EASTERN SHORE EXPERIENCES THAT DELIGHT THE TASTE BUDS
NEW CHEFS
BEST BITES
LOCAL GOODS
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LOCAL FLAVORS: Building a local, healthy lunch
ART BEAT: The charm of wine and wool crafting nights
ATMOSPHERE: Best local goods at the farmers market
SHOP TALK: Love of food and community in the kitchen
TASTE BUDS: Learning a new skill with a professional COVER STORY
Photo by Arden Haley
In 2024, Harley Peet was named as a James Beard winner, the first to receive this recognition on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Here he poses outside Bas Rouge, where he is the executive chef.
Facilitated
Reflections/Connections:
Public Recording Sessions with Kentavius Jones June 28 &29|10AM – 4PM
RuralRelections final performance with Kentavius Jones co-hosted by the Avalon Theater on August 2
Richard Estes: Urban Landscapes is organized by the Portland Museum of Art, Maine. Generous support provided by Art Bridges.
EDITORS’ NOTE
I have to be honest with our readers. I was very picky growing up. I don’t know how it happened, either. My parents were not picky. My mom cooked healthy meals. Yet somehow I was the type who would order a cheeseburger when we went to my family’s favorite Mexican restaurant or fight about eating all the vegetables.
I survived a lot of my childhood on peanut butter and jelly or bologna sandwiches. Cereal? Of course! But we don’t have time to go down that road of my rankings and preferences because I can get really in the weeds when it comes to cereal.
Fortunately for me and those around me, I grew out of that. Who knew food could be so good? The Eastern Shore has become quite the dining destination. Recent recognition has brought more attention to the exquisite cuisine here, but locals will know this region has been a powerhouse for a long time.
What are some of the best dishes you’ve had? What is your favorite wine? Any good pairings? Email us and let us know some of your favorites — we would love to hear from you.
I can say without question one of the most remarkable dishes I have ever eaten was at a random event in Washington, D.C. Before becoming the editor of Shore, I worked in the entertainment department for the Washington Nationals. In the summer of 2018, just after the Washington Capitals won the Stanley Cup, Major League Baseball was hosting its allstar game in our nation’s capital. (It was an exciting summer, to say the least.)
On the last day, a gaggle of mascots from teams across the league were invited to a breakfast event at a hotel conference room, and it was my responsibility to herd them there. I don’t remember much about that event, but I will never forget the crab hash that was served. Without a doubt one of the best dishes I’ve ever tasted, and what made me realize I had become a full-blown Marylander.
STORY BY AMELIA BLADES STEWARD | PHOTOS BY CAL JACKSON
Making “The Food Connection” in Caroline County has never been more critical, particularly in a rural county where all students receive universal breakfast and lunch. Caroline County Public Schools (CCPS) recently earned a 2025 Magna Silver Award for its Food Connection Project. This innovative initiative has rethought ways to ensure students and families are fed.
Known as the “Lunch Lady,” Beth Brewster, supervisor of the CCPS Child Nutrition Program, has been working for years to connect students and residents to a healthier food supply in her county. This includes recently introducing blue catfish to the school lunch menus in Caroline public schools and area food banks; creating a mobile food bus to serve the food deserts on the Mid-Shore; and partnering with Chesapeake Culinary Center and Shore Gourmet to teach healthy eating and offer better options for area residents, including underserved seniors.
Brewster and her team learned that blue catfish are eating significant numbers of juvenile crabs and could be part of the issue depressing the harvest numbers for blue crabs in the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. They then explored how to harvest blue catfish and use the protein in school meals and local food pantries. According to Brewster, blue catfish is one of the most sustainable fish in the United States — and it’s also delicious and good for you.
A fish cake recipe was developed by the CCPS culinary team and a registered dietician and is being used across the region as the go-to recipe for blue catfish. Caroline County Public Schools designed a child nutrition label for it that’s USDA compliant for
school meals, so blue catfish cakes can be sold in any school system in the United States.
Asking Greensboro Elementary School fifth grader Alice Swann of Denton what she thought of blue catfish, she responded, “I like to get two fish cakes when we have them for lunch. I love the flavor — it’s more seasoned than other fish cakes. It’s my favorite lunch and I like helping the Chesapeake Bay.”
