Food With Friends at Knoxie’s Table

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Sharing is what it’s all about at Knoxie’s Table within The Inn at Chesapeake Bay Beach Club in Stevensville. Of course, there are food and drinks to share, but don’t miss a walkabout through the Bay-conscious landscaped grounds or the Queen Anne Garden with produce for the restaurant and herbs for exotic cocktails.

Indoor dining has a subtle ambiance with tawny monochrome colors while the adjoining bar area pops with brightly colored blue chairs and a lively pitch. We were delighted to sit at a choice outdoor table—a fabulous setting for our samplings from Knoxie’s menu section named “Food with Friends.” We were seated under an umbrella with the huge stone fireplace on view along with immense planters filled with rosemary, sage, parsley, and brightly overflowing nasturtiums.

Server Bobby had many local anecdotes about The Inn, which kept us entertained. When I asked if the gardens still provided herbs for the signature cocktails, he said not only for the cocktails, but the food as well.

And about libations, Knoxie’s Table has a massive collection of whiskey, bourbon, rye, Scotch whisky, and Irish whiskey. My post-review call to chat with restaurant manager, Bill Redmond, explained why such a huge whiskey menu! The beverage buyer, John Michael Fromart, works closely with distributors to obtain bottles no one else will be carrying. And yes, those bottles do sell. With a wedding celebration or special event, the party could burn through bottles in a weekend. In addition, Whiskey Wednesdays feature special whiskeys from around the world.

There are eight creative signature cocktails, and every ingredient is edible including flowers from the garden. Sixteen draft beers are offered including the Ballroom Blitz, which is brewed with hops grown at The Inn. It was a hot night, and we knew we’d opt for seafood, so we took a close look at the eight champagne/sparkling options (including two by the glass) and the five rose options. The Hayes Ranch rose was a good choice, balancing crisp strawberry, peach, and citrus notes without losing the dry character we had hoped for. It’s a blend from several California vineyards’ grapes including Grenache and Mourvèdre, aged in steel. The vintner’s wit is apparent in calling it “dangerously drinkable.” Not surprisingly, the domestic and global white and red options were more extensive, and offered several each in popular categories like Cabernet, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Pinot Grigio. Plus, single offerings of Petit Syrah, Moscato, Riesling, and several blends.

And the food? Chef Paul Shiley has been overseeing The Inn since opening six years ago after serving a long period at The Tidewater Inn. He keeps the offerings fresh with Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter menus. Bobby mentioned that Chef Shiley keeps his creative recipes under wraps, and that he will never share his crab cake recipe, which some folks drive two hours to eat. Or the secret to the creaminess of his house-made Champagne Vinaigrette on the Roasted Beet Salad.

Knoxie’s Table offers a hefty menu of starters, including three soups, three salads, and at least ten “Food with Friends” options sized to share, so it’s not easy to decide. In addition to the evening’s regular menu, there were specials like fresh oysters on the half-shell and local rockfish. Think you’ll narrow it down by skipping the calamari because it’s served at so many places? Think twice. This inventive version is a refreshing update! A huge portion of not-overly breaded calamari had a pleasing, crisp crunch with sweet balsamic glaze, along with delightful bits of tempura-fried zucchini and deconstructed caponata—pepperoncini, roasted cherry tomato, and bright green olives—all nestled on a bed of shredded lettuce. Even the creamy, lemony champagne vinaigrette dressing was perfect enough to inquire about its ingredients, but, alas, it’s one of chef’s secrets. 

Roasted Beet Salad was an old favorite, and this was nicely done. Simple beet batons top arugula with quality goat cheese and toasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds). The same delicious dressing appeared here, and we were glad our server quickly retrieved extra for us. The star of this dish, however, was the crabcake that we splurged to add when it was listed as an optional add-on, along with three other choices: seared salmon, grilled shrimp, or chicken. It was entirely lump meat with no noticeable filler—we can’t even guess how it held together. Fear not about ordering the crabcake here; it’s worth every pretty penny to savor this outstanding “done right” recipe.

Ocean-fresh scallops are a favorite and we were delighted with the Seared Scallops. Three large golden crusted scallops sat atop creamy yellow grits, which tasted very corn-like, as if they had been prepared with a corn broth. A corn salad dotted with red and green bell peppers was sprinkled around the scallops and pooled with Cajun Cream. Micro greens perched on top.

The Sesame Crusted Tuna may sound like another “common” offering, but it too had a nice surprise—exceptionally bright, crunchy wakame seaweed salad, with sweet red pepper and carrot slivers for a pretty pop of color. The five unusually large sesame crusted tuna slices made for a generous dish to share, and the coral colored Sriracha aioli had a nice kick to it. Just know the tuna is more “medium” than the customary rare.

As a side dish, we decided to try Roasted Exotic Mushrooms yielding a large portion of baby bellas, oyster, shiitake, and maitake. This would perfectly complement the steak on the entree menu.

For dessert, the Smith Island Coconut Cake. All of the Smith Island cakes are delivered daily to The Inn. Years ago, I had gifted this coconut cake to a couple and that entire cake was devoured in a weekend! The nine-layer cake sandwiched coconut filling between each, while the frosting on the top was a half-inch thick…dense, delicious, and perfect to share forkfuls with friends!

Knoxie’s Table | The Inn at Chesapeake Bay Beach Club | 180 Pier One Road, Stevensville | 443-249-5777 | baybeachclub.com/food-drink/knoxies-table

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.