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.
It goes with the territory. Mechanics get asked what kind of car people should
buy, teachers are requested to give opinions on the relative merits of schools,
and when your air conditioning goes belly up on the hottest day (don't ask!),
you'll find yourself soliciting the repairman's views on what kind of replacement
system to purchase.
By the same token, someone who works as a restaurant reviewer in our fair city invariably is asked - "What's the best restaurant in Annapolis?"
After I have delivered my stock response (It depends on whether you want to pick crabs or propose marriage), I set about to establish just what kind of dining experience is being sought. Are we looking for a downtown location? Good seafood? Water view? Attentive and professional service?
One restaurant that fills the bill in every one of those areas and is always on my top 10 list of Annapolis restaurant recommendations is Carrol's Creek.
It has been two years since my last review of Carrol's Creek but nothing of importance has changed. It's still under the capable leadership of owners Jeff Jacobs and his father, Joseph, and it still has a kitchen headed by Master Chef Warren McLain.
This team, truly a winning combination, translates to good value and an outstanding eating-out experience for the long-term local following as well as visitors to our area. Based on what I hear when the subject of restaurant dining comes up, others feel as I do - we like to be treated as though our presence is valued and our custom is appreciated. I have always been made to feel that way at Carrol's Creek.
Hosts, hostesses, servers and busboys alike make you feel welcome and it isn't by being obsequious or overly familiar. Ever notice how, since the effects of deregulation on airlines were first felt, flight attendants and even pilots tell you at the end of your flight how much they appreciate your flying their airline when so many choices were available? Well, my grandmother was right. Actions do speak louder than words and if you're arriving late, about to miss a connection, and still disgruntled about sitting on the tarmac for half an hour, those words of appreciation sound hollow.
Carrol's Creek shows its appreciation of your restaurant dollar the right way. They provide you with skilled and adroit service, good quality table appointments, well-made drinks, an above-average wine list with many values and excellent food made with quality fresh ingredients enhanced by beautiful presentation.
Our most recent visit was on a very busy Saturday night and I wondered, when we arrived, if the service could possibly be as good as usual with every table filled and the bar area crowded. The first indicator that we were in for the customary cosseting was when we were shown immediately to our table. (Haven't we all wondered at some restaurants why there was no table ready for us when we arrived on time for our reservation? After 25 minutes cooling your heels in the bar, you begin to wonder what exactly was the purpose of having gone through the motions of making a reservation in the first place.) From that time, until the last sip of coffee had been drunk and the check had been paid, everything took place in a timely fashion and that is not easy to do when a restaurant is operating with maximum capacity.
Drink orders were promptly taken and we nibbled on crusty hot rolls while we studied the menu. When the cocktails arrived (quite reasonably priced at $3.25 for the gin and tonics and the rum collins, $4.85 for the Bombay Sapphire martini), we were ready to order first courses: a taste-and-pass Beef Tenderloin Carpaccio ($9) and a bowl of their prize-winning Cream of Crab soup ($6.50) with four spoons! Imagine how pampered we felt when our server Suan (pronounced Swan) appeared a few minutes later with four tiny individual bowls.
I wanted to make it easier for you to share, she said. (At this point, let me interject that when people ask me if I am recognized when I am reviewing or if they ever catch on, I can honestly reply that those people couldn't pick me out of a line-up!) This is just the kind of personalized and attentive service that is common-place at Carrol's Creek. The beef, seared and then sliced thinly, was redolent with fresh herbs and prettied-up with a tasty arugula salad. The crab soup was its usual glorious self with a bisque-y cream base and a touch of sherry.
Plenty of lump crab increased the chances of discovering a bit of overlooked shell but I was the only one to find any. Otherwise, the soup lived up to its hype as well as its reputation. Tuna Tartare and Texas BBQ Shrimp, each $10, are also outstanding appetizer choices.
Even though we had all opted for seafood, the wine we chose was a Cambria Syrah ($33.50), which was a big hit with our tableful of red wine drinkers. I congratulate the Jacobs family for their commitment to holding wine prices down while offering interesting choices at all price levels. For example, there is a separate page of bottles priced at $20 which is only one dollar more than the similar list of two years ago.
This attitude toward the versatility of wine lists allows more people to enjoy wine with their meal and also tempts others to become wine aficionados and aficionadas.
One diner, recovering from a bit of malaise, treated his delicate appetite to the Sea Scallops ($11), a house specialty and another star on the list of Starters. This dish is an inspired creation that dusts the scallops with shreds of phyllo, fries them quickly so the outside is crisp and the inside succulent, and plunks them down on a bed of wilted spinach, jumbo lump crab and prosciutto ham. Super! Another guest had decided prior to arrival (based on an advertisement she had seen) on the Sauteed Shrimp ($23), which come in a tomato basil cream sauce that is filled out with toasted pine nuts, shavings of parmesan and baby spinach. This delectable mixture is then served over bowtie pasta. She was not disappointed!
The third member of the group opted for the Grilled Salmon ($20) which was pointed up with a basil and roasted garlic oil and served with polenta and a ratatouille-like vegetable melange. Another winner.
My own choice was something I had never ordered before, Free Range Chicken Breast ($17). It was sauteed with baby spinach and wild mushrooms and finished with a champagne cream sauce. The truffle-scented mashed potatoes that accompanied it were sublime and the chicken was perfectly prepared. The dish was so enjoyable that I did not regret bypassing my usual Macadamia-Encrusted Mahi ($21). Another favorite of mine is the Vegetable Risotto ($14), which is sure to warm the heart and please the stomach of vegetarian diners.
Carrol's Creek has a wonderful deal available for its patrons. For only $12, you can enjoy the best example of super-sizing I have ever encountered: to any entree, a serving of the superb crab soup, a house salad, and one of their home-made desserts can be added.
If that's too much food, at least save room for dessert ($6 to $7 range). There are several temptations, not the least of which are the Orange Ginger Bread Pudding and the Flourless Chocolate Cake, which has a white chocolate ganache center and is served with vanilla ice cream, raspberry puree and a dusting of toasted macadamia nuts.
Look for an autumn renovation at Carrol's Creek that will maximize the water view for the dining room. Otherwise, same-old-same-old is a good thing here!
Published 07/19/02, in The Capital Entertainment Guide