Sweet SUMMERTIME 2010 in Ocean City Maryland
Sunny, warm weather brings out the very best of the beach resort activities here in Ocean City Maryland! No matter, participant or viewer – there is something for everyone all summer long!
MAY –
2010 OPA Offshore Powerboat race series presented by GEOCO – May 28 – 30, 2010. Between 6th – 22nd Strs off Ocean City Boardwalk. http://www.oparacing.org
Ocean City Restaurant Week – May 30 – June 6, 2010. Week-long culinary experience allows guests to indulge in the finest OC fare at fixed prices. No tickets or passes required, but reservations are appreciated. http://oceancityrestaurantweek.com
JUNE
OC Car & Truck Show – June 5 – 6, 2010 Convention Center, 40th St. & Bay. Vehicles, music entertainment, celebrity appearances & much more. Admission. http://www.occarshow.com
OC Air Show – June 5 – 6th, 2010, OC Beach & Boardwalk. Featuring U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds! Parachute team jumps, civilian aerobatic performances, low altitude flyovers, and military aircraft demonstrations. http://ocairshow.com
MD State Fireman’s Assoc. Conference Parade – June 13 – 16th, 1 pm. Inlet to 9th St.
More info – visit www.info@msfa.org
Arts Alive – June 19 – 20th, 2010, Northside Park, 127th St. Activities for the whole family in a tranquil park setting. 800-626-2326 http://ococean.com
JULY
Concert & Fireworks Uptown & Downtown – July 4th, The Bay & N. Division St & the Beach. Family fun begins at 8 pm – Fireworks display at 9:30. 800-626-2326 http://ococean.com
Sunset Party Nights - July 6 – August 24th, 2010. Sunset Park at South Division Street Bayside. Tuesday nights in July & August. Watch the sun set over the Isle of Wight Bay! http://ococean.com
Bonfire & Story Hour on the Beach – July 8th – August 19th, 2010. North Division Street & the Beach. http://ococean.com
OC Tuna Tournament – July 9 – 11th, 2010 - OC Fishing Center, off Rt. 50 in West OC. East Coast’s largest tuna tournament. Weight-ins: Friday & Saturday 4-7:30 pm, Sunday 4-7 pm www.oceancitytunatournament.com
Greek Festival – July 30-August 1st, Convention Center, 40th St. & Bay. Traditional Greek cuisine, music and dancing. Admission. 410-524-0990.
Polish Festival – July 28th, S. Division St. & Bay (Bayside Boardwalk/Inlet) Sunset Park. Share the beauty of different cultures with live entertainment, food and a wine garden. Tuesday, 5-9 pm. http://stgeorgebythesea.org
AUGUST
White Marlin Open – August 2 -6th 2010, Harbour Island, 14th & Bay. World’s largest billfish tournament. Spectators see weigh-ins free of charge. http://whitemarlinopen.com
Kids Crab Round-up – August 14th, Northside Park (125th & Bay). Fun & learning about blue crabs. For children 12yrs. and under accompanied by an adult. Sat., 9am-12noon.
SEPTEMBER
LABOR DAY WEEKEND – September 3rd – 5th, Convention Center. A fun shopping experience with art & crafters displaying unique items for show & sale. http://ahastings@ocshows.info
Check back soon to view the jam-packed calendar of exciting activities and events for September…!
BARBELY’S FAMILY RESTAURANT – in nearby Newark
This year, if your vacation destination is Ocean City Maryland you’re in for an added treat! You will find…while taking some off-beach time to explore the surrounding area…that many exciting discoveries await. Worcester, Maryland’s easternmost County may be bordered by the Atlantic Ocean however traveling inland just a bit will reveal an entirely different view; that of farms and forests, rivers and streams, rural villages and historic homes and churches.
One of our recent special discoveries was in the tiny town of Newark, situated 
just south of Berlin Maryland off of Rt. 113. Just across the street from the Queponco Railroad Station Museum, on Patey Woods Road, in an old, but recently renovated storefront sits Barbely’s Family Restaurant. We quickly learned that the best time to visit Barbely’s is on Thursday, Friday or Saturday after 4:30 pm.