Within the four walls
But Brewster’s efforts didn’t stop there. Within every county school, she is introducing healthy eating and environmental awareness to help county students embrace where foods come from and how to manage the waste from our food sources. Caroline County Public Schools offers locally sourced fresh fruit, veggie bars and salad bars. Students in the schools and Judy Centers throughout the county grow hydroponic lettuces, basil, chives, dill, mint and cilantro in tower gardens grown from seedlings from local farmers. Students also learn about mindful eating and making fresh fruit and vegetables the main event with the entrée being secondary. The schools have fruit-infused water and clear dispensers that they can help themselves to throughout the mealtime.
“The tower gardens are a great way to connect the students and their food,” Samantha King, who is the food operations coordinator for CCPS, said. “They see the seedlings grow into food that appears on the food line. Also, if they have a bad day, they can pick dill or mint from the tower gardens — it’s therapeutic for the kids.”
The students have also started growing lavender and hibiscus to make dyes for their art classes. Elementary school students are also composting with refuse going
Pictured is a food tray at Greensboro Elementary School featuring Caroline County Public Schools recipe for blue catfish cakes.
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to New Grounds Composting and local pig farmers. Brewster hopes to expand composting to the secondary schools next year.
“By the time they get to fifth grade, students know what they can and cannot compost,” Faye Harris, cafeteria manager for Greensboro Elementary School, said. “It just comes naturally to them. We are teaching them good habits and they are learning to give back to the environment.:
Outside the walls
Brewster accomplishes a lot of her initiatives through grant funding like the Mid Shore Community Foundation, USDA, No Kid Hungry, the Rural Maryland Council and the Maryland Department of Health. The Caroline Foundation and Food for Learning have funded Brewster’s Backpack Program which went from 720 kids last year to 940 kids this year. Her Summer Feeding Program provided 108,000 summer meals in seven weeks to Caroline County’s children and 12,000 meals to children in Dorchester County through Meals to Monday.
“We’re hoping to expand into some of the other MidShore counties and we are adding a mobile café to the mobile solar-generated food buses,” Brewster said. “This is being designed for kids to use for summer meals. They can come and sit on the bus in our airconditioned climate and have a meal. It will look like a 50s diner. I also secured funding for a demonstration kitchen that will be in a trailer for community events to provide nutrition cooking demonstrations.”
She likes to tout the slogan used today in the schools which is “Don’t yuck my yum.” Anecdotally, Brewster hears from parents sharing that their children are asking for salad or spa water instead of soda. She started integrating her new food ideas in 2011, so this year, she is seeing her first class of students graduate high school who started with new eating habits in elementary school.
“I have better eaters, and the waste of fresh fruit and veggies is much less now than when I started,” Brewster said. S
Bottom right: Pictured left to right are Samantha King, Food Services Coordinator for CCPS; Faye Harris, Cafeteria Manager for Greensboro Elementary School; and Beth Brewster, Supervisor, CCPS with the school’s hydroponic garden towers, providing lettuces, basil, chives, dill, mint, and cilantro from seedlings from local farmers for the school lunch lines.
STORY BY JORDANNA GARLAND
CWOOL&WINE
reating cute critters with the community, Paige Davis-Perez, also known as “Farm Girl Felts” on social media, teaches needle felting at various venues and wineries throughout Maryland, Pennsylvania and Delaware. For DavisPerez, what once started as a small hobby a year and a half ago has turned into a business filled with joy, creativity and passion.
“I got a couple pet sheep and when I had them sheared, I was asking around, ‘What does someone do with wool?’” Davis-Perez said. “Someone said ‘Oh, there’s needle felting’ and I then dove into it. It came naturally to me.”
She learned the technique through watching YouTube videos and trying it out herself. Though most of her felted crafts are of animals — lambs, fish, crabs, bunnies, dogs — she also crafts sceneries and figures, like lighthouses, cottages and Santa Claus. In her approach to teaching the workshops, mostly all are beginner-friendly with some of the more realistic creations being more advanced. However, in regards to felting as a whole, she often says, “you don’t have to be real crafty to do this craft.”
