The Tides Inn's Chesapeake Club encourages good conversation and provides first-class food.
by Jody Argo Schroath
First
of all, you should know that we came to the Chesapeake Club at the
Tides Inn in Irvington, Va., to talk more than to eat. No, that doesn't
sound right. How about this? We came to the Chesapeake Club for the
conversation rather than the food. No, wait, let me try again. My
friends Dick and Dixie and I picked out the Chesapeake Club at The
Tides Inn in Irvington, Va., as a great place to meet for lunch because
we knew it would be just right for a long conversation, which was what
we wanted to have . . .andbecause we knew the food would be good, the setting elegant and the scenery excellent. Whew, much better.
What
we hadn't counted on, however, was that it would be so comfortable a
place to chat that Tides Inn general manager Gordon Slatford would
eventually have to ask us to leave. Now I personally don't have that
happen very often, and I'm positive Dick and Dixie don't either. But
really it was all done very politely. And then only because a
professional photographer's meter was running and we were keeping him
from getting to work. We didn't take offense, we simply moved across
the lobby to a well chaired alcove and resumed our conversation.
I
don't know why they were taking photos, but I can understand
it--everything about The Tides is photo-genic. The Tides Inn has been
known to several generations of boaters as an elegant stopover on a
trip up or down the Bay or as a destination for a summer cruise. Its
location on Carters Creek off the Rappahannock makes it an easy side
trip for anyone boating in the vicinity. Its marina is spacious and
well equipped and makes an easy pull-in for lunch or dinner . . . and
conversation, of course.
Ordinarily,
the Chesapeake Club--a name that implies comfort, quiet talk and
impeccable service--is open seven days a week for breakfast, lunch and
dinner, but it closes altogether in January and February, so don't run
down there next week. Happily, it was on a sunny Monday in late
September that we met there for lunch and were seated by a window
overlooking the inn's long green lawns and creek. Falling quickly into
conversation--we were talking about the old days of boating on the
Bay--we ordered rather haphazardly. Dick ordered a Reuben sandwich,
because he always orders a Reuben sandwich; Dixie ordered crab
quesadillas with guacamole; and I ordered the crab club sandwich.
By
the time food arrived--and I don't mean to imply that it took a long
time--we were talking about Rock Hall when it was harder to get in and
out of by boat. This meant that the quesadillas and the crab club and
the Reuben all went down without too much concentration on our part.
But they nevertheless went down very well. Nothing about them really
could have been better. I can't so much speak for the Reuben, but Dixie
and I split the crab dishes, so I can say with perfect assurance that
they were both just right. Large fresh lumps of crab, either packed
into quesadillas with a small island of guacamole or stacked deli-high
and bookended by toast, bacon, tomato and lettuce. Dick nobly offered
up his Reuben to share, but got no takers. (When you have crab, why mix
in corned beef?) We consumed everything in sight and kept on talking .
. . and talking. Until we were invited to leave.
Dick
and Dixie told me they've had dinner at the Chesapeake Club a number of
times and said it was unfailingly delicious. I suggested that since we
still had a lot more to talk about, they could feel free to invite me
along anytime.
The
Chesapeake Club at the Tides Inn in Irvington, Va., is located on
Carters Creek by boat and King Carter Drive by car. Closed in January
and February, it reopens in March. Breakfast is served 6-11 a.m., lunch
11 a.m.-3 p.m., and dinner 5:30-9:30 p.m. Sunday brunch 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
Reservations and information at 800-843-3746 orwww.tidesinn.com
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