Photography by Bill Whaley
Photography by Bill Whaley
Location, location, location” is a real estate slogan, but I am going to apply it here to describe Dock House, a restaurant perfectly situated to showcase a panoramic view of the waterway and the Kent Narrows Bridge.
The ambiance begins curbside with striking black and white photos lining the land side of the restaurant giving you a nostalgic glimpse of old Kent Narrows and continues inside with a thoughtful blue/gray color scheme and touches of nautical decor.
The planning that went into both the building and the interior design is obvious. Dock House is big, around six thousand square feet with five hundred and one seats available for dining, but the overall effect is spacious not cavernous. The use of big picture windows allows maximum enjoyment of the scenery. There is a patio, enclosed at this visit because mother nature was showing off with a cold blustery wind, and a wrap around the deck. The deck is quiet tonight, but one can only imagine the scene in warmer weather, the kaleidoscope of colors as summer clad guests enjoys that undefinable umami flavor that comes from dining by the water.
Our server Kat (more about her later) was a wealth of information. I wanted to know when Dock House opened, two thousand and twenty-two, and who was involved in the conception. Kat rattled off a few names: Jody Schulz, Justin Kiernan, and Ron Kirstien, names readily associated with the vibrant restaurant scene at Kent Narrows.
Two friends joined me for dinner at Dock House, both of whom enjoy good food and were up for the adventure.
We chose to sit on the enclosed patio to make the most of the view and we were not disappointed. The Kent Narrows Bridge, which I had never viewed from this perspective, is quite beautiful (to me it looked a bit like a Roman aqueduct) and soars gracefully over the waterway. It was a quiet night on the water, its mirror like stillness allowing us to hear the gentle lapping against the bulkhead.
We were extremely fortunate to have Kat as our waitress, who was both knowledgeable and patient. I say patient because my friends and I were giddy with anticipation as our eyes raced up and down the menu. And if the menu was not enough, we were given a separate listing of daily specials with a very reasonable price point (under twenty dollars). Choosing was going to be hard. Kat took our drink orders to allow us a little more time to suss out the menu. I was pleased to see a nice selection of single glass wines starting at a reasonable seven dollars. My friend ordered a Matua Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, a good choice to pair with seafood entrees. Cocktails, mocktails, and beer rounded out the beverage offerings.
After much deliberation we decided to share two appetizers, Steamed Mussels with Marinara sauce and Docks Popcorn. The popcorn dish needs explanation—bits of fried rockfish, shrimp, and calamari were served with Fisher’s popcorn sprinkled with Old Bay seasoning and served in a red and white striped container that spilled out onto its tray like a cornucopia from the sea. I am not one of those people who believes Old Bay belongs on everything, but this was delicious. I found my hand repeatedly sneaking across the table to have just “another bite.” It was accompanied by a garlic mayo (aioli) that was outstanding. A fun and delicious start to dinner.
Next, we had the steamed mussels in a chunky, slightly sweet tomato sauce accompanied by a chunk of bread for sauce mopping. Those disappeared quickly.
Photography by Bill Whaley
We relied on Kat again in choosing entrees. She said we couldn’t go wrong with the local favorites and there were some new items on the menu that were gaining popularity.
One of my friends chose Halibut Tacos from the favorite’s menu—two tacos bursting with chunks of halibut resting on a bed of slaw and topped with remoulade sauce. Remoulade is a Creole sauce of mustard, mayo, hot sauce, and spices, suggesting the chef has a little New Orleans in his repertoire.
I also chose from the local’s menu, The Dock Burger, a house blend of chuck short rib and brisket served with bacon, Coopers Cheese, and Dock Sauce. This tower of a sandwich should have been enough, but I could not resist the Truffle Tots. Adding elegant Truffles to that childhood staple of Tatertots, was another fun and delicious twist by the chef.
My other friend chose one of the new menu items, Seared Scallops, on a bed of succotash with red pepper Beurre Blanc. Of all of our choices this was perhaps the prettiest presentation, a simple white bowl contained a vibrant red sauce surrounding an island of scallops resting on succotash and finished with a sprinkle of micro greens.
We were all satisfied but did not want to leave without sampling a dessert. Kat informed us that desserts are not made on premises except for Miss Bev’s bread pudding. It was a difficult choice, but we settled on a slice of chocolate torte with whipped cream and strawberry garnish and asked for three spoons. This was definitely a chocoholics dream; a deeply fudgy chocolate rush accompanied each bite.
I asked Kat for a little information on the chef, Sean McCormick, and was surprised that the first thing she said about him was how humble and even keeled he was in the kitchen. She did go on to praise his innovative food, but her comment stuck with me. I was fortunate to snag a few minutes of the chef’s time and learned a little more about his culinary journey. He received his training on the job working with chefs he admired in Baltimore, Annapolis, and D.C. His culinary vision lends itself to coastal cuisine.
As our evening drew to a close, we pushed back from the table thoroughly pleased, sated, and watched the lights from a restaurant across the waterway reflected in the calm water.
Dock House Restaurant, Bar & Dock : 110 Piney Narrow Road, Chester; 443-446-4477; dockhouserestaurant.com
Sharon Harrington is a retired social worker by profession and now, a passionate gourmand/chef in practice, having trained with reputable culinary personalities and institutions, notably: Chef Francois Dinot; L’Académie de Cuisine; the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park; and Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. She currently resides on the Eastern Shore.