This Friday evening, arriving right at opening, we were greeted in a most friendly manner. It seems many (most) of the staff is part of a large, multi-generational family who own and operate this already special country style eatery. After being seated we quickly selected our meals from an ever-changing menu. ‘In season’ and ‘fresh’ seems to be a large part of their offerings as fried oysters and oyster fritters were prominently listed. However, my companion wanted the special ribs…we later leaned that these lovely, fork-tender, lean ribs are slow cooked overnight producing a flavor and texture that only a lengthy preparation can produce!
My choice for the evening was a (what was listed as ‘petite’) crabcake. However, when it appeared I was certain that there had been a mistake…it was HUGE! Not only huge, but really, really good – all crab! Of course, there’s a long list of appetizers, including a local specialty – ‘peas and dumplin’s’ soup. However, knowing the filling nature of the soup I opted out this evening. A large assortment of ‘sides’ was listed including another local treat – ‘greens’. I’ve come to love these – boiled till tender mustard greens or collards flavored with a bit of ham and ‘mystery’!
One cannot mention Barbely’s without talking ‘desert’. Everything is HOMEMADE: 
Meringue topped pies and towering cakes…puddin’s, dumplin’s – whatever! Last evening the focus seemed to be on the apple dumplings – served warm with vanilla custard atop and beside excellent vanilla bean ice cream! My companion, a known desert lover, could barely finish his huge serving. He commented (several times) on the flavor of the lovely whole, spiced apple inside the tender pastry! Enough said…the food is tasty, generous and is accompanied by caring and friendly service! Don’t miss a visit…
You can find out more about Barbely’s on facebook under ‘Barbely’s Family Restaurant ‘and see the specials for the evening listed there.
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Links may be accessed by clicking beneath blue colored, highlighted titles…
An unusual but welcome Ocean City MD visitor…
Today I caught sight of this unexpected, but very welcome, Ocean City Maryland visitor. Not our usual tourist for sure! This little guy/gal was seen to be taking his ease perched upon my neighbor’s Jet Ski ramp afloat in the Assawoman Bay – the coastal bay that divides the island of Ocean City from the mainland here in Maryland. In my 14 plus years as a bay side resident I’ve often seen dolphin – once a large pod of dolphin passed right beside my waterside deck, but never a seal. Perhaps it’s the unusual winter weather we’ve been experiencing here at the beach this season that makes the protected bay enticing? Or, perhaps this creature is briefly lost? Surely, with the bountiful diet of seafood available within our coastal waters to give him strength, I’m certain this welcome visitor will soon find his way home.
Update – Like all thoughtful guests this little seal has limited his visit to three days 
- this morning, after an early photo shoot, he decided to leave. Yesterday, a second volunteer from the Baltimore Aquarium stopped by in late afternoon to take some pictures of the seal and his injury. He planned to forward the pictures to a vet in Whaleyville who apparently works with sea animals. The vet would then try to determine if the wound on the seal was severe enough to capture the seal and attempt to repair the damage. Alas, too late. Our visitor has moved on. Here’s a photo taken yesterday – he certainly seemed to enjoy the late winter sunshine!
MARTIN FISH COMPANY…ocean ‘bountiful’!
To our delight the sign says, ‘OPEN’; even on this somewhat gloomy mid December afternoon here in Ocean City Maryland. We already know that no matter what manner of seafood we select from the iced displays within the Martin Fish Company it will be fresh! First we see the clams…many varieties, 
all sizes. My mind turns to dinner; perhaps hearty chowder would be nice – or maybe steamed, served alongside a spicy dip of cocktail sauce…or with some melted butter. Then we spy the fresh oysters…again, could be roasted or in a creamy stew; surely a winters treat. Have I mentioned the shrimp – again, all sizes! Further along the aisle are the fresh fish fillets – rockfish, monk, cod, the list is endless – all fresh caught! Walking on I find myself staring eye to eye with a shiny – perhaps 10 lb. whole rockfish laying beside an even larger fresh bluefish! Oh the choices! And then nestled on a sheet of burlap over ice are the lobsters…small today but nevertheless – live and promising! Walking back up the aisle we come upon the crabmeat – sold in a one-pound containers. It says wild caught in MARYLAND – the only kind I’ll consider using in my recipes. The good 
stuff! Although pricey (what isn’t?) it’s so worth it – not worn out from a long trip from Asian waters. And here too are the containers of already shucked oysters…ready for that stew or perhaps to be incorporated into the dressing for the Christmas turkey; again, too many choices! This little walk today included a peek into the freezer cases on the other side of the shop…where they store the already, store-made chowders and soups, including the ubiquitous Maryland Cream of Crab. On shelves above these cases are sold the various accompaniments necessary for real seafood preparation including spice mixtures, breading and such!
