By The Gastronomes

This month we stepped a bit outside of our “normal” Dining Out M.O. and decided to feature a few of the cool little places we dined in over the last few weeks on our travels in Maryland. Three of them we are very familiar with – Davis Pub in Eastport, Gordy’s and Adam’s Taphouse and Grille in and near Prince Frederick – as we have stopped in these places several times and one that we experienced for the first time while doing the R&D for this month’s “Road Trip” column, Miss Shirley’s Café just off of West Street in Annapolis. All four of these eateries are either under or just a bit over an hour away from Old Town Alexandria and are surrounded with lots of other things to do and places to see.

Davis’ Pub

400 Chester Avenue

Eastport

Davispub.com

Out of the four joints featured here, Davis’ Pub is probably our favorite. We have many memories going as far back as the 80’s. It has gone through a couple of “spruce ups” over the years but the vibe pretty much remains the same – small, local, the clientele doesn’t suffer fools and if you’re a “tourist” try not to act like one. The décor is geared toward sailing and sports and is best described as eclectic. The food at Davis’ has remained constant – great burgers and sandwiches, crab cakes and lots of crab-based items and the daily specials

board never disappoints. At the top of our list is the Baltimore Style Steamed Shrimp – ½ pound of gulf shrimp smothered in onions and Old Bay, steamed, with drawn butter and cocktail sauce on the side. We have often been tempted to ask for extra onions because they are mighty tasty. It can get crowded on the weekends during peak lunch time but with the added outdoor seating, there is room for lots of warm bodies. We suggest a mid-week visit to get a great spot at the bar. They are open 11 am – 10 pm Sunday thru Thursday and 11 am – 11 pm Friday & Saturday.

Miss Shirley’s

1 Park Place

Annapolis

Missshirleys.com

Miss Shirley’s Café is part of a small chain that originated in Baltimore that has four locations in Maryland. We wouldn’t put the word “chain” on Miss Shirley’s since we were treated just like all of the locals that were partaking in breakfast when we were following suit. Miss Shirley’s only serves breakfast, lunch and brunch all week long from 8 am – 3 pm. The menu is extensive and they really go all out on the Bloody Mary front. They are famous for the biscuits that are served with pretty much every entrée on the menu and while neither of us are big biscuit eaters, Miss Shirley’s are wayyy good. This is a great spot to stop in when you are on the West side of Annapolis.

Gordy’s

135 West Dares Beach Road

Prince Frederick

Gordysplace.com

This little place is located right across the street from the Safeway in Prince Frederick just off of Route 4 S. We discovered it a few years ago when Sir Gastronome was recovering from a knee replacement at a friend’s home on the Patuxent River and doing PT a short distance from Gordy’s. It is another small locally owned place with lots of personality and a lot of outdoor seating. If you are lucky enough to visit during one of the major holidays, they go all out on the decorations. The food here is primarily bar oriented and their wing and fries selections are massive. Neither of us has a particular “go-to” dish at Gordy’s but everything we have ever ordered – BLT’s, tacos, melts, wings, salads – has been stellar. They have a large selection of adult beverages and are heavy on the craft beer scale as well. The prices are a pleasant surprise as well. Gordy’s is open Sunday thru Thursday 11:30 am – 8:30 pm and Friday and Saturday from 11:30 am to 9:30 pm.

Adam’s Taphouse & Grille

2200 Solomons Island Road S

Prince Frederick

Adamsgrilleprincefrederick.com

A few miles down Route 4 S aka Solomons Island Road, you will find Adam’s Taphouse & Grille. Oddly, we have called it by the name on the menu – Adam’s the Place for Ribs – for many years. In any case, it is another great place to experience some local color and flavor in Southern Maryland. We have probably had more of their food via take out with those same friends referred to above and that has enabled us to try several items. Obviously, the fan favorite are the ribs and they are some of the absolute best we’ve had over the years. We like ours to fall off the bone with just the right amount of BBQ sauce. Add in the fact that the coleslaw at Adam’s is just like mom made-a bit sweet and tangy-it’s all you need. We have heard many good things about the fried chicken here but it is only served as a special on Wednesdays! BONUS – it was a Wednesday the last time we were in the area. The rumors were true…crispy outside and moist inside and served with mashed potatoes and gravy and your choice of applesauce or slaw -$15.99 for a large breast and thigh, a wing and a drumstick with a couple of rolls tossed in. It was enough for two meals. The menu is pretty extensive and all of the prices a nice change from those here in the city. Next time we are going to try the 16 oz New York Strip for $23.99. We can’t forget to mention our bartender fried Peggy who has been serving adult beverages at the 10-seater bar for over 32 years. We ended our meal with a trip up to the bar to have a few with her! Always a treat.”

If any of you have a fun, locally owned place in our distribution area that you like to frequent and want to share the good news with other readers, let us know and we will see if we can include them in a future “round up”. Email us at office@oldtowncrier.com.