Photography by Stephen Buchanan
Photography by Stephen Buchanan
We were genuinely charmed by the destination-worthy setting for Harper’s Waterfront with water surrounding on three sides. Relatively close to the retail buzz along Edgewater’s Route 2 but feeling almost as if we’d taken a trek to the Eastern Shore, the Turkey Point Marina area is a picturesque, thoroughly nautical locale. The building that Harper’s occupies features fresh, inviting architecture with plentiful parking and outdoors decks along two sides of its second-floor location (there’s an elevator). A comfortable dining room with contemporary decor in varying shades of gray and upholstered chairs evokes both elegant and casual vibes.
Since 1984, Harper’s has been a marina and yacht club at the end of Turkey Point Road where Selby Bay and Ramsay Lake enter the South River. When Todd Harper purchased it, he always had a vision of a restaurant on the second floor. After the building served as an office and an apartment for many years, Harper’s refined eatery dream came to fruition in 2023 with close attention to details. Folks living in Edgewater express excitement to have such a dining experience in the neighborhood, which is a bit removed from the bustle of Annapolis—refreshing.
The wine and cocktails list is fun, with a wonderful surprise; several wines by the glass near and even under the $10 mark. That’s a rare sight these days anywhere, let alone in a waterfront restaurant that aims to be the premier steak and seafood restaurant in the Chesapeake Bay area. My friend was pleased to find an oak aged Chardonnay—also increasingly rare. The Bread & Butter Oak Matured Chardonnay from California was creamy and fruity at once, with a blend of grapes from both Sonoma and Monterey counties. The crafted cocktails menu offers four selections, while the beer offerings are substantial.
There’s a modest but pleasing “Morsels and Tidbits” starter menu…and judging from the tables nearby, the items are presented with care. But we were feeling creative and opted to split the Softshell Crab BLT from the “Handheld” menu as one of our appetizers. Who could resist a softshell crab BLT? This one was a new spin on an old favorite—a deep fried softshell crab in tempura batter with Old Bay remoulade served on sourdough bread with a pile of tempting fries, which we resisted finishing to save room for our entrees.
My friend chose the 8-ounce petite filet that comes with mashed potatoes and a choice of two sides from options that included several potato variations, mac and cheese, spinach, corn, and our picks for the evening, fresh asparagus and bourbon mushrooms. The prime beef selection was not easy as there are several terrific sounding options including two Wagyu cuts from a Western Montana ranch owned by Harper’s brother. Elsewhere on the menu (with seasonal changes) are meats like pork ribeye, fried chicken, a terrific sounding burger with a blend of chuck and brisket (with bacon and a fried egg on top!). Plus, of course, seafood like Jumbo Lump Crabcakes, Cedar Plank Salmon, Coconut Shrimp, and Rockfish Tacos.
Photography by Stephen Buchanan
The petite filet was immediately declared to be “swoon worthy.” It was impressive visually with colorful microgreens, an edible flower, and asparagus spears lightly cooked to retain their bright color and crispness. A sizeable side of delicious mushrooms was nicely infused with just the right hint of bourbon. Ordered medium, the petite filet was exactly right and truly “fork tender.”
We happened to visit during “Locals Night,” which has become a popular concept in the restaurant world. On the slower nights you can bring in folks living nearby for a prix fixe three-course meal at a value price. From the two soups and two salads offered as a first course, I chose the asparagus soup with crab. A dramatic deep bowl held the velvet green soup and was drizzled with a sweet soy which gave the dish an unusual character with plentiful, lumps of backfin crab meat. The second of three courses was a choice between three entrees: shredded beef quesadilla, flash-fried blue catfish, or a single crabcake. Of course, it was crabcake for me, as I was very interested in trying their rendition of this Chesapeake classic. The colorful plate arrived beautifully arranged. Harper’s goes for visual dining as well as flavorful. The broiled crabcake was a decent size and low on filler with lots of lump crab meat. A drizzle of citrus-sweetened hollandaise sauce zigzagged the plate with a smattering of micro greens on top. The fresh asparagus were nicely cooked and the side of whipped potatoes, rich and fluffy. To give extra color to the plate, a small corn and jalapeno salad rounded out the platter. I must say that the spiciness of the jalapeno overshadowed the corn.
Desserts are made in-house with extra finesse by Harper’s own pastry chef. I became alert to a banana ice cream sandwich sailing by to another diner. It looked immense, enough for two to share, with banana bread sandwiching an ice cream layer. There was half a banana on the side, all covered with a gooey sauce. My “Locals Special” included a choice between two desserts, and we, actually, chose the crème brûlée. The dessert was quintessential with a crackly, sugary crust garnished with fresh berries and a dusting of powdered sugar. It was the perfectly sized sweet treat after our indulgent meal. Deserving of a nod as well—a good cup of fresh decaf coffee to top off our feast.
Harper’s Waterfront Restaurant 1107 Turkey Point Road, Edgewater | 410-798-8338 | harperswaterfront.com
Rita Calvert has close to three decades in the food, media production, marketing, and public relations fields. She has created myriad programs, events, cooking sessions on national television for corporations, the stage for cookbooks, and founded the original Annapolis School of Cooking.