Growing up on a farm, Davis-Perez described that since she’s been around animals her entire life, she really gravitated towards creating animals out of felt. Taking inspiration from Pinterest, she finds pictures of different animals and figures out how to translate those pictures into easy felt crafts.
“Some of my projects come from requests too, from my clients,” Davis-Perez said. “They’ll say ‘Oh, can you make this or that?’ That’s how I made last year’s crab.”
Not only does Davis-Perez host workshops, but in the fall and winter seasons, she also participates in crafting fairs where she sells her crafts to customers. Through making her own crafts at the workshops she hosts, she tends to have a lot of inventory left over, so she sells her crafts at the fairs to make room for new projects. During Christmas time, she also turns her crafts into ornaments by attaching small hangers onto them, as well as hosting winterthemed ornament making workshops.
“People are looking for that unique ornament like the little beehives,” she said. “It’s a unique ornament that they might not find anywhere else. I found that the non-Christmas themed ornaments actually sold better than the Christmas-themed ones.”
Upon arriving at the workshop, crafters are provided with kits containing wool, a felt needle, finger cots, a bandaid (in case of any accidental pokes), a business card and any extra materials specific to the project. The workstation also includes a felt slab for comfortability and to protect the table.
Her Wool & Wine series allows crafters to sip wine or a non-alcoholic juice while they work. DavisPerez frequently hosts workshops at Broken Spoke Winery in Earleville and Dove Valley Vineyard in Rising Sun. Ahead of the Easter holiday, felters gathered around the table at Broken Spoke to make
PHOTOS BY ANGELA GARLAND
All of the finished bunnies huddled together.
Second
Spring Bunnies, drinking “Blah Blah Blanc”, “Chit Chat Chardonnay” and “Hey Hay Rosé”.
This upcoming May, Davis-Perez has five Wool & Wine workshops for felters to enjoy, with one workshop already being sold out. She’ll be teaching crafters how to make an oriole and a bluejay, a puppy dog, a blue crab, a lighthouse and a beach picture frame.
Mostly all of Farm Girl Felt’s clients discovered her through her Facebook, since that’s where she promotes her business the most. A lot of the attendees at her workshops tend to be returning clients eager to make another felt craft.
“I’ve had people that have been to ten because they love it and they tend to say ‘I just won’t do it at home,’” Davis-Perez said. “I might not remember their name but I do remember that they were at one of my workshops.”
With the exception of two attendees at the workshop, all of the attendees had previously been to at least one of Davis-Perez’s previous workshops.
“This is my third one,” one attendee said. “My favorite was the highland cow… and then the blue herring, that was hard.”
In addition to the Wool & Wine workshops, Davis-Perez teaches felting for senior communities, 4-H clubs and workplace team building. She also does private parties and felts with people in their homes.
“I’ll pretty much find any reason to felt with ya,” she said.
Davis-Perez loves to see the expressions and stylistic differences of the critters that are made at her workshops. Though everyone at the workshop makes the same creature and uses all of the same materials, everyone has their own artistic style, which makes each animal unique.
“[My favorite part] of doing this job is the joy that this brings people,” Davis-Perez said. “When I started out, my high school friend invited me to teach her book club how to felt and it just clicked with me that night that I wanted to teach it to everyone that wants to learn.” S
Top: Attendee felting her bunny and enjoying a glass of wine.
from top: Attendees sitting at their workstations, eager to get started.
Second from bottom: Colleen at Broken Spoke Winery showing their non-alcoholic apple juice and “Chit Chat Chardonnay.”
Bottom: Paige Davis-Perez poses with her felt crafts.
A taste of transformation
STORY BY KENIA ITZEP
Something is simmering on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, and it’s not just the crab soup. Long known more for its crab shacks and waterfront taverns than white tablecloths and James Beard buzz, the Shore is undergoing a culinary transformation. At the heart of this shift are chefs like Harley Peet, Michael Correll and Mark Salter, each helping to elevate the region into a serious food destination while staying true to its roots.
