Restaurant Showcase

Oysters are now “R”-less

You grew up with the notion that oysters were only edible in months with an “R” in them – September through April. In Maryland and Virginia, watermen can legally harvest oysters in the wild generally between October and March, so that old adage holds true for those wild-caught oysters. Farm-raised oysters, on the other hand, are plump and delicious to eat every month of the year.
All the oysters in the Chesapeake Bay – in fact, all the oysters growing all along the East Coast and around into the Gulf of Mexico, are the same species: the eastern oyster, or Crassostrea virginica. These oysters, like humans, are diploid, in other words, each of their cells contains two sets of chromosomes, one from each parent.
If you look at the eastern oyster’s life cycle, as the water temperature rises, the oyster’s body begins to change as it prepares to spawn. Most of its energy goes into producing gametes – eggs or sperm. It becomes less opaque and more translucent. The thought of eating a spawning oyster packed with gametes is as distasteful as is its taste and texture: acidic and watery.
Farm-raised oysters have been modified so that their cells contain not two, but three sets of chromosomes, which results in an oyster that doesn’t procreate. That means it doesn’t go into the annual cycle of transforming itself to produce gametes. This educated oyster uses the energy it doesn’t waste producing eggs or sperm to grow to the three-inch harvestable size faster than natural oysters – in as little as 18 – 24 months, as opposed to at least three years for the natural oyster.
Unlike farm-raised fish, which grow in enclosed pens with processed feed, oysters grow in cages in open water, either floating on the surface or sitting on the bottom of coves and creeks. They feed on the algae that naturally flows with the currents, just like oysters in the wild.
Wild-harvested oysters tend to grow in clumps, or “cultches,” and can come in any sort of shape and size. Because farm-raised oysters are given all the room they need as the grow, their shape is more routinely oval, making them ideal for serving on the half-shell.
But the biggest advantage is that these farm-raised oysters are deliciously edible all year round, even during the warmer months without the “R.” Many of the restaurants on the following pages offer these special oysters, often grown in different rivers and creeks around the Bay, each with its own subtly distinctive salty tang or succulence – what oyster aficionados refer to as their “Bay-oire.” Be sure to order your own freshly-shucked taste-able tour of the Chesapeake the next time you dine at one of them.

Maryland

Fisherman’s Inn

Fisherman’s Inn is an Eastern Shore landmark since 1930 serves the area’s best seafood to include award-winning crab cakes, fish, oysters, scallops, shrimp, and clams as well as steaks and slow roasted prime rib. The menu also offers homemade soups, specialty salads, appetizers, sandwiches, light fare, gluten free items and daily chef specials. It is also the home of the Nauti Mermaid Bar with seven flat screen TVs, a full menu and signature cocktails. Enjoy the overhead “G” scale train and the largest collection of oyster plates on the Eastern Shore with over 300 displayed throughout. We welcome large parties and offer private rooms for up to 80 people. Fisherman’s Inn serves lunch and dinner year round from 11AM.
Fisherman’s Crab Deck is open mid-April through late October for lunch and dinner daily starting from 11AM. The steamed crabs are spicy and fat; the drinks refreshing and the sunsets spectacular. All the fish, shrimp, scallops and clams are steamed, grilled or fried and served in a relaxed but exciting tropical atmosphere. The restaurant is open on all sides right at the water’s edge. Try a fresh squeezed Orange Crush, Margarita or Pina Colada at our large, open air bar.
Free Dockage at our pier while dining for both restaurants.

Jimmy Cantler’s Riverside Inn

Tucked at the end of a quiet subdivision in Annapolis sits what used to be a single-family summer home and now serves some of the best crabs in the region.

The house,which sits waterfront along Mill Creek, was converted to a bar /restaurant in the early 1940s and quickly became a local hangout for watermen and their neighbors.
Cantler’s has been recognized nationally as a must visit seafood spot in the region, and was featured on The Travel Channel show Food Paradise. Local seafood on the menu includes Chesapeake blue crabs, local oysters, and rockfish. Non-seafood items such as steak, prime rib, fried chicken and hamburgers are also available.

Cantler’s matches its menus to the season. In the summer, that means soft crab specials —the eatery’s soft-shell crabs come fresh from the tank on the dock at the restaurant. In fall, rockfish and oysters are menu staples. The focus is on locally sourced seafood and vegetables like Eastern Shore corn, tomatoes and asparagus. Cantler’s uses only fresh Maryland crab meat in all crab dishes—including a family recipe for crab imperial.

Carrol’s Creek Cafe

Since 1983, Carrol’s Creek Cafe and the Jacobs family have been serving fine food and drinks on the shore of Spa Creek in Annapolis. Offering something for everyone’s taste, Carrol’s Creek cafe serves fine food featuring fresh local seafood, grilled fish, steaks, chops, soups and much more.
Carrol’s Creek brings you a new American tradition of dining that is founded in the time-honored heritage of a colonial town rich with seafood, culture, and style. We also offer an eclectic and versatile collection of wines. Relax and enjoy a wine, beer, or cocktail in our lounge and bar area. We also offer banquet accommodations and catering in glass-enclosed and private rooms available for lunch and dinners, each with a view of the harbor.
From our historic location that overlooks the waters of Maryland’s capital, Carrol’s Creek offers the riches of the bay and the land in a new American style of cooking that emphasizes flavor and innovation. Your table awaits! Don’t hesitate to call us or make a reservation online. Complimentary parking available for 2.5 hours while dining.

