 Basking in the sun, watching boats go by and savoring crabs and beer at Skipper's Pier in Deale, Md. . . . What's not to like?
by J. V. Reistrupphotography by Vince Lupo
Surroundings do wonders. I'm sitting on a pier in the afternoon sun, sharing a picnic table with my wife, a pile of steamed crabs and a draft beer, watching boats gently gliding in and out of Herring Bay. There are tables indoors, too, but this is an outdoor day. The only thing that could possibly go wrong would be service or food. Neither is the case, so I'm a happy guy.
It's mid-afternoon on a Saturday, and the place is busy--but not too busy to compromise the staff's friendly and attentive service. The waiter naturally recommends the specialty of the house: local crabs. They're delivered fresh daily and served every which way, he tells us: in salad, in pasta, in crabcakes and, of course, steamed. We opt for a half-dozen steamed crabs, plus the broiled version of a house specialty--the 10-ounce Jurassic crabcake sandwich. As the waiter disappears with our order, others appear with brown paper to cover the table, mallets to crack the crabs, a bucket for the shells and, promptly thereafter, our beer.
It's early in the season, so the crabs are small, and even though the waiter throws in a seventh, they turn out to be more a hobby than a meal. But the tiny morsels are deliciously spiced with Old Bay seasoning and the crabcake plate offers plenty to share. The crabcake is all meat, plump and perfectly seasoned, and the bread is soft and fresh. The french fries are piping hot and taste fresh rather than frozen.
Besides Bay specialties like rockfish and chips (fries), entrees include salads, chicken, beef and pasta dishes, and a range of seafood from as far away as Canada and Alaska. Executive Chef Jerome Dorsch has a background in upscale city restaurants, so he continually augments the expectable fare with unusual dishes intended to appeal to sophisticated tastes. On a previous visit, we had shared a couple of appetizers: one a sampler platter of steamed clams, mussels and shrimp served in butter delicately flavored with garlic, citrus and white wine; the other a "duck stack"--a layered tower of smoked Muscovy duck breast with a sweet potato pancake, jicama slaw, crispy little onion strips and house-made barbecue sauce. Both were delectable.
The owners, John and Rayetta Price, painstakingly rebuilt Skipper's Pier after Hurricane Isabel tore through in 2003. Reconstruction included demolishing damaged structures, rebuilding 65 feet of bulkhead and repairing the foundation of the restaurant. The efforts resulted in a revitalized restaurant and a Phoenix Award from the U.S. Small Business Administration (which also helped with a loan). Pilings from vanished piers still stand in the nearby water as reminders of the storm.
Part of Skipper's Pier is the Barnacles Dock Bar, sitting on its own dock farther out on the water. It boasts its own roof deck with a 360-degree view of the water and offers entertainment as well as special prices on food and drink. Sounds like fun, but some other time. For now I think I'll just order another beer and roost in the sun right here.
Skipper's Pier and Barnacles Dock Bar are located at 6158 Drum Point Road in Deale, Md., at the convergence of Tracys and Rockhold creeks. They offer a fuel dock, free boat slips (including overnight) for customers on a first-come-first-served basis, plus ample parking. Appetizers $8.50-$23; raw bar $11-$20; entrees $6-$27 (crab entrees go for market price). The restaurant is open all year for lunch and dinner, plus a Sunday brunch buffet. During boating season, Barnacles Dock Bar opens at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and at noon on Saturday and Sunday, with flexible closing times. Major credit cards accepted. 410-867-7110 or 301-261-9322;www.skipperspier.com.
[07.06 issue] |