98 Cannon Riverfront Grille | 98 Cannon Street, Chestertown | 443-282-0055 | 98cannon.com
The 98 Cannon Riverfront Grille puts together an unbeatable combination. The restaurant has an outstanding river view, great food, and excellent design. Located on the former site of the Fish Whistle, the building underwent a $500,000 renovation. The restaurant, which opened in May of last year, is part of Chestertown’s recently revitalized waterfront.
Chef and co-owner Chris Golder makes the place hum. He prioritizes local seafood and turns out eye-catching dishes, like fish and chips, crab cakes, and several variations of tacos.
Golder has been in the restaurant business for 40 years, including stints as a chef at the Hyatt Regency in Baltimore, on private yachts, and at American Country Club Golf Courses around the nation.
“He has enticed the public with a local flair,” Co-owner Joe Elliott says. “He has elevated casual dining.”
We recently talked to Elliott and Golder—both Chestertown residents—about what makes the restaurant different, its renovation, and its appealing food.
Joe, do you feel the restaurant is one of the most popular on the Shore?
We have a beautiful view. The marina is right here. We have open space to look out and two large decks to dine on outside. I think it’s one of the best places to go and to eat outside for the views.
Why did you open where you did?
We saw an opportunity at this location that could be enhanced. The tenant of the former site didn’t re-sign a lease and we put a group together and went for it. We did a full renovation. With the new marine construction in Chestertown, it was the perfect time to do it. I was happy to deliver it to the town: a new, improved spot to eat on the water.
Was the Chestertown revitalization appealing to you?
Yes, it is a great place. We didn’t do it for the money. If we made money, great. We don’t want to lose money. We did it because we felt the town would enjoy it and appreciate it. I love the town. You have to love the location and believe in the people. I found the right team to help me do it.
Can you talk about design of the new restaurant?
The concept was to open it up, maximize the views, and have one restaurant, instead of a bar and restaurant. That’s how we designed it. I wanted a bar that could serve two sides, be open and see through. So, we took all the walls down that were not supported. We opened up the wall that faces the Chester River that had tiny windows and we installed big ones. And we put a lot of light on the casual dining side.
What do you promote the community?
We promote local foods that we source. We support fulltime, local musicians. We have music once a week. From one musician to a full band. We always try to partner with the town on marketing and fundraising tasks. We donate to charities. We just want people to be proud to go to our restaurant and go because we are a big supporter of our town.
What impresses you about Chef Golder?
He likes to do research of the area and find out what people like and build a dish around it. From crabs to Blue Catfish. He is really creative with dishes. He has been a godsend since day one. He’s been the glue for the whole thing. I really like his work ethic, professionalism, and integrity. He has been unbelievable. He has worked every day since we opened except one.
What is your top selling item?
It would probably be our fish and chips. It’s delicious. We cut all our own fresh cod. Most English pubs do a traditional beer batter. I do a beer batter, then I roll it in Panko right at the last minute. It’s a Japanese bread crumb.
What are some of the other customer favorites?
We have been doing a lot of tacos: fish, shrimp, and smoked brisket. I smoke 40 to 50 pounds of brisket at a time. It usually takes 24 hours. Crab cakes are big sellers, too. We put jumbo lump in it. I am new to the Eastern Shore, and I am doing more of a Baltimore-style crab cake. A lot of places break down the crab meat quite a bit, but I leave the lumps in there. Instead of using all backfin crab meat, we are using a good bit of jumbo lump. We mix the crab meat, then fold in jumbo so it doesn’t break down. We don’t fry them. We pan sear them.
What separates your place from others?
We are in a small community and we are on the water. I have been in the restaurant business since 1980 and, by far, this is one of the first restaurants where I feel more committed to the community than trying to run a restaurant. I know what the locals are looking for. We have a million-dollar view. That’s one key. You can’t cook a meal perfectly 100 percent of the time, but you can definitely smile at a customer 100 percent of the time. We offer good service that is sincere. We want people coming to a place they are happy to be.
Do you source your food locally?
I buy what’s running local and in season. Most of the fish I buy is local. I have been using jumbo rockfish. I get local oysters, Chesapeake Blue Catfish, local beef, local pork, and produce. We buy from local wineries, too.
Crab and Pecan Crusted Chesapeake Rockfish
Two 5–7 oz rockfish filets
Crab and Pecan Crust
- 1/2 cup of Maryland lump crab meat
- 3–4 tsp of chopped toasted pecans
- 1/4 cup of dried breadcrumbs
- 2 Tbsp of melted butter
- 1 tsp of chopped fresh chives
- salt and pepper to taste
Mix all ingredients (you should be able to form a ball, if dry add more butter).
Lemon Beurre Blanc (Butter Sauce)
Part One
- 1 Tbsp chopped shallot
- (or any other white onion)
- 1 tsp black peppercorn
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 sprig of fresh thyme
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 4 oz of dry white wine
Part Two
- 4 oz of unsalted butter
- 1 oz of fresh lemon juice
- salt and white pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients in part one and bring to boil until reduced by half. Remove from the heat and whisk butter into the reduced wine. Strain mixture, add lemon juice, and season with salt and white pepper. Cover and hold in a warm place until ready to serve.
Directions
You can bake or sauté the rockfish filets. Start by pre-heating the oven to 375 degrees. If you prefer to use the baking method, move to the next step. For the best results, I like to lightly dust the filets with seasoned flour and quickly sauté in unsalted butter. Browning on both sides starting with the flesh side for about one minute on each side. Place the filets (skin side down) on a buttered baking dish. Top the filets with the Crab and Pecan Crust and bake for about 6–12 minutes or until an internal temperature of 145 is reached. Serve on your favorite bed of vegetables, rice, or potatoes. Top with the Lemon Beurre Blanc and enjoy.