During our visit, a woman came in and ordered a large rockfish to be picked up a week hence! I overheard her telling the attendant that she was going ‘non-traditional’ and planned to serve this 
beloved local treat, stuffed with a crabmeat mixture, to her out of town guests for Christmas dinner!
Martin Fish Company is open every day during the summer…then goes to reduced hours Wednesday through Saturday in fall and spring; closed during the month of January and reopen, fully stocked, the Thursday preceding ‘Superbowl’. They are located on the southeast side of the commercial harbor in West Ocean City on Harbor Road off Golf Course Road and are only steps from the boats that make up our local fishing fleet. For further information or to pre-order, telephone 410.213.2195. You won’t be sorry!
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IMPERIAL CRAB – truly, more than a title!
Below is another fine old recipe from the famed collection of St. Paul’s by the Sea located in Ocean City Maryland. Within this collection is this statement – “The original land patent for Ocean City is, “The Ladies Resort To The Ocean”. And, they did, resorting to building and running the small sideside hotels and rooming houses. By the 1890′s their hard work and sacrifice put Ocean City on the map. It is from their kitchens that these recipes come.”
CRAB IMPERIAL
1 lb. back fin crabmeat
2 egg whites, stiffly beaten
2 tbsp. quality mayonnaise
2 tbsp. mild, wet yellow mustard
6 saltines (use rolling pin to mash fine as sugar)
green pepper (not too much, enough to season) finely chopped
1 small jar pimientos
When mixing ingredients, be careful not to break lump crabmeat. If you use crab shells, melt some butter to coat inside of shells**. After shells are filled, place a teaspoon of mayonnaise on top. Heat at 400 about 15 minutes. Watch carefully, when mayonnaise becomes brown, remove from oven.
**Use individual ramekins if shells are not available.
Pondering the focus on good food here at the Maryland seashore one comes to the conclusion that the original, old time resort town of Ocean City Maryland was built upon two things; its proximity to the vast ocean and the bounteous seafood derived from it. Several of our town’s finest restaurants actually began as small diners – purveying fresh caught crabs, oysters, clams and fish. Of these bay and ocean offerings, crab was and remains – king! No matter the reason for the occasion here on the Eastern Shore – the famed, Atlantic Blue Crab is served in some fashion. Hot steamed hard crabs, buttery sautéed soft crabs, melting cheesy crab dip, spicy crab cake sandwiches, and of course, the best of all, Imperial Crab are all favorite dishes. Going back to the cookbook from the women of St. Paul’s by the Sea we found what I believe to be the best Imperial Crab recipe of all! It requires a little effort…beating egg whites, mincing fresh green pepper and pimentos, pulverizing crackers into powder but result is, oh, so worth it! It’s the perfect melding of flavorful crab and other subtle flavors! A truly ‘Imperial’ dish!
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Scalloped OYSTERS – real food from the Sea!
At first finding authentic, old-time Eastern Shore recipes seemed a somewhat daunting task. We weren’t looking for the restaurant kind – the menu that says, “Old Fashioned… (Double frozen, pre-packaged, deep fried…)”; the over processed food that comes in a box. We were looking for the type of food that was made with pride in local kitchens and is still served to a very lucky few. Coming across another old cookbook that not only offers recipes but also true local history is the basis for this blog section, Shore Good Eats. We recently found a quote that seems to say it all from the preface of one of these grand, old cookbooks, “The original land patent for Ocean City is, “The Ladies Resort To The Ocean”. And they did, resorting to building and running the small seaside hotels and rooming houses. By the 1890’s their hard work and sacrifice put Ocean City on the map. It is from their kitchens that these recipes come.”
