Food & Dining

Best Pizza (too close to call): Ava's Pizzeria & Wine Bar
409 S. Talbot St. • St. Michaels • 410-745-3081

The wood-fired specialty pizzas that Chef Chris Fazio and Owner Chris Agharabi push in their sleek establishment are refined, ambitious, and made from high-quality ingredients. In short, these pies do not require their creators to launch an ad campaign promising to start making good food (I’m looking at you, Domino’s). Add in a wine and beer list that’s among the best on the Shore, a bar space that’s lively on most nights, and a menu that doesn’t stop with Fazio’s handmade pies, and it’s no wonder that Ava’s has become one of the area’s most popular destinations.

Procolino Pizza & Italian
711 Washington Ave. Ste. 9 • Chestertown • 410-778-5900

Squisito Pizza & Pasta
2126 DiDonato Dr. • Chester • 410-604-2123

Best Deli Sandwiches: Love Point Deli Wine & Spirits
109 Main St. • Stevensville • 410-604-2447

To paraphrase celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck, too few people understand the art of a great sandwich. Not so at Love Point Deli, where owner Mitchell Andrews slings sandwiches using Boar’s Head brand meats and cheeses, along with homemade pasta salads and cheese spreads, all of which stand toe to toe with deli fare in New York City, Baltimore, and any other place that has mastered the elusive art of the sandwich.

You can’t expect anyone donning authentic Scottish garb to serve you ice cream at Baskin-Robbins. At Oxford’s Scottish Highland Creamery, proprietor Victor Barlow does this daily, making for a family-friendly atmosphere that rivals the quality of his homemade ice cream. At age 15 in Edinburgh, Scotland, Barlow began working at an ice cream parlor, becoming its first non-family employee and learning recipes that dated back to 1907. Barlow and his wife, Susan, use local ingredients to concoct more than 600 different flavors.

Best Bakery (too close to call): Peace of Cake
314 Love Point Rd. • Stevensville • 410-604-0355

Whether for a special occasion or a just-because dessert treat, family-owned Peace of Cake is a Kent Island favorite for delectable baked goods big and small. Stop in before or after crossing the Bay Bridge for a cupcake, or make an appointment to have a real pro design the wedding cake you’ve always imagined. Peace! (Also winner of Best Dessert)

Village Bakery & Café
849 Washington Ave. • Chestertown • 410-810-1081 1553 Postal Rd. • Chester • 410-643-4092

Best Farmers' Market: Easton Farmers' Market
Harrison Street Public Parking Lot • Easton • 410-820-8822

Thanks to the locavore movement, people everywhere are flocking to farmers’ markets to fill their kitchens with organic, free range, and seasonal produce and meats. The voters’ runaway favorite, Easton’s market—held in the Harrison Street Public Parking Lot on Saturdays (also on Wednesdays starting June 30) from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.—proffers ingredients ranging from artisanal cheeses and yogurts from Chapel’s Country Creamery to locally raised bison from SB Farms, with Homestead and Davon Crest farms selling organic produce that puts the overpriced, megafarm products at Whole Foods to shame. All that, plus it offers live music, crafters, and vendors.

Best Cream of Crab Soup: Legal Spirits Tavern
42 E. Dover St. • Easton • 410-820-0765

Of all the winners on this list of bests, it’s possible that none has a reputation stretching farther from the Chesapeake region than the “Shore Boys” cream of crab soup served at Legal Spirits. It has a starring role at the Waterfowl Festival each year, when festivalgoers gush over the soup’s sherry-infused, lump-crab-loaded flavor as they stroll the streets of Easton’s historic district. But it’s also been touted in the Boston Globe, Southern Living, and Newsday, and is shipped nationwide through Shoreboys.com.

Best Wine List (too close to call):
Rustico Restaurant & Wine Bar (pictured)

Having opened in downtown Stevensville in December of 2007, Rustico is no longer the new restaurant on the block. Here, Chef Gino Romano introduces Bay-area diners to traditional southern Italian cuisine and Napoli specialties, while the 200-bottle-strong wine list complements the experience in a rustic, historic space. The wine bar, which offers diners a more casual alternative, is also a place to unwind while sampling from the tasting menu or to enjoy a drink before or after dinner. (Also winner of Best Dessert)

208 Talbot Restaurant

Best Kept Secret:
Clearview at Horn's Point (pictured)

We suspect that the gorgeous sunset views over the Choptank River and delicate menu of Chef Mark Stafford are a secret to folks who don’t realize that Clearview at Horn’s Point is open to the public. If you’re still on the outside of this secret, stop in Mondays through Fridays between 3 and 7 p.m. for happy hour, when Choptank Sweets—those robust, meaty oysters with a rich, creamy texture—are a dollar a pop, appetizerss are half price, draft beers are $2, and selected bottles of wine are 30 percent off. (Also winner of Best Happy Hour)

Harry’s at the Goldsborough House