Photography by Tony Lewis, Jr.
Harvest Thyme Modern Kitchen & Tavern and its owners, Rik and Pam Squillari, have reached an industry peak of which many restaurateurs would be enviable—that of an unassuming restaurant surpassing the five-year mark in business (it stands at seven now) and building a loyal following of discerning diners. This magical, little culinary oasis resides away from the bustle of touristy Downtown Annapolis or D.C.—enough so, that by the time you arrive to its Davidsonville location straddling the Anne Arundel and Prince George’s county line, you’ll be hungry and wholly eager for the Harvest Thyme experience. And it is an epicurean experience.
Bonus: it’s not pretentious, nor stuffy. The entire atmosphere lives up to the tavern moniker and feels relaxing, but with that “special kind of place” aura. After a country drive from Crownsville along back roads that bob along the Patuxent watershed to the small business complex on Central Avenue in which Harvest Thyme resides, my wife and I were warmly greeted by the evening’s hostess and settled into cozy booth seating.
I observed the room, glancing toward the left where a well-curated bar is situated. Indeed, curated may be the adjective du jour, as the restaurant boasts floor-to-ceiling wine shelving built into much of the wall space that surrounds the dining area. Clearly, ownership knows their vino. Even the partition separating our booth and front-of-house featured display bottles of carefully chosen whiskies tucked within it. I overheard the hostess respond to another diner’s inquiry about one such bottle: “We were able to procure only two cases of the reserve anniversary bottles.” I believe this was in reference to a particular Woodford whiskey.
And like those beautiful bottles of whiskey and hundreds of wines on display, the entire room is dominated by earth tones, wooden furniture, grainy finishes, and such. Beyond a collection of dining tables is the open kitchen, where a fleet of cooks scurry into action with every order. Central to this activity is the woodfire pizza oven from which signature pies emerge piping hot and crisp.
All of this hints at what’s on the menu.
As early-bird diners on a calm Wednesday evening, we enjoyed on-point attention from the hostess to our server, Alyssa, and several food and bus runners. The beverage menu is lengthy and covers all bases. A fine selection of wines by the glass as well as bottles from the old world and new dominates (many varietals covered). But do take note of the specialty cocktails—each a harmony of fresh ingredients and top shelf liquors. There are several equally creative mocktails on this menu. And the beer list has a collection that covers each taste. I chose an Ayinger pilsner because…well, the Germans make excellent beer. And it would pair well with the chosen courses to come. Serving the beer in a goblet versus a traditional pilsner glass was interesting, and actually accentuated its brightness. My wife enjoyed freshly brewed iced tea.
Photography by Tony Lewis, Jr.
We were careful to select introductions that wouldn’t overfill. Thus, we chose the Steamed Mussels for an appetizer, along with a Panzanella Salad (the smaller portion of two size options). Both dishes hit the expected notes perfectly. A catch of mussels was nestled in a shallow bowlful of garlic broth, in which slivers of red onion, tomato, and Italian sausage also resided. Cuts of crostini rested on the bowl’s edge, fit for mopping up this bath of morsels. Absolutely delicious. The salad mixed very fresh bib lettuce and field greens with capers, small house-made croutons, tomatoes, and crumbles of goat cheese—all dressed with a red wine vinaigrette that punctuated the entire offering with zing. This small plate proved a spot-on, shareable accessory to the mussels, as we alternated bites of both dishes, then felt ready to tackle our main courses.
My better half opted for an entrée chosen from the evening’s list of specials—Lobster Ravioli with lumps of blue crab enveloped in a scampi-style sauce. And I, the Lemon and Herb Chicken, accompanied by a mushroom risotto and sauteed spinach. For a kicker on top, so to speak, we ordered a stand-alone crabcake just to get Harvest Thyme’s take on this locals’ favorite.
I found the chicken—an airline breast with attached drum—to have the very desirable caramelized crispy skin, likely achieved from an expert with the sauté pan, and proper doneness, likely from finishing in the oven. Topped with sauteed mushrooms, each bite of chicken was cherished. The side of risotto was spot on and had the right mouthfeel. It was delicious. The spinach balanced the plate and tasted at home with the mushrooms.
Lobster ravioli has become a popular dish at many Italian and seafood restaurants in the past quarter-century. What separates Harvest Thyme’s is love. The ravioli had that distinct house-made taste and feel. The feel of made-from-scratch pasta. Each square was stuffed with sweet meat and the sauce lent a rich, buttery finish to the dish. No wonder that nary a bite was left on the plate.
Photography by Tony Lewis, Jr.
And the crabcake? A backfin beauty! Though we forked into a couple jumbo lumps of meat, we found the composition favored backfin. The ingredient list of this crabcake was short—as it should be. The crab meat shined. A dusting of seafood seasoning and maybe a few flakes of parsley, along with a light binder (some mayo and egg, perhaps) made their way into this no-filler patty. The accompanying tartar sauce was delivered on the side and was clearly a homemade effort, dill dominant, and had a consistency akin to white sauces you may typically find on southern menus. This micro-dish was a homerun.
Having hit all the savory notes one could wish for and truly feeling satiated, we couldn’t bring ourselves to stuff in dessert. Though we did peruse the menu. The sweet offerings are plentiful and elevated; there’s an apple pie concoction a la mode, chocolate cake in several forms, cheesecake, a peanut butter pie, sorbets, gelato, and liqueurs for the appropriate digestif.
Tempting as all of these were, we ordered two pizzas to-go (oh yes, we did!)—the Woodcutter featuring a smattering of meats and mushrooms, and a simple Cheese (aka white pizza). Both being a roundabout way to sample another section of the menu by claim of “feeding the kids at home” (true, they were home and, true, they/we devoured the pizza the night after).
Of the all the dishes, drinks, and desserts you’ll find at Harvest Thyme—which includes cuts of prime steak, fresh seafood, chops, and homemade pastas—I’m certain you’ll be able to cobble together a meal plan that suits your tastes, time and again. The Harvest Thyme experience is worth repeating—the Squillaris will thank you.
Harvest Thyme Modern Kitchen & Tavern; 1251 W. Central Avenue, Davidsonville; 443-203-6846 | harvestthymetavern.com
