette!), small plates (fried oysters!), café mains (beef & Guinness pie!), and entrées (pepper-crusted New York strip! pan-roasted rockfish!). Seasonal fowl and game specials include duck, quail, and venison. There’s an extensive wine list and a full bar, and the outdoor fireplace is the perfect spot for a wintery nightcap. Dessert and coffee are Harry’s treat if you visit when it’s snowing. And watch for one of manager Dolly McMahon’s murder mystery dinners this month. Space is somewhat limited, so if the mix of great food, gracious hospitality, and lighthearted homicide sound like fun, don’t hesitate to make your reservations.
Major remodeling will be finished soon at the
Water’s Edge Grill at the
Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay Golf Resort, Spa and Marina in Cambridge, giving this popular upscale eatery a more modern, classic look. The seating will accent the river view while the nautical-themed décor has been mellowed to provide a more subtle invocation of Eastern Shore charm and hospitality. Red and gold tones, leather accents, and wood floors invite the diner in with an elegant, yet comfortable, atmosphere. Food and Beverage Director Rick Froelicher says this is the first of several renovations that are underway at the Eastern Shore’s premier retreat, including
Michener’s Library lobby bar, the large Chesapeake Ballroom, The Choptank junior ballroom, as well as all 400 guest rooms.
Barbara Helish’s
Bella Luna in Royal Oak will be opening a second location at 303 High Street in historic downtown Cambridge this month. The original
Bella Luna and its made-from-scratch, organic Italian menu have garnered rave reviews, and there’s no reason to believe this new endeavor will be anything but a hit. The homemade mozzarella is a house specialty and made fresh daily.
Mark Salter, executive chef at the
Inn at Perry Cabin in St. Michaels, recently introduced his new sauce—Eastern Shore Pub Sauce—which is perfect for crab cakes, fried oysters, steak, chicken, French fries, and more. The pub sauce, along with other sauces, dressings, and marinades can be purchased at www.salterschesapeakegourmet.com, as well as various stores and shops in and around St. Michaels.
Michael Quattrucci, executive chef at
Restaurant Local in Easton’s Tidewater Inn, won the 2008 Talbot Crab Cook-Off, held at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, with his Four-Way Crab Dish that features Jumbo Lump Crab Cake on creamed local corn with Old Bay butter and crispy leeks; Bib Lettuce Wrap with jumbo lump crab and two sauces; Crispy Crab Ravioli on pea tendrils with sherry bacon vinaigrette; and Gazpacho made with jumbo lump crab, avocado, cucumber, chive, fennel, and grape tomato in clear tomato broth. Finer examples of
Restaurant Local’s commitment to “culinary artistry” can only be found on their regular menu and nightly specials.
Firehouse Coffee Café, on Denton’s Market Street, serves some of the best coffee in our area, and their teas, smoothies, pastries, and wraps rate pretty highly, too. Run by two veteran firefighters, Capt. Gregory Socks and Lt. George Junghans, as well as Capt. Socks’ wife, Linda Redfern Socks,
Firehouse Coffee has quickly charmed patrons with the owners’ unique vision and personal service. The space is firefighter themed; it’s like a mini-museum with authentic fire department memorabilia and photography. The staff is friendly and professionally trained, and
Firehouse Coffee is a Wi-Fi hotspot so feel free to bring your laptop along.
Easton’s
Out of the Fire strives to create a dining experience that emphasizes “interesting and high-quality ingredients chosen with integrity on all levels and provided by like-minded producers and growers.” In an effort to give back to the community and protect our fragile environment,
Out of the Fire, located at 22 Goldsborough Street, has implemented the “Trees for Talbot” project. The Talbot County Department of Parks and Recreation will provide expertise in helping identify areas that require “green assistance,” and
Out of the Fire then provides indigenous plants and grasses to revitalize and protect those areas.
Out of the Fire donates a portion of their dining proceeds Mondays through Thursdays to this project. Donations can also be made online at the restaurant’s website, www.outofthefire.com.
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