 The Rockfish may be the new kid on the Eastport dining block, but it brings some seasoned pros to Annapolis.
by Wendy Mitman Clarkephotography by Vince Lupo
If good restaurants are anything like thoroughbreds, pedigree is paramount, and in that regard the Rockfish has a two-length lead right out of the gate. Charlie Bauer, the former co-owner and executive chef at local seafood favorite O'Leary's, brings his creative elegance to everything here, from decor to menu.
Bauer and two partners bought the lease at the prime-time corner of Severn Avenue and Sixth Street, just over the Spa Creek bridge from historic Annapolis, two years ago and gutted what had been the Eastport Clipper. The result is a 218-seat dining area with brick-veneer walls and nicely placed black-and-white photos of long-ago fishing excursions. The table settings are handsome and simple, the waiters wear jeans and nice shirts, and the whole atmosphere is one of laid-back elegance. At the back of the dining room is an open kitchen with a hardwood grill and ceramic hearth oven. A glass half-wall separates the dining area from the spacious bar section. It's tons more space than O'Leary's ever had (including room for live entertainment a few nights a week).
Bauer has put that legroom into the menu as well. "It's a broader menu, a bigger kitchen, a bigger restaurant," Bauer says. "In addition to having the best seafood, we want to have the best burger in town, and the pizzas are terrific."
My first dinner here was on a Wednesday night with our racing crew, and I was a little disappointed; the service was slower than it should have been, and the food was good but not memorable. The second time, my husband Johnny and I went on a Monday night. I was worried when we sat for 10 minutes with no sign of any waitstaff; but once she did find us, the service was fine, attentive and enthusiastic but not overbearing. And the meal turned out to be equally redemptive.
It's hard to make choices here. Though the appetizers, such as the blue crab quesadilla and Thai barbecue shrimp with Asian slaw, were tempting, we settled on the tuna sashimi and salmon sashimi from the raw bar. Both came in oval-shaped dishes with a pool of soy sauce at one end dammed by a line of wasabi, then a pile of exquisitely fresh fish followed by a bit of seaweed salad and ginger--colorful and delicious. Fresh soft bread followed--too large to be called sticks but too small to be loaves--with a garlic dipping oil. For dinner, Johnny chose the 14-ounce rib eye with a dry rub of pasilla chiles, cumin, garlic and lime zest. I ordered the sweet potato chip-crusted fresh haddock served with orange curry butter. Both were perfectly prepared, ample and delicious; the meat was tender and the fish was light and flavorful.
Some entrees come with a side dish choice; others require them a la carte, which can quickly run up the bill. We ordered the corn pudding, creamed spinach and roasted potatoes. The first was fantastic ("dessert for dinner," as our waitress aptly put it), the second had a nice tinge of bacon dressing, but the third didn't suit--perhaps the herbs were too unsettling with the rest of the meal (the waitress dropped it from our bill when we told her we weren't keen on it). For dessert we shared the key lime curd in an almond tuile with fresh berries and a drizzle of raspberry; it was light and crisp.
I was happy to learn the Rockfish is open for lunch and Sunday brunch too. I suspect this place, only a year old now, will just get better and better, and I'm looking forward to finding out.
The Rockfish is open daily for lunch and dinner. Sunday brunch features live jazz until 3 p.m. Lunch $8-$17; dinner entrees $9-$29; Sunday brunch $9-$25. Reservations recommended. Major credit cards accepted. 410-267-1800;www.rockfishmd.com/restaurant.php
[12.05 issue] |