DINING OUT - Get swept up in the atmosphere at Carrol's Creek
TERRA WALTERS For The Capital
WHAT: Carrol's Creek WHERE: Annapolis City Marina at 410 Severn Ave., Annapolis MD 21403
TELEPHONE: 410-263-8102 HOURS: 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. for lunch, Monday through
Saturday; 5 to 10 p.m. for dinner, Monday through Saturday; 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
for brunch and 3 to 10 p.m. for dinner, Sunday.
HANDICAPPED ACCESS: Yes WHEN YOU GO
Remember when Eastport seceded and everyone started sporting those cute little
MRE (Maritime Republic of Eastport) bumper stickers? Well, you could really
believe that you're in a separate place distant from the hubbub of downtown
Annapolis when you enter the serene environment of Carrol's Creek. Though you
feel far from the madding crowd, you are treated to a stunning view of the Eastport
Bridge, the boats in the creek, and the lights of the dock area beyond. Being
a part of the Annapolis Marina complex brings an instant solution to the problem
that faces many downtown restaurants that of parking. There is ample parking
right in the Severn Avenue complex itself. Guests are instantly swept up into
the nautical ambience as they enter the restaurant. The contemporary architectural
design lends itself to its surroundings and one almost has the feel of being
in the dining room of a cruise ship. That would be where the cruise ship dining
room comparison ends, however, for the food here is far superior to that of
any cruise ship that's known to me. Open since 1984 and owned by Joseph Jacobs
and his son Jeffrey, Carrol's Creek is under the capable leadership of chef
Warren McLain who has been bringing inspired cooking to the Annapolis area for
quite some time. Even though it is described as a waterfront seafood restaurant,
Carrol's Creek has a lively bar and also offers nonseafood menu items. With
a noted artist and his gallery owner wife as recent house guests, I wanted not
only to show off our fair city but to take them for a lovely dinner as well.
With that in mind, it was not surprising that we found our way to Carrol's Creek.
When they asked for my recommendations on menu selections, I felt comfortable
giving blanket endorsement to anything that seemed to strike their respective
fancies. We also sought advice from our server and ended up with absolutely
delicious appetizers as a result of her guidance. With our drinks, we tried
the Sea Scallops ($9.50), the Tuna Tartare ($9), and the Texas BBQ Shrimp ($8)
which is identified as a house specialty. This was one of those times when the
starters were so delightful that we wished we could just have more of them and
forget about the rest of the meal. The shrimp, wrapped in bacon and grilled,
were glazed with homemade barbecue sauce and served with a warm cucumber salad.
The flavors and textures were perfect counterpoints to each other and it was
easy to understand why the restaurant advertises this as a specialty of the
house. The raw tuna was tossed with fresh lime juice (which in essence cooks
it) and fresh ginger, then accented with a wasabi and chive mayonnaise. Even
diners without an adventurous palate would enjoy this dish, I think. Our favorite
was the scallops (we all traded tastes in order to increase our exposure to
these delicacies) which were battered in shredded phyllo, fried crisp, and then
served on a bed of wilted spinach combined with lump crabmeat and a delicate
prosciutto ham.
Even though we were all having seafood, we all prefer red wine and selected
an exquisite Syrah from California's central coast which was most reasonably
priced at $28. The wine list offers wide variety and has some inclusions that
indicate a high level of wine savvy (a cabernet from Joe Heitz at $64 is such
an example). In my view, anyone making an effort to offer good wines at a reasonable
price should be lauded, so hats off to Carrol's Creek for making available an
entire page of wines for $19 per bottle! Present on this list are a creditable
Dry Creek Fume Blanc and an Australian Black Opal Shiraz. Because one diner
ordered the Carrol's Creek Bay Dinner ($29) which includes soup, salad, and
dessert with the entree, we all got to sample their superb Maryland Cream of
Crab soup ($5.25 a la carte) and their signature salad ($5 a la carte) which
is dressed with a fresh tarragon and raspberry vinaigrette and cleverly combines
baby greens with walnuts, dried cranberries, and bleu cheese.
Sometimes, when beginning courses are so outstanding, entrees are a letdown.
That wasn't really the case here, because the preparations of the main courses
we chose were good. The rockfish, which came with the Bay Dinner (also available
for $19.50 a la carte), was expertly cooked but was a bit overwhelmed by the
inclusion of garlic mashed potatoes and a sauce described as a tomato and fennel
ragout with tarragon oil. Those flavors were quite nice in and of themselves,
but could have found perhaps a more felicitous pairing than with the subtlety
of the taste of fresh rockfish. Similarly, the mahi mahi ($19) was perfectly
baked and the crust of crushed macadamia nuts was inspired, but the accompaniment
of both mashed sweet potatoes and melon-dominant gingered fruit relish came across
as too sweet. Perhaps one or the other. The hit of the main course choices were
the Maryland Crab Cakes ($24). They are also available for $34 as part of the
Carrol's Creek Crab Dinner which includes that marvelous Cream of Crab soup as
well as the salad and a dessert. The crab cakes, filled with an abundance of
succulent backfin crab, were baked to a golden brown which allowed them to be
crusty on the outside and melt-in-your-mouth delectable on the inside. The mustard
vinaigrette served with them was the perfect accent. The garlic mashed potatoes
seemed more fitting with this dish; but the green beans, which were sauteed with
pinenuts, stopped short of being wonderful because they were just a tiny bit
underdone. That's a difficult balance to achieve as you do not want to cook these
perfect whole green beans beyond al dente, but these would have benefited from
additional sauteeing.
As my guests and I have all called New Orleans home at one time or another,
we eagerly opted for the bread pudding as the dessert choice that came with
the Bay Dinner. All of the other desserts ($5 each) looked amazing and all are
made inhouse (a plus, in my opinion), but none could have been better than the
bread pudding. Lighter than air and studded with fruit, it was served with a
sauce made with topquality vanilla. Those who like wicked chocolate concoctions
would also be happy as there are some of those on the cart as well.
Carrol's Creek has many of the same dinner items on the lunch menu, but with
a large selection of salads and sandwiches in the $7-$12 range as well. And,
for my money ($17.95 of it), they have one of the best Sunday brunches in the
area.
Rarely does service merit more than a passing mention; but our server, Suan,
deserves special kudos. She was professional, friendly, helpful, and just outstanding.
She knows the menu well and her advice throughout the meal was right on the
money. If she ever wanted to leave Carrol's Creek (and I'm sure they hope she
won't!), she could open a school for training servers.
So, if you feel like going abroad for a nice dinner in a lovely setting, may
I recommend that after checking to see that your passport is current, you journey
to the Maritime Republic of Eastport and a trip to Carrol's Creek.
Terra Walters is a free-lance writer and editor based in Annapolis.
Published 08/04/00, in The Capital Entertainment Guide