It’s all about sourcing the raw materials, said Salter, who is now semi-retired but spent nearly two decades leading the kitchen at The Inn at Perry Cabin before running Oxford’s Robert Morris Inn. Originally from England, Salter has cooked his way through Germany, Switzerland, Wales and other countries, learning the fundamentals and winning awards before landing in the United States. His talent has earned him multiple invitations to cook at the prestigious James Beard House. After selling the Robert Morris Inn in February, Salter now devotes his time to private dinners and fundraisers. You can also find him at the Salisbury and Easton farmers markets with his wife Ailsa.
The sign of a great chef?
“Turning a cheap cut into a gourmet meal,” like braised short rib or oxtail, he said. In Wales, his honey-tarragon-glazed shank of lamb was so beloved it could not come off the menu. But when he landed on the Eastern Shore,
he set out to perfect a local classic: the crabcake.
“A crabcake is only held together with goodwill,” Salter said, noting that too often, chefs add too much filler. Another favorite of his? Pretzel-crusted soft shell crab served with a sweet honey mustard dipping sauce. But when he is not in the kitchen, Salter enjoys local favorites like Two if by Sea on Tilghman Island.
Salter emphasized the importance of cooking with the seasons and using fresh, local ingredients, such as products from farmers markets, because “we know that the local, raw materials have been harvested with so much love and care,” he said. He believes the future of fine dining here lies in seasonality, watching the trends and supporting the local farmers and fishermen because, as he puts it, “being a waterman (or farmer) is a challenging profession, so supporting them is so important.”
That philosophy resonates with Peet, too, who is the executive chef of Bluepoint Hospitality, a restaurant group owned by New York energy mogul Paul Prager. This includes Bas Rouge in Easton. For Peet, who in 2024 became the first chef to win a James Beard Award on the Eastern Shore, forming connections to the people here has come naturally. After attending the Culinary Institute of America in New York, he was recruited to Tilghman Island.
“As soon as I landed, it just felt right,” he said of
A GLIMPSE INTO CHEFS WHO ARE ELEVATING THE EASTERN SHORE’S DINING CULTURE
the almost immediate decision to relocate to the Eastern Shore. Peet immersed himself in the local way of life — learning how oysters are harvested and gaining a deep understanding of how food gets from the bottom of the Chesapeake Bay to the table. Sustainability is a cornerstone of his culinary ethos. He has worked closely with people like Nick Hargrove — Maryland’s only USDA-certified blue catfish processor — and remains conscious of being a good steward of the environment like reducing the invasive catfish and protecting the beloved oysters of the Shore.
Peet said the most exciting part of being a chef is that “you have an unlimited ceiling of creativity.” Working on the Shore offers access to the freshest catch of the day, but it can also be challenging to balance local ingredients with global products.
“It’s great but daunting… it gets overwhelming,” he said of the endless options.
He also pointed out that leading a kitchen comes with its own set of hurdles. Aligning different personalities and making sure the front-of-house service matches the energy and precision of the back-of-house staff is no easy feat.
“It is very important my team is taken care of before myself,” Peet said.
Harley Peet stands outside of Bas Rouge.
Photo by Arden Haley.
Mark Salter poses with the key to the best crab cakes, freshly picked Chesapeake Blue Crab. Photo was taken at Bay Hundred Seafood, just outside of St. Michaels.
Ruse executive chef and partner Michael Correll stands outside the restaurant in St. Michaels. Correll was named a semi-finalist of the James Beard Award for best chef in the Mid-Atlantic in January.
Photo by Konner Metz.
Photo by Maggie Trovavto.
Peet credits much of Bas Rouge’s success to Prager’s relentless pursuit of quality.
“Everything has to be the utmost best… and he never says no,” Peet said. He believes that diners on the Shore expect the same quality they’d find in New York or D.C. And now, with his James Beard Award drawing national attention, “people are paying attention.”
Michael Correll, executive chef at Ruse in St. Michaels, represents the next wave of Shore chefs, blending ambition with authenticity. Growing up as a school athlete, Correll found a similar rhythm in professional kitchens.
“Cooking is like playing a team sport,” he said.