Upon studying the recipe below – Scalloped Oysters, one finds the identical ingredients as in the best Oyster Stew except the ‘crackers’ are on the inside. After having tried this I find myself a convert – this is really delicious! Try it…I halved the amounts for a test run; it’s all gone and I wish I’d made more!
SCALLOPED OYSTERS
1 quart oysters (standard, with liquor)
2-3 cups coarsely crushed saltines
1 stick butter
1-2 cups milk
Salt & pepper to taste
In a greased 2-quart casserole, alternate layers of oysters and crackers, dotting each layer with butter and sprinkling with salt and pepper. End with layer of crumbs. Add milk until liquid almost reaches top of casserole. Dot the top with remaining butter. Bake at 350 until browned, 45-60 minutes.
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CORN PONE – At the very heart of Eastern Shore cooking!
The recipe below, from a ‘famed’ Ocean City Maryland local is actually a derivation of an American Indian staple food handed down through many generations. What makes corn ‘pone’ different from corn bread is the water…a lot of water that when mixed with the other ingredients and baked creates a more pudding-like texture – similar to New York style cheesecake. It’s good when served piping hot and keeps well. It may be warmed and served again! Enjoy!
CORN PONE
2 cups self-rising corn meal (Washington white)
1/2 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 “pinch” salt
1 stick margarine
3 small or 2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups milk (you can use canned milk diluted some or the dry milk
type if you don’t want to use whole milk)
3 cups boiling water
Melt margarine in 3 cups boiling water, add to dry ingredients and beat well.
In separate bowl, beat eggs into 1 1/2 cups milk just enough to mix. Then add to the flour mixture and again beat very well.
Pour into an iron frying pan that has been greased and floured.
Bake in top half of the oven at 400 degrees for 1 hour.
Happy baking!
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CAPTAIN’S TABLE at the Marriott – It’s BACK!
Captain’s Table Restaurant. From friends we had leaned that this Ocean City Maryland icon had returned after a nearly four year hiatus and was now better than ever! We had to investigate and see if it lived up to the slogan, “A locals favorite for over 55 years”!
We arrived early and had our choice of seating, though soon after, as the restaurant quickly filled we still felt as if we were ‘private’. The décor is lovely and spare yet surprisingly warm, giving one a sense of ‘instant peace’. Our waiter, Mark, after introducing himself, rapidly produced a couple of gigantic menus along with a recitation of the restaurant’s unique history – still family owned and operated; still the original attention to detail and of course, still great food! For the appetizer we decided to share the smoked fishplate – a lovely presentation of salmon and smoked trout on crackers topped with a dab of crème fraiche, caviar, minced red onion and capers! Delightful! Our entrée’s arrived soon after; my companion choosing the lamb chops with green beans and I, the fresh halibut topped with crab imperial accompanied by ‘a starch’; in my case a huge, well cooked sweet potato. Both excellent. Note here – the bread is house made and very good! If there is any critique at all – the lovely green beans were undercooked. We’ve found this method of preparation at quite a few fine dining establishments so it just must be our ‘plebian’ taste! The portions were huge – leaving room for only one dessert to share; a lovely trio of fresh fruit sorbet; including mango, raspberry and strawberry/watermelon. A perfect ending to an excellent meal!
The NEW, old Captain’s Table is now located in the very new Courtyard by Marriott hotel at 1500 Baltimore Avenue (15th Street to us locals) – just a half block off of the famed Boardwalk in Downtown Ocean City. It is open 7 days a week for breakfast, lunch and dinner. (The breakfast menu looked scrumptious with many old favorites including Eggs Chesapeake and Jumbo Lump Crab Hash. They even serve a Malted Belgian Waffle, one of my favorites!)
For an evening out with good food, in lovely surroundings with excellent service you may want to visit and see for yourself why it’s known as “A locals favorite for over 55 years” – the Captain’s Table.
