Delicious Food at Best of Annapolis & Eastern Shore

rBeing the food editor, I got the chance to visit the restaurants' tables and try their food before guests arrived in the ballroom. I should have gotten a pen and paper and written all the dishes down, but I was just too busy enjoying tasting the food. Here are some of the highlights, in my opinion:
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• Deep Creek Restaurant, in Arnold, won for best Maryland Crab Soup. They served both the soup and a delicious crab-and-tomato bruschetta.
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• Ken's Creative Kitchen, in Annapolis, won for Best Caterer and Best Chef. They had an amazing mini-crab cake on top of a cracker. I spent a moment with the drummer and bassist for the Doug Segree band while they tried the dish, and they were raving about it. I was, too, when I tried a bite!
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• Rocco's Pizzeria, in Annapolis, won for Best Pizza, and fittingly served three types of slices. One word: Yum.
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• Mitchum's Steakhouse, in Trappe, won for Best Steak on the Shore, so they served little steak sandwiches, plus one-bite carrot cakes.
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• Harbour Lights, in St. Michaels, won for Best Chef on the Shore. Winner David Hayes was there, offering corn and crab fritters.
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• Fisherman's Inn, in Grasonville, winner of multiple categories (Classic Shore Dishes, Crabcake, and Seafood), offered up both a calamari salad and shrimp and grits. The shrimp happened to be my first tasting, and I was starving, but it was top-notch.
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• O'Learys, in Eastport, won for Best Seafood. Surprisingly, they chose to serve land-based fare, but it was a delicious creamy mushrooms and escargot dish. I really thought that was courageous, considering how many inexperienced eaters might shy away from escargot. However, I loved it.
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