Corell’s résumé includes high-end spots like Lacroix in Philadelphia and Tagliata in Baltimore. But it was a pandemic pivot — and a job ad online — that brought him to the Shore.
“I was looking for a change,” he said.
At Ruse, Correll runs a hyper-seasonal kitchen with dishes that push boundaries while staying rooted in local flavor. One standout is his take on a Maryland classic: blue crab cacio e pepe, featuring crabmeat from Hooper’s Island.
Being named a James Beard semifinalist in 2025 has helped put Ruse on the map, but Correll isn’t slowing down.
“There’s more to come,” he said. “There’s a big market here in the summertime,” and with year-round residents increasingly choosing to dine locally, the opportunity to grow is real.
Ask all three chefs what the Shore’s dining scene might look like in ten years, and you’ll hear the same refrain: It’s going to get bigger and bolder while keeping the focus on local.
Salter envisions more chefs training locally, creating food that reflects its seasons and history. Peet sees Easton evolving into a legitimate culinary hub, drawing national attention. He and Correll are already planning their next ventures — in their respective restaurants, of course — and hope to inspire other chefs to view the Shore not as a stepping stone but as a final destination.
“I’ve fallen in love with it here,” Correll said. “The access to fresh seafood, the farms, the pace of life — it’s all here. The key is to just keep pushing and show people what’s possible.”
What’s happening on the Shore isn’t just about fine dining. It’s about a way of life — one where watermen, farmers and chefs are all part of the same conversation.
“Food here has always been good,” Salter said. “Now, it’s just getting the recognition it deserves.” S
Harley Peet creates dishes using locally sourced ingredients.
Savor the Chesapeake in Talbot County From docksid s afood r staurants to ch f-crafted c astal cuisine, alb t unt ’s to ns s r the Ba ’s fresh st fla rs. Dine in East n, O f rd, St. Micha ls, ilghman Island, and rappe h re ev r bite cel brat s local tradition.
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COMMUNITY & BUSINESS HIGHLIGHTS IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
• Apollo's Dream Foundation, Inc.
• Arnaiz Chocolat at St. Michaels
• Care Partner Perfection, LLC
• Easton Liquors
• Miles Creek Irrigation and Lighting
• Moira Kline Concierge Services, LLC
• Nightingale Health
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• Pretty & Polished, LLC
• St. Michaels Comunity Center
• Talbot Vacant Home Solutions
• The Market At Dover Station
• The Promenade at Easton
UPCOMING EVENTS
Chamber events are open to the public—members enjoy VIP pricing and other perks. To register, TalbotChamber.org.or call 410-822-4653
• May 1st 12-2 pm Complimentary Lunch & Learn with Tidewater Toastmasters at the Chamber. Space is limited!
• May 6th 8-9 am ING Intentional Networking Group monthly meeting
• May 8th 10-11 am Chamber Government Affairs & Member Advocacy Committee meeting at the Chamber
• May 9th 8:30-9:30 am Talbot Young Professionals Committee meeting
• May 14th 12 pm Annual Legislative Wrap Up Luncheon Easton VFW
• May 14th 5:30 pm 5 Chamber Regional Mixer at Chesapeake College
• May 16th 9-1 pm SBA office hours at the Chamber: FREE consultations!
• May 21st 8-10 am Women in Business Professional Development Breakfast at The Ivy in Easton
• May 21st 8:30-9:30 am Non-Profit Leaders PULSE meeting at Brooklett’s
• May 29th 4:30-6:30 pm Business After Hours Mixer at BDK, inc., Easton
We’re thrilled to celebrate the grand opening of Pretty & Polished, Easton;s newest nail salon! Visit them at 314 N Aurora St in Easton. Call 443-786-6230 to book your appointment and treat yourself today!
