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Guide to Good Dining
Sam's Waterfront Café
2020 Chesapeake Harbour Drive East
Annapolis, MD 21403
(410) 263-3600
By Gilles and Cathy Syglowski

On one of the first warm weekends of spring, our party of five (daughter, Kate, and friends Cathy and Has) decided to spend the beautiful afternoon on the waterfront. Having yet to explore all of the possibilities within Annapolis and the surrounding locales, we chose to visit Sam's Waterfront Café, nestled in the development of Chesapeake Harbour.

This Zagat-rated restaurant features both indoor and outdoor dining that's both casual and elegant. Sam Parks, the original builder of this establishment (approximately 20 years ago), built the glass-front structure that overlooks Chesapeake Harbour Marina, modeling it after the area's famous Thomas Point Lighthouse. Jerry Parks, Sam's son, built the surrounding development. Originally the restaurant was two stories, with the top floor serving as a bar. After the marina began to expand, the top floor was turned into the marina offices. It was then called Dominic's for 7 years until its new owner, Mary Randall, purchased the property and changed the name to Sam's. Coincidentally, Sam's grandson and Jerry's nephew-Andrew Parks, a novice to the industry-is now the owner of the restaurant. It must be an omen, for his 3-year-old daughter is named Samantha.

The décor, described by manager Scott Gates as "comfortable luxury," borrows heavily from bistro-style furnishings, with walls of glass overlooking the marina and glass partitions dividing the space within. Abstract watercolors adorn the walls; my favorite is one with bright jewel-tone colors with splashes of gold flecks. Wine labels also are strategically placed throughout. Once situated we felt we were in for a treat-and it doesn't hurt to have an award-winning chef at the helm.

Chef Richard Lunz joins Parks in the quest to continue the family tradition of offering fine dining with casual flair-he became head chef at Sam's this past March. After studying the culinary arts at West Virginia's famed Greenbrier Hotel, Chef Lunz took his talents to the Kings Contrivance in Columbia, Maryland. For the past 13 years, he played a major role in assisting this establishment in receiving many Best Of Howard County awards, such as Best Ambiance and Best Fine Dining Establishment. In 1999, McCormick Spices/Old Bay awarded Chef Lunz the Best Soft-shell Crab. Today, he still serves this recipe and stays active in local events as a tasting judge for crab soup contests.

I asked Chef Lunz what his plans were for the menu. He described it as "a work in progress. I would love to add some favorites such as Dover sole and foie gras. I personally love wild game, but at this point, I don't know how well it will be received." After polling the entire staff, as well as some regular diners, he kept a few local favorites on the menu-one being the lobster macaroni and cheese. "I am all about giving people what they want," he says. "It's not about me, it's about the people."

We found this to be true as we sampled the new spring menu, which featured chef's specials with wine pairings. We chose the Sterling Sauvignon Blanc. There are fourteen wines by the glass, in addition to the featured specials. The wine list is moderate in size and price and features a well-balanced selection of Wine Spectator award winners.

Our evening started with a generous portion of succulent fried calamari, which were very tender and sweet and served with sweet chili sauce and ginger-lime aioli. Cathy chose the Caesar salad-a traditional recipe topped with anchovies and tossed with its characteristic dressing. Kate and Has decided upon the Maryland crab soup, finding it bountiful with vegetables and topped with jumbo lump crab meat-the flavor was perfect. Gilles, mindful of his cholesterol intake, enjoyed a mixed green salad with raspberry vinaigrette. He was pleased with the special accommodations made to satisfy his dietary needs. Appetizers ranged in price from $7 to $14.

For main course selections, it was a toss-up for Kathy-between veal Oscar, which she had not enjoyed for quite some time, and crab cakes, which Has had already ordered. Kathy was swayed at the last second to crab cakes, so both enjoyed the large moist cakes, plump with jumbo lump meat, served with rémoulade sauce, and accompanied by a wonderful asparagus salad. Kate enjoyed her usual filet mignon, served with a peppercorn sauce and garlic mashed potatoes, while Gilles chose the stuffed wild rockfish, prepared specially to meet his needs. Cathy opted for a favorite of hers-a New York strip steak, which was very flavorful and cooked to perfection. Entrées were priced between $20 and $30.

Dessert was crème brulee all around, accompanied by frothy cappuccinos. The exception, of course, was Gilles, who was very content with his fresh fruit, a first for the man who dreams of dessert. Desserts averaged $6.

