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Our Favorite Regional Restaurants: Maryland
Check out Southern Living's picks for our top regional restaurants.
   
  Harrison's Chesapeake House

A NOTE TO OUR READERS:

"Our Favorite Regional Restaurants" is from the Favorites 2005 issue of Southern Living.


ANNAPOLIS
  • Carrol's Creek Café (Seafood): 410 Severn Avenue; (410) 263-8102 or www.carrolscreek.com. Go for the best-selling appetizer on the menu--yummy cream of crab soup. Heavy cream, imported sherry, and a blend of herbs and spices serve as a background for chunks of jumbo lump crabmeat. Lunch, dinner, Sunday brunch.
  • O'Learys Seafood Restaurant (Seafood): 310 Third Street; (410) 263-0884 or www.olearys-seafood.com. The only thing better than the atmosphere are the Jumbo Lump Maryland Crab Cakes. Depending on what's fresh, menu items can include mahi mahi from Florida or tuna from North Carolina. Dinner.

    BALTIMORE
  • Bertha's Dining Room and Bar (Seafood): 734 South Broadway; (410) 327-5795 or www.berthas.com. You'll find almost any kind of seafood on the menu, but mussels hold the spotlight. They come with your choice of eight sauces, including plain butter and Lancaster creamy mustard sauce. Lunch, dinner.
  • Blue Sea Grill (Seafood): 614 Water Street; (410) 837-7300 or www.blueseagrill.com. Bathed in soothing ocean blues, the decor sets the stage for a dining experience. The seafood is fresh daily, made even better by sides such as garlic mashed potatoes and lobster macaroni and cheese. Dinner (closed Sunday-Monday).
  • Charleston Restaurant (Contemporary Southern): 1000 Lancaster Street; (410) 332-7373 or www.charlestonrestaurant.com. The cuisine reflects traditions of the South Carolina Lowcountry. Carolina Gold rice, black-eyed peas, and redeye gravy dress entrées that range from shellfish to South Carolina quail. Dinner (closed Sunday).
  • Bo Brooks Restaurant and Crab House (Seafood): 2701 Boston Street; (410) 558-0202 or www.bobrooks.com. Crab lovers flock here to feast on the Chesapeake Bay's bounty. You'll find the best selection from March through September, when the famed blue swimmers are in season. Lunch, dinner.
  • John W. Faidley's Seafood at Lexington Market (Seafood): 400 West Lexington; (410) 727-4898 or www.faidleyscrabcakes.com. This stall in the historic Lexington Market has the best crab cakes in the city. There's no seating, just waist-high tables that diners crowd around to devour the regional specialty. The market opens from 8:"]30 a.m. to 6 p.m Monday-Saturday.
  • Gertrude's (Seafood): 10 Art Museum Drive; (410) 889-3399. In a spacious dining room located within the Baltimore Museum of Art, Chef John Shields creatively interprets traditional Chesapeake fare. The Single-Fry Oysters are wildly popular. In warmer months you can dine in the museum's garden. Lunch, dinner (closed Monday). For information about chef John Shields and Gertrude's, visit www.johnshields.com. For recipes, see Coastal Cooking With John Shields (Broadway Books, $32.50) and Chesapeake Bay Cooking With John Shields (Broadway Books, $29.95). To order cookbooks, visit the Web site, or call (410) 366-5512.
  • Nick's Fish House (Seafood): 2600 Insulator Drive; (410) 347-4123. Choose from oysters, mussels, and steamed crabs as you enjoy views of the Inner Harbor. Rockfish, soft shell crabs, steaks, rack of lamb, and pizza round out the varied menu. Lunch, dinner.

    EASTON
  • The Inn at Easton (Contemporary Southern): 28 South Harrison Street; (410) 822-4910, 1-888-800-8091, or www.theinnateaston.com. A 1790 Federal mansion accommodates this elegant inn and restaurant. The menu marries the best of Maryland's Eastern Shore with flavors from Australia. Recent offerings included Australian Kangaroo, but our favorite was Chesapeake Fried Oysters with semolina crust, red Swiss chard, and spicy butter sauce. Dinner (Wednesday-Sunday).

    OCEAN CITY
  • The Hobbit (Seafood): 81st Street and the Bay; (410) 524-8100 or www.hobbitgifts.com. Two of the most popular items are the crab cake sandwich and the seafood stew. Lunch, dinner.
  • Nebula (Seafood): 9211 Coastal Highway; (410) 524-8090 or www.ocnebula.com. Prepare for phenomenally good. The menu changes regularly, but the chef offers innovative and delicious interpretations of favorites such as Dayboat Scallops, lamb loin, and pork tenderloin. Don?t forget the cheese menu--we long for another taste of the triple cream, French-made Pierre Robert. Dinner.
  • Phillips Crab House and Seafood Festival Buffet (Seafood): 21st Street and Coastal Highway; (410) 289-6821 or www.phillipsoc.com. The Phillips name appears on a number of restaurants along the Maryland coast. This spot boasts the best buffet. Arrive before 5 p.m. and you can save a few dollars on the all-you-can-eat feast. Lunch, dinner.

    ST. MICHAELS
  • Sherwood's Landing at The Inn at Perry Cabin (Contemporary Southern): 308 Watkins Lane; (410) 745-2200 or 1-800-722-2949. Here you can expect sophisticated dining in an elegant manor house resort. Chef Mark Salter offers a creative and eclectic menu that includes many regional ingredients. Breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner.

    TILGHMAN ISLAND
  • Harrison's Chesapeake House (Seafood): 21551 Chesapeake House Drive; (410) 886-2121 or www.chesapeakehouse.com. The Harrison family also owns an oyster shucking business. In season (October-April), fresh oysters go from the bay to the kitchen and into the restaurant's delicious, made-to-order oyster stew. The cooks saute the oysters in a butter-and-salt-and-pepper mix until they curl, then add a milk-and-cream base. Lunch, dinner.

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