Sail Selina is proud to be newly welcomed into the National Park Service Chesapeake Gateways Network! Celebrate this honor — and Captain Iris's final sailing season — with an unforgettable Chesapeake Bay sunset or dinner cruise. Book today at sailselina.com
&
WHERE local flavors artistry MEET
THE CHESTERTOWN FARMERS MARKET
ABIGAIL HOLLIS PHOTOGRAPHY
Tucked in the heart of Kent County, the Chestertown Farmers Market flourishes year-round. Multi-colored tents, signs, and products spring up on the main thoroughfare leading to the banks of the Chester River. The market transforms the 200 and 300 blocks of High Street into a bustling hub every Saturday from 8 a.m. til noon. Here, local farmers, artisans and patrons (and their dogs) gather to offer and enjoy
STORY BY CHARLOTTE ZANG
PHOTOS BY
fresh produce, handcrafted goods and a rich sense of camaraderie that has become a family tradition in the picturesque town. People who came to the market as children now visit to purchase food and gifts for their friends and family.
To fully experience the Chestertown Farmers Market, start by making your way through Fountain Park, where the centerpiece “Lady in the Park” fountain has stood proudly since 1899. Step off the brick sidewalks and stroll past vendors who display more than typical farmer’s market fare: they present the spirit of the community. Chat with the merchants as you choose from locally grown fruits, vegetables, flowers and herbs. It’s easy to strike up a conversation and find out what makes their products so special. For example, Bert Lindauer of Running W Farms, located just a few miles away, will gladly tell you about the all-natural beef products made from her family’s herd of Scottish Highland cattle.
Take a few more steps and you’ll discover some irresistible items. Linger in front of the tables of scrumptious baked goods, cottage pies, soups and charcuterie boards, and you might be lucky enough to taste a sample. When you get to the artisan’s section, you’ll see a wide range of unique art, pottery, quilts, jewelry, handcrafted birdhouses and more. Friendly crafters are eager to share their products and answer questions about how they were made.
The consensus among the vendors is that the Chestertown Farmers Market is a vital part of their business. While the inventory may change with the seasons, the opportunity to sell their goods yearround is quite valuable. Some vendors said they don’t sell online, only in person, and their businesses have grown in response to the demand.
For some people, the pandemic changed their career trajectory and spawned businesses. Melissa McGlynn was the pastry chef at a local restaurant until COVID19 caused a temporary shutdown. Drawing on her training at Le Cordon Bleu, she founded McGlynn’s Cottage Pies, which she calls “comfort food at your convenience.” Her pot pies are baked from scratch and frozen, ready to heat and eat.
The Lapp Family Bakery table is a market favorite,
Top: Doug Sassi
Middle: Patrons of the market peruse vendor tents. Bottom: Jacqueline Lockbriar with her brother, James Lockbriar.
as evidenced by the long line of customers who have armloads of goodies ready to check out. Melvin and Ruth Anne Lapp offer fresh-baked bread, cookies, rolls, pies and cakes.
“Our best-sellers are the chocolate chip cookies and cinnamon buns,” Melvin Lapp said. He noted that the business has grown quite a bit in part due to the company’s presence at the Chestertown Farmers Market.
Rhonda Gover of Beadlady Designs manages the Artisan section. She has been selling her jewelry at the market for more than 15 years. Through her efforts, there are now more vendors offering handcrafted items.
“The market has definitely grown,” Gover said. “People love to come to our town. It’s a great way to support small businesses.”
Potter Doug Sassi agrees. Standing behind a display of his exquisite stoneware creations that entice visitors to stop and look, he commented that many people at the farmers market came from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and Wilmington, Delaware, during the pandemic.
“Thanks to being here on Saturdays, I’ve met so many new customers, and my business has expanded,” Sassi said.
In many towns, the farmer’s market is only open from spring through autumn. The Chestertown Farmers Market is different. It’s open all year to help farmers and crafters sell their goods. This enhances the community, building strong businesses that serve neighbors and people from surrounding areas. The Chestertown Farmers Market perfectly blends Eastern Shore flavors and designs with small-town charm. S
CREATING A LEGACY and a phenomenal tidewater rockfish AT KENT NARROW’S FISHERMAN’S INN
Jumbo lump crab, fresh rockfish, fried green tomatoes… If you’re looking for a Maryland meal that tastes just like it came from your favorite grandmother’s kitchen, you’re imagining lunch at Kent Narrows’ Fisherman’s Inn.
