Restaurant news and culinary trends throughout the Chesapeake Bay region
July boasts Independence Day, barbecue, crushes, and crab feasts. This year we’re going to have to practice our crab picking because there are two new crab houses opening near us! Plus, we offer alternatives to classic orange crushes, intel about more new restaurants to the area, and D.C.’s first ever Veg Restaurant Week.
On the Restaurant Scene...
Annapolis Town Center is expanding with a new restaurant, Urbano Mexican Fare. The restaurant was welcomed to the 5,000-square-foot space with a Cinco de Mayo-themed street party on May 7th, which benefitted the nonprofit Feed It Forward D.C. Urbano has a contemporary design inspired by downtown Mexico City and will offer brunch, small plates, desserts, and cocktails. The plan is to be fully-open by early 2023. Find more information at annapolistowncenter.com.
In February, Good Neighbors Group, a nonprofit in Severna Park, wrapped up its fifth S(o)uper Bowl Food Drive and, from the Thursday before the Super Bowl to its conclusion on February 13th, they collected almost 16,000 items to donate to food pantries. The event was able to help restock four pantries in the area and draw the community’s attention to the need for donations. The pantries that benefitted were SPAN, ACAN, My Brother’s Pantry, and the Anne Arundel County Food Bank. Since the event’s inception, the S(o)uper Bowl drive has collected approximately 53,900 items. Donate to the food pantries and get involved with community food drives!
A new crab house has opened in Washington, D.C. Chesapeake opened in May, just in time for Washingtonians to start the summer with an open-air crab shack and crush bar. Chesapeake is owned by Daniel Kramer, who also owns three Duke’s gastropubs and U Street Korean barbecue Gogi Yogi, all in D.C. They keep it classic when it comes to crabs, offering steamed crabs to be eaten on paper-covered tables, but get adventurous when it comes to experimenting with fruits and spirits at their crush bar.
Washington, D.C., saw the first ever Veg Restaurant Week in early May. The week-long event celebrated eating clean and promoted healthy and climate-friendly eating choices by focusing on vegan restaurants and dishes. Restaurant Weeks are great ways for cities to boost local economies and to, most importantly, support many local restaurants, which have been hit hard and are still recovering from the pandemic. The event also celebrated the one year anniversary of D.C. passing the Greed Food Purchasing Act, which restructures the purchasing practices in the city to reduce food-related greenhouse gas emissions. This will reduce the gas emissions by 25 percent by 2030.
Having mourned the closing of the original Phillips Crab House in Ocean City for more than a year, we’ve been eagerly awaiting word on the future of the iconic building on 21st Street. It was announced that Union Chesapeake Seafood House will be taking over the property. The main floor will be a full-service restaurant and crab house specializing in the finest seafood Maryland has to offer, while the second floor will feature an all-you-can-eat seafood, prime rib, and blue crab buffet. Union Chesapeake Seafood House also owns Fast Eddies in the Ocean City Square Shopping Center on 120th Street, bayside.
Looking for the charm of a tiki bar, fresh ingredients, beautiful potent cocktails, and those classic tropical vibes? Easton has the place for you. Tiger Lily recently opened on Washington Street and has a menu of sophisticated dishes that most tiki bars lack. This restaurant describes the cuisine as vegan to Asian fusion to Latin American flavors. I dare you to say you can’t find something on this menu! Find the full menu and hours on their website: tigerlilyeaston.com.
Shop Local Produce...
July is one of the prime months to support our local farmers and buy produce from stands and farmers markets. They are located all over and have the freshest, most flavorful fruits and vegetables, all grown in Maryland soil. Make sure to check websites and Facebook pages for updates, specific times, and available produce and goods! Here’s a quick list of farmers’ markets to get you started:
Anne Arundel County (Annapolis): 275 Truman Parkway; Sundays 10 a.m.–1 p.m. Bowie: Bowie High School Parking Lot; Sundays 8 a.m.–noon Camden Avenue (Salisbury): 1401 Camden Avenue; Tuesdays 2:30–6 p.m. Centreville: Centreville Plaza, Railroad Avenue; Sundays 9 a.m.–noon Chestertown: N. Liberty Street and Lawyers Row; Sundays 9 a.m.–noon Crofton: 1691 Crofton Parkway; Wednesdays 4–7 p.m. Easton: 100 North Harrison Street; Saturdays 8 a.m.–1 p.m. Kent Island: Cult Classic Brewing Company; Thursdays 3:30–6:30 p.m. Piney Orchard: Winding Stream Way; Wednesdays 2–6:30 p.m. Salisbury Shore: 221 E. Market Street; Saturdays 8 a.m.–noon Severna Park: Richie Highway & Jones Station Road; Saturdays 8 a.m.–noon St. Michaels: 206 N. Talbot Street; Saturdays 8:30–11:30 a.m. Riverdale Park: 6220 Rhode Island Avenue; Thursdays 3–6 p.m.
Drink Up...
With Summer here, one of the most popular drinks in Maryland is the Orange Crush. There are many variations of the classic crush, from grapefruit- to bourbon- to, even, coconut rum-based. Though we think of crushes and mimosas as the go-to orange juice drink, there are plenty of delicious cocktails that highlight this refreshing juice.
Endless Summer Punch
Ingredients
- 1 part Cruzan Pineapple Rum
- 1 part Cruzan Aged Dark Rum
- 1 part Cruzan Coconut Rum
- 2 parts Orange Juice
- 2 parks Lemonade
- Pineapple Wedge or Orange Slice to garnish
Instructions
Combine ingredients in a glass over ice and stir. Garnish with a pineapple wedge or orange slice. Or, for an easy group serve, simply multiply the parts by the number of people you are serving and combine in a pitcher.
Photo and recipe courtesy of Cruzan Rum
Eastern Sour
Ingredients
- 2 ounces Patrón Añejo
- 2.5 ounces fresh Orange Juice
- .75 ounces fresh Lemon Juice
- .25 ounces Orgeat syrup
- .25 ounces Simple Syrup
- Lemon Peel and Orange
- Peel for garnish
Instructions
Combine all ingredients in a shaker with crushed ice. Pour into a double old-fashioned glass or short-stemmed goblet. Garnish with lemon peel and orange peel
Photo and recipe courtesy of Parton Tequila