If you are interested in more casual surroundings, try the outside deck bar-soon to be a full-service fifty-seat retreat with a full menu. You can also enjoy half-price appetizers 4-7 p.m. at the bar. Weekend evenings you will be entertained with acoustic music and a beautiful sunset. And Sunday brunch is à la carte, featuring traditional breakfast items as well as the full lunch menu. Open 7 days a week, Sam's is also a favorite destination among local boaters and sailors. All vessels arriving must contact the marina office, by phone or VHF radio, to make docking arrangements. The marina staff works with the restaurant to ensure that all dinner guests have convenient dockage locations. It is also wise to call for restaurant reservations, especially during the warm season and always for weekends and holidays.

Gilles Syglowski is a chef, culinary instructor, and food service consultant. He is a graduate of the Lycee d'Enseignement Professional Hotelier in Metz, France. He and his wife, Kathy, a member of the International Wine Society, have more than 50 years' experience in the restaurant industry.

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What's The DISH?
Mexican Café
By Barbara McGarry

Want to put the workday behind you, treat the family to a dinner that's easy on the budget, enjoy the summer air while sipping a great margarita, or eat breakfast in the afternoon?

Whatever the occasion, Mexican Café will welcome you with its laid-back atmosphere and menu of popular favorites and specialties. The restaurant, at 975 Bay Ridge Road, and its satellite, Mexican Café to Go, at 958 Bay Ridge Road, are "casual, fun places to go to unwind and enjoy great Mexican fare," according to owner Pam Gladfelter.

The main café "is like a little Tijuana restaurant," Gladfelter says. Inside it has seating for fifty and décor of colorful prints; sombreros; piñatas; mirrors; and handicrafts of birds, iguanas, and other collectibles from Mexico. Outside there's seating for nearly fifty more at tables on a deck equipped with heaters for use in chilly temperatures.

As its name implies, Café to Go, in Bay Forest Center, focuses on carryout. It has a small dining area that reflects a Mexican theme, with a landscape mural Gladfelter painted and prints and other decorative items she purchased during a trip to San Miguel de Allende.

Gladfelter, her late husband, and another business partner opened Mexican Café at the 975 Bay Ridge Road address in l992. She became sole owner in l997 while working full-time as a teacher at Annapolis Elementary. "In that year I redid the restaurant from top to bottom," she explains. In l998 she expanded the facility with the addition of the outside deck. In l999, after 19 years of teaching, she retired from that profession to oversee the café's operation.

Gladfelter opened Café to Go in April 2005 because Mexican Café had become too busy to accommodate all the carryout requests. "I could see that there was a need, and I could only expand so much on that property," she comments.

You will find nearly the same menu of more than 200 items at both locations and for carryout, although the signature margaritas and other alcoholic beverages are sold only at the main café.

Tacos, burritos, tostadas, taquitos, enchiladas, chimichangas, flautas, and fajitas are just a few of the many selections you can order with various fillings and toppings. There are café specialties, combinations, vegetarian entrées, "skinny platters," and à la carte foods. "Little amigos and amigas" meals are available, and breakfast is served all hours. Appetizers, salads, soups, and desserts complete the menu.

The Southwest grilled quesadilla and the stuffed avocado, which is filled with chicken and cheese, battered, and then deep-fried, are among the most popular specialties. Other top sellers are chef Julia Rosales' pollo asado (baked chicken) and her version of enchiladas suiza. The latter features two green enchiladas with cheese and chicken that has been sautéed with fresh cilantro, garlic, and other spices, served with tomatillo sauce and sour cream.

Rosales, chef for l3 years, says she draws upon what she's learned from her parents in El Salvador for recipe ideas. She credits her father, for example, with the café seafood standout, drunken shrimp. It has five jumbo shrimp, which are sautéed, then topped with a tequila, garlic, and cream salsa and presented with guacamole and sour cream. Seafood enthusiasts will also find fried shrimp with either jalapeño or "fire" batter and several crab choices, including Rosales's original crab dip made with tequila.

Gladfelter explains that the café's dishes are created in-house from scratch and some of the handmade foods require lots of preparation time. A batch of the handmade tamales, for example, takes experienced cook Francisca Lopez 4 hours.

For home chefs who want to serve a Mexican-style dinner, Gladfelter and Rosales suggest a main course of steak, plantains, and refried beans and a dessert of fried ice cream from Café to Go.

Plantains are often sold at grocery stores in a yellow stage, Gladfelter says. However, they should be ripened at room temperature to a blackish color to sweeten them. Using one plantain for each serving, slice each into four lengthwise pieces and fry in a bit of bubbling vegetable oil until golden brown. Drain each slice before serving. For refried beans, follow the simple recipe Gladfelter shared with What's Up? Annapolis.