The restaurant began in 1930, when “Captain Alex” opened in Kent Narrows to provide a spot for locals and travelers to the Eastern Shore to grab a simple bite. His daughter, Betty, took over the restaurant side as an adult — now known as “Ms. Betty” — and raised her own family for generations, seeing her children and grandchildren grow up within its walls.
KATIE MELYNN
In her cookbook, Ms. Betty chronicles her earliest memories and what it was like to share bathrooms with customers, pack oysters and crabs, and whip up pies for the restaurant. Reading like a conversation held in a sunlit kitchen on a spring day, the cookbook weaves the history of the place with tips on how to make a great salad dressing and the anatomy of an oyster plate.
It’s not surprising that the same feeling of being taken care of flows through every space at Fisherman’s Inn as well.
STORY AND PHOTOS BY
Executive Chef Bill Lynch and new
Executive Chef Mike Greenwood working at Fisherman’s Inn
GENERATIONS SEE THE JOURNEY
“My mother used to bring us to work, put us in a cardboard box in the kitchen,” said Tracy Schultz, Ms. Betty’s son and one of the three owners of the restaurant. “They would keep an eye on us, that was our daycare.”
As Tracy and his two brothers, Andy and Jody, grew up, they took on more work in the kitchen, dining room, and beyond. “As a little kid, I was stocking shelves and dishwashing. We sort of each found our niche in the business.”
Today, the three keep the restaurant (and the working train car put in the dining room by their father) on track year-round. They opened up the Fisherman’s
NATIONAL MUSIC
Crab Deck next door during the summer months.
Benji Waters, a cook on the line, also stood on crates to reach the sink when he first started working at Fisherman’s Inn as a dish-washer at the age of 13.
“Ms. Betty didn’t want to hire me because I was so young,” he said. “It seems like family. I grew up with the owners.”
Now working at Fisherman’s for more than 50 years, Waters has his favorite dishes and says customers ask for him by name. When he brings out a plate of crab cakes, still made with Ms. Betty’s recipe, you know that you’re at Fisherman’s.
Left: Chef team at Fisherman’s Inn. Right: Juan Chaves and Juanita Garcia.
Ch p k B Gift !
21326 SharpSt., Rock Hall
410-639-7980
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PASSING THE SPATULA
Bill Lynch, the executive chef at Fisherman’s Inn, has been at the helm of the kitchen for years, but is getting ready to pass the reins over to Mike Greenwood.
The two work side-by-side to keep the timeless dishes just the way that people remember and make innovations with new specials.
“It’s important for places like this to exist,” Greenwood said. “This place has employed generations. You don’t always see that anymore.”
Schultz echoes the feeling, remarking on the close bond between everyone who comes through the doors at Fisherman’s.
“Our employees make the whole place run smoothly,” he said. “Our employees are 100% what makes us what we are.”
Even after a devastating fire closed the restaurant for around six months in 1980, all but one employee came back to work when they reopened in the summer of 1981. The staff wouldn’t have it any other way and many have been working at Fisherman’s for decades.
If the customers’ happy smiles and empty plates are any indication, the recipe that they have going on at Fisherman’s Inn is working. S
COFFEE SHOP
Left: The kitchen staff work during lunch at Fisherman’s Inn.
Right: Staff photo at Fisherman’s Inn.
Discover the historic Brampton 1860 inn and wedding venue on 35 acres of landscaped gardens, meadows, and forest on Maryland’sEastern Shore. Our boutique inn is a stone’sthrow from the quaint town of Chestertown.
More than ever do we need places of beauty, serenity and peace to escape to. The Brampton 1860 has always been that magical oasis with beautiful gardens, porch swings and good food where every detail is crafted to offer awarm welcome, simple elegance, and unparalleled hospitality.
The guest rooms and secluded cottages offer consummate privacy with luxurious amenities. The menu of our freshly prepared à-la carte breakfast changes daily.
At Brampton 1860, you’ll find aplace you’ll never want to leave!
TASTE BUDS TASTE BUDS
If you’re looking to brush up on your cooking skills, Taste Buds Kitchen in Chester, MD is the place to go. Offering cooking classes with trained and seasoned professionals, Taste Buds is guaranteed to improve your kitchen know-how, whether you’re an experienced cook or just getting started. They offer classes for all ages, including special events such as date nights, family classes, birthday parties, summer camps, and more.