For more information visit the website at http://www.captainstableoc.com.
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THE Iconic Eastern Shore Favorite!
Chicken and Slippery (Slick) Dumplin’s – surely the most lauded dish served on the Eastern Shore; including easternmost Maryland, Delaware and Virginia. Other than oyster fritters, chicken and dumplings are offered at most every Church dinner, fire hall fundraiser and local, food related event here. People gather from all over to enjoy in what is essentially lightly seasoned, roasted or boiled, chicken and big, flat square noodles. Noodles unlike anything had elsewhere, except perhaps in the Amish area of Pennsylvania where they are used in potpie! It is necessary to mention that although these dumplings are a bit strange to folks from the west; they are truly delicious! Below is an authentic recipe for this warming and delightful dish from St. Paul’s by the Sea Episcopal Church located in Ocean City Maryland.
St. Paul’s by-the-Sea Chicken & Dumplings
1 roasting chicken (5-7 pounds)
1 large onion
1 stalk celery
1 tsp. salt
2 c. flour
salt
black pepper
Put chicken, onion, celery and salt in roasting pan. Next, add about 2 cups hot water, or to a depth of 2-3 inches in pan. Cover and roast 400 degrees until tender and lightly browned. Remove chicken 
and keep warm. Discard celery and onion. Test broth for seasoning. Remove 1/2 to 3/4 cup broth and stir into the dry ingredients that have been sifted and put in a large bowl. Mix as you would for pastry. Knead a few times on lightly floured board. Roll out very thin, thinner than pastry. Cut in squares about 3” x 3”. Bring broth to boil adding more water if necessary and testing again for seasonings, then slip the dumplings down the side of roasting pan, turn down heat, cover and simmer for 10-15 min. Gravy may be thickened if you so desire. Serve with turnip greens, cole slaw, sweet potatoes, corn pone and you are eating a true Eastern Shore dinner.
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CATCH 54 – Lunch, a whole new way!
Several weeks ago we happened upon the CATCH 54 Restaurant located just off Rt. 54 in Fenwick Island. It was a serendipitous experience…we had been looking for another place – close in name but I believe offering a far different experience. After negotiating a somewhat hazardous (don’t try crossing against traffic on a holiday weekend) entrance we landed in a generous parking lot out side this true dockside eatery. The building itself is rambling but the doorways are well marked. In summertime some tables are truly located just steps from the water. Inside, a long, narrow room open to the dock with sliding doors presented our choice of inviting tables and stools. Upstairs, windows offering 
water view more tables were available. Our arrival right at opening time for lunch (11:30 am) gave us first pick. Our table view included pontoon boats bobbing as many gleeful, end-of-summer seafarers were boarding. Menus were presented promptly and after a quick view, presented a dilemma – what to select! Although abbreviated for lunch service the choice descriptions were out of the ordinary. Finally asking the server for a recommendation we chose to share an order of the fried oysters as an appetizer. OK, we love oysters and living here seaside we have them 
as often as possible. Frankly, this is the first time in our experience the beloved bivalve became a vehicle for three excellent sauces. The perfectly prepared nuggets were lightly sauced with new but complimentary flavors. It was hard to determine the exact sauce origins; I can only say they were terrific! Our sandwiches arrived shortly thereafter – although somewhat pricey the lobster roll accompanied by homemade potato chips was top notch – large chunks of lobster claw (the most flavorful) lightly bound together with FRESH mayo on a grilled, buttered roll! A generous serving! My companion had ordered the ‘fish of the day’ sandwich. Again, 
two thick fillets of lightly breaded, perfectly cooked fish made the sandwich more than just ‘lunch’. Amazingly, my companion claimed he had the courage to attempt dessert after this already luscious feast. The ‘three chocolate’ cake seemed to fill the bill. Although forgoing more than a bite I can attest that it was one of the best ever tasted – tender, bitter, rich, but with the exact degree of sweetness to end this wholly delightful luncheon experience.
It was learned that Catch 54 is also open for dinner year round and is but one of a series of five local eateries owned by the same folks. Visit http://www.sodelconcepts.com to learn more.
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