Refried Beans (Serves 8) Ingredients: 1 pound dry black beans, washed 1 tablespoon chopped garlic small bunch cilantro, chopped 1/2 white onion, diced 2 tablespoons red onion, diced 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 cup shredded cheese (Colby, Monterey Jack, or cheddar) Cook black beans, cilantro, and red onion in water for 3 hours on medium heat after bringing to a boil. Cover the bottom of a frying pan with oil, and sauté white onion and garlic until lightly brown. Place drained bean mixture in frying pan and mash with a cooking masher or a cup. Stir, and cook on medium heat a few minutes to blend. Top with your choice of shredded cheese.

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The Wild Orchid Cafe

Taste
Wild Orchid Café
909 Bay Ridge Avenue, Eastport
(410) 268-8009

The Wild Orchid Café lives up to its name by providing delicious exotic food in an unpretentious setting. Nestled inside a cozy 1930s bungalow in a quiet, partially residential neighborhood, it's just a short block from the busy Eastport Shopping Center and approximately 1 mile from the junction of Forest Drive and Bay Ridge Avenue.

"We want to make you feel like you've come to a friend's house for supper," explains server Andrea Jackman, who has been working at the restaurant for 4 years.

The arrival of warm weather makes spring a great time to visit. Fresh, colorful mixed arrangements of flowers sit atop tables draped with white starched tablecloths. An eclectic selection of modern art hangs on the walls. Step outside to the rear of the building and you'll find a large concrete patio bordered by a white picket fence. On the outside tables sit potted plants. Classical music plays in the background, and you may also detect the sound of a gurgling fountain.

"My grandfather made the large cement jug, using chicken wire and cement," says chef and owner Jim Wilder, who opened the restaurant 10 years ago to complement his catering business, Company's Coming. "Earth Design put in the mechanism to convert it into a fountain," he explains.

Jackman told us, "We try to utilize seasonal local produce, and change our menu on a seasonal basis."

Partaking of a springtime lunch on the patio, I started my meal with the Wild Orchid salad ($5 for a half serving and $8 for a full serving), a lively blend of greens, ripe strawberries, sliced almonds, and Gorgonzola cheese, topped with a raspberry vinaigrette dressing. Earlier in the year, the fruit would have been poached pears, but strawberries are currently in season, and they tasted great. We also sampled the rich, thick, and fragrant squash soup with lumps of backfin crab meat. This can be ordered as a bowl ($5) or by the cup ($4). I noticed several customers enjoying the soup as their main course.

The grilled salmon ($13) was attractively presented on a square white plate with crisp brown fingerling potatoes, a baked onion, and a drizzling of pesto, ornamented by a rosemary sprig. It was cooked perfectly.

My colleague enjoyed the stuffed portobello sandwich ($9). Served on focaccia, the chargrilled mushroom was topped with vegetable tapenade and red pepper mayonnaise. Wild Orchid has a number of vegetarian lunch selections, including pumpkin gnocchi, spinach crepes, and vegetable pizza. And it always features a quiche of the day.

The seated Sunday brunch menu offers several different styles of egg dishes, along with favorite lunch selections, in the $8 to $15 price range. A small but comprehensive wine list gives you the opportunity to complement your meal. The goal of the restaurant's wine selections, according to Jackman, is to enable clients to expand their palettes. Wild Orchid Café has won the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence for the past 3 years. Selections of beer from local breweries as well as seasonal beverages are also served.

The dinner menu includes many tempting choices: rack of lamb, tuna, halibut, king salmon, free-range chicken, pork, and Kobe beef sirloin. All meats are paired with complementary vegetables, carefully crafted sauces, and garnishes designed to deliver a multitude of subtle tastes. The signature dish is Scallop Napoleon ($28). Pan-seared scallops are layered with pecan-lemon sweet potato pancakes and sautéed leeks and mushrooms and drizzled with a Persian lime sauce. A prix fixe meal ($37) includes bread, soup, salad, dessert, and an entrée from the daily specials.

Bread pudding and crème brulee (my favorite) are prepared on the premises; other dessert selections are brought in from Cakes and Confections of Annapolis, known for its fine cakes and pastries.

The Wild Orchid Café is open 7 days a week, Monday through Saturday 11-3 for lunch and Sunday 9 a.m.-3 p.m. for brunch. Dinner is served commencing at 5 p.m. The kitchen closes at 9 p.m. except on Friday and Saturday evenings, when it stays open until 10 p.m.

Parking is available and reservations are highly recommended. Check the Web site at http://wildorchidcafe.net to stay informed of seasonal menu changes.

-Nadja Maril