I recently attended a class at Taste Buds, and not only learned a lot but had a great time doing it. Though I consider myself an experienced home cook, my evening at Taste Buds broadened my horizons and encouraged me to try new things. The theme of the night was pasta-making, something I had never tried before, and in just two hours I had learned two new recipes and a plethora of skills to take home with me. We started out with making and kneading the pasta dough. Jessica Walkling, the general manager and instructor at Taste Buds, brought everyone up to the front for a brief demonstration: it’s as simple as combining flour, eggs, and oil in a bowl, then mixing until a cohesive ball forms. As we worked on the first steps, Jessica came around to check on our progress and to give pointers as needed. When our dough was
complete, we headed back up front to see the next steps.
While the pasta dough rested in the fridge, we learned how to make two delicious sauces: a roasted red pepper alfredo, and a nut-free pesto (all Taste Buds recipes are nut-free for allergen safety). Taste Buds staff members also clean and prepare each cooking station between steps to keep the whole experience streamlined; all you have to worry about is cooking. Jessica showed us several tips to speed things up, such as the best methods for chopping various vegetables. We peeled and diced the roasted red peppers, onions, and garlic, then got those simmering; once the onions were translucent and the garlic was fragrant, we added vegetable stock, heavy cream, goat cheese, parmesan, and tomato sauce.
While that simmered away, we got to work on the pesto, which included basil, blanched spinach and peas, roasted garlic, sunflower seeds, lemon zest and juice, parmesan, and a healthy dose of olive oil. Once blended up, the result was a thick, rich and zesty sauce; I could’ve eaten a bowl of it by itself. At this point the pasta dough was finished resting, so we got started rolling it out using a special attachment for an electric mixer. Jessica taught us how to “laminate” the
STORY AND PHOTOS BY JAMES YOUNG
A cornmeal-lined tray of fresh farfalle pasta.
dough: after rolling it flat, we folded it back on itself and rolled it again, strengthening the gluten in the dough. This creates a better, more toothsome texture.
We ended up making two different shapes of pasta: spaghetti, which we cut using another fancy electric mixer attachment, and farfalle (my personal favorite) which we cut and folded by hand. It took some time and a lot of practice, but once the shaping was complete, I had a chance to sit back and reflect on the process. Seeing the finished pasta in front of me, which had been a pile of flour and egg less than two hours ago, was immensely gratifying. We sauced the two pastas and sat down to eat; both were absolutely delicious. The farfalle with red pepper alfredo was creamy and tangy, with notes of sweetness from the roasted peppers. The spaghetti with pesto had deep, complex herbal flavors, which perfectly complemented the al dente bite of the pasta.
Taste Buds Kitchen is a national franchise with locations in eleven states, with more planned to open soon. The company’s founder, Jessi Walter Brelford,
was working on Wall Street when she had the idea of hosting a cupcake-making birthday party at a friend’s apartment; she enjoyed the experience so much that she decided to turn it into a business, opening the first Taste Buds location in 2007. The Chester location, which is now the company’s national headquarters, opened in 2019, and continued teaching virtual classes throughout the Covid lockdown.
Jessica’s instruction is informative and engaging, with a healthy dose of humor added in. She is patient and will always stop to answer questions. The other employees at Taste Buds are helpful and kind, taking care of the less pleasant aspects of cooking (cleaning up, organizing ingredients, etc.) so you can focus just on the fun parts. The classes cover a wide range of recipes and culinary skills, including the popular Rustic Italian Cooking lesson, the upscale Argentinian Steakhouse meal, and the Sliders & Shakes family class. Whatever the occasion, a session at Taste Buds Kitchen promises to boost your skills in the kitchen and to offer you an evening of unforgettable fun. S
Taste Buds Kitchen attendees knead and laminate pasta dough
A shelf of organized kitchen equipment including mixers, cutting boards, sheet trays, and more.
Taste Buds Kitchen attendee uses an immersion blender to blend a sauce.
Taste Buds Kitchen attendees prepare to start cooking.
