How many restaurants can claim to be a shoreline spot to take an out-of-town guest to get the overview of the gem that is the Chesapeake Bay? Hemingway’s, on the eastern side of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, presents itself as a gathering place for doing nothing more than taking in the stunning view of the bridge’s two spans. Aside from the breathtaking views, visitors can enjoy music, share a bite of local seafood, or meet up for a social or business event. The décor is closely aligned with the Chesapeake Bay region, and all of the maritime art, black and white photographs, and tabletop nautical charts are tastefully placed in an airy, bright room with pristine white walls and soaring ceilings, which offer wide open space.
Hemingway’s features an expansive outdoor patio which rocks with live music in the summer, so it’s recommended to make a reservation. The place gets mobbed with boater and beach traffic, but the good news is that car parking is complimentary and allows for a short, picturesque walk to the entrance.
Jill, the hostess at the front who led us through the bar, was excellent as she took extra care to seat us. Pointing out the window exclaiming, “Isn’t this view beautiful? I never tire of it!” She is awaiting the upcoming busy season when boats fill the pier and people gather everywhere. “It’s a great energy,” she says. Hemingway’s attracts both boating and driving diners, a fact our waiter certainly testified to having three tables inside while serving a few on the deck at the same time.
For those wanting wine with character, there are selections in a variety of styles from California, Italy, and even Argentina. The drink menu includes seven creative signature cocktails, featuring concoctions filled with fresh ingredients such as blueberries, watermelon, and cucumber. One cocktail in particular offers a fizzy concoction of refreshing cucumber, lime, and gin. The short draft beer list gave way to a wider list of bottled beers—some go-tos and a few locally-produced.
Although we just missed the weeknight happy hour (oysters on the half shell, rockfish bites, and popcorn shrimp), we found the starters menu inviting. The Seared Ahi Tuna was almost a go, as were some of the raw bar features. For soups, Hemingway’s offers three: cream of crab, vegetable crab, and their signature 50/50—a combination of the vegetable and cream. Seafood Salad Stuffed Avocado sounded divine, as did the Heirloom Tomato Burrata Caprese. This salad goes one step further than the traditional Caprese with fresh mozzarella; Burrata is a soft Italian cow milk mozzarella, housing a center treasure of thicker cream. Alas, we couldn’t resist the Shrimp, Crab, and Avocado Stack, served with tortilla chips. The tall and mighty mango, corn, avocado, shrimp, and crab combo was a fitting appetizer to share. While the seafood stack didn’t major in backfin lumps, there was a nice sampling of chilled shrimp and crab.
Special dining entrées come on their own separate nightly menu, and regular entrées on the main menu. The main dishes offer fish, steak cuts in six-, eight-, or 12-ounces, a few different pasta dishes, and a vegan Jambalaya. There are always takers for hand-helds when you are up for a more casual meal. Hemingway’s offers the obligatory list of the favorites: burgers, crab cake sandwich, turkey club, breaded chicken sandwich—nothing designy, although the Black Bean Burger was an interesting vegan-friendly item and was noted as a customer favorite. Buffalo Shrimp Tacos draw raves from the Southwestern crowd while carrying that over the top popular buffalo spice profile. One vote went for the Shrimp Imperial on the nightly special dinner menu. Seven medium shrimp were plumped full of seasoned golden crab. They were served with ubiquitous Yukon gold mashed potatoes. I usually avoid potatoes, but it was hard to resist a robust mound masked with their skins. Sometimes grilled
vegetables are not cooked well, but the chef perfected the medley in flavor and doneness—al dente. Loving to sample many flavors, I chose the Broiled Seafood Combo: a nice size crab cake (with jumbo lumps and little filler), four medium size scallops, about a three-ounce mahi-mahi filet, and a few medium shrimps. Mashed potatoes and the grilled vegetable combo gave color and texture to the seafood. We learned about substitutions: the restaurant is clear there will be a surcharge for any substitutions. Sure, we were up for a sweet finish! The Key lime pie is a must for those in an island mood, and there is also the famous Smith Island cake as well as a cheesecake of the day. We savored every bite of the deep, sinfully rich, flourless chocolate torte, beautifully presented with drizzles of raspberry and cream, and adorned with a few fresh berries and mint. The decadent slice is a slim one, which is great for a low-carb diet.
It’s a large endeavor to manage such a multifaceted business with a huge, pristine marina, incomparable views, and an impeccably kept restaurant with two dining levels catering to the public and large parties. Kudos to an establishment which can manage to make all of these elements shine. Check their website for the music schedule and bar/happy hour specials.