Galway Bay Irish Pub & Whiskey Bar

You don’t have to cross an ocean to enjoy the craic, cuisine and hospitality of Ireland. Just follow the sound of Irish music to Maryland Avenue in Historic Annapolis — a short walk from Annapolis City Dock. Corned Beef Flatbread, Shepherd’s Pie, and Fish & Chips represent a sampling of Irish tastes, with Galway’s Dexter Burger and Roasted Chicken being local favorites.
The dark mahogany Whiskey Bar, built by Irish artisans, is perfect for a quiet drink with friends or to talk whiskey with bartenders. Its highlight is a Teeling 29-year Single Malt 46%, bottle #61 of 100 made for the U.S. This one-ounce pour runs $200, but no worries. Tasters have dozens of satisfying, affordable choices among Maryland’s largest selection of Irish Whiskeys (and possibly one of the largest in the United States). Check out Sunday Brunch and Galway’s Happy Hour as well.

Pirates Cove Seafood Restaurant & Dock Bar

Searching the Chesapeake for crabcakes and cocktails? Head south of the Bay Bridge to Pirates Cove Dock Bar on Maryland’s Western Shore. This year, a bright canopy of pink, blue, yellow and green umbrellas add to a tropical theme, providing shade for enjoying live music and seafood classics by the river.
The Maryland Crabcake (voted Best Crabcake by Bay Weekly readers, 2018) is a crowd-pleaser. Chef Steve Hardison’s secret? As few ingredients as possible, allowing the sweetness of Maryland’s beloved Blue Crab to shine. That simplicity is the basis of all his recipes, from salmon, to meatloaf, to oysters, to sandwiches. Hardison was voted Maryland’s Best Chef by Chesapeake Bay Magazine readers in 2020.
Bartenders, too, are muddling and mixing crushes and cocktails. The newest include Jack Smash (Jack Daniels, lemon, mint, simple syrup), Chai Key Lime (key lime rum cream with chai tea), and a gluten-free Hopetown Lime Paloma.
Visit by land or water for lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch.

Virginia

Dredge

Dredge in Irvington, Virginia serves up local oysters and seafood straight from the boat. Fresh soft-shell crabs are dropped off by a local seafood provider for dishes like Dredge’s soft crab bites or soft crab tacos.
“A lot of local customers are watermen who come to eat the different seafood specials that we create each week,” says owner Bryan Byrd. “We make sure we are pleasing those with the knowledge of where our seafood comes from, who caught it, and how it should be cooked.”
Local strawberries freshly picked are added to the strawberry shortcake on the spring menu.
Touting a boat- and farm-to-table approach, the restaurant raises its own grass-fed cattle, pigs and chickens at family owned Black Sheep Farm. Chef Byrd has more than 20 years of culinary experience. Five years spent cooking in Key West influences his style of cooking and menu choices. Besides seafood, items found on the menu at Dredge include Jerk chicken, Cuban pork, tacos, burgers with a Caribbean, Cajun and Asian influence. “We are always evolving in the kitchen and basically I come up with my specials with what is available during the season,” Byrd says.

The Deadrise

You’ll likely see more than water views while dining at The Deadrise in Hampton Roads, Va. A classic Chesapeake Bay fish house, The Deadrise is the place to spot dolphins and whales
Set in a historic 400-year-old fort surrounded by a moat, The Deadrise offers boaters with a well-protected marina where the James River meets the Bay. The marina features deep water, quick access to the open water, floating slips and free docking while dining.
The menu focuses on fresh, local seafood. The locals love the big fish sandwich, seafood burrito, crabcakes and seafood baskets. The owners of The Deadrise, the Tidewater Restaurant Group, have brought their flair for creating unique eateries to the entire Hampton Roads area.

Fuller’s Raw Bar

El Diablo Loco Cantina & Tequila Bar

Every Wednesday is half-price Margarita Day at this trendy cantina in Phoebus, Va. On top of a menu of nearly a dozen tequila-based cocktails, you can also choose fruity jarritos, cervesas – both “gringo” and “Latino” style – and literally scores of tequilas and mezcals. The dinner menu features authentic creations influenced by food cultures from Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, including tacos, quesadillas, enchiladas and burritos stuffed with chicken, beef, shrimp or blackened fish. One fan particularly likes the “excellent” chile relleno with Casio cheese.

Kismet

This American Bistro at 99 Main in Newport News, Va., features casual dining in a relaxed modern atmosphere, whether in their spacious dining room or on
the patio.
The menu focuses on fresh, locally sourced ingredients. They offer different modestly-priced specials almost every night, from gourmet brick-oven pizzas to seafood entrees to prime rib. Regulars recommend an appetizer of deviled eggs with arugula and buttermilk dressing and the scrumptious bread pudding for dessert.