Opening Gala Celebrating Campari's Negroni Cocktail at Manhattan Cocktail Classic

Well, I thought I would make it to the opening gala at the New York Public Library but the following circumstances kept me from climbing the grand marble steps into this iconic temple of learning now outfitted with luxe tasting stations, pulsing light displays and house music:

• It was 12 midnight when I arrived and I didn’t check into my hotel yet…located down in Lower Manhattan next to the World Trade Center. Since I was in town only for Saturday’s festivities across the street at the Andaz, I thought it would be wise to catch some shut eye and make the most of tomorrow.

• To coin a phrase, I was dressed casual chic…meaning I still had my backpack along with my sport jacket paired with t-shirt and jeans. This opening bash is definitely an occasion to break out your classiest most creative outfit…for guys it’s probably your wedding duds stashed to the back of the closet with thoughtful twists like perhaps a top hat or off beat tie. To do any less would simply leave you feeling kind of well…naked.

So it was with my first introduction to the Manhattan Cocktail Classic that I learned a valuable lesson about attending this 4-day long event: Don’t even try to cram it into a compressed schedule if you can absolutely help it. You need a place to camp out for a few days, unfurl, and pace yourself intelligently with the libations. Speaking of which…the most important ingredient…liquor! This is after all a celebration with plenty of opportunities to explore various specialty liquors, how to best mix, and most importantly imbibe them.

Flash to Saturday morning, 11 a.m., Andaz Hotel second floor, site of Manhattan Cocktail Classic’s Industry Invitational. Salons along with a couple outdoor terraces served as home base for the day. Additional tastings and parties across NYC were scheduled in addition to this main event. Luckily there was an app available to keep track of when and where these offsite activities were taking place. With program in hand, I got to meet a lot of the faces behind brands like James Hayman from London’s Hayman Distillers producing a wide array of tasty batch gins; Marc De Kupyer, yes a member of that De Kupyer enterprise who among other liqueurs, has resurrected Mandarine Napolean from the fabled ruler’s personal recipe; and Eric Seed from Haus Alpenz, importers of fine French Vermouths and aromatized wines among other treasures.   I also sat in on some seminars ranging from an uber product PR pitch by Patron Tequila setting the record straight about their authentic production methods to Left of Center, bar consultant Tobin Ellis’ riotous accounts from the art of making a buck selling cocktails in some of the highest end Vegas watering holes. And then there was a studio kitchen chef periodically demonstrating how to incorporate Angostura Bitters into various recipes like burgers and mac & cheese bites…another sampling opportunity complete with take-home recipe cards!

Each seminar had the classic setup of conference room table and chairs but instead of esoteric handouts and boring Power Points, resulting samples or full cocktails embodying each presentation were abundantly available for sipping. Wish my video could transport flavor experiences to you but for that, you’ll have to make your own plans to visit next year!

Photo courtesy of Hanna Lee Communications. Video courtesy of Steve Mirsky

Manhattan Cocktail Classic Revelry

It has been a long running event on my bucket list to attend the Manhattan Cocktail Classic! I’m anticipating this will be a NYC equivalent to Tales of the Cocktail held each year in New Orleans. It all starts tonight at the NY Public Library where instead of books, libations by the cart load with be served up in elegance. A great way to sample many cocktails featuring a wide array of venerable liquors. Although I’m sure to acquire many new favorites, I’m most looking forward to the Campari Bar scheduled for Astor Hall serving 3 different kinds of Negronis: pre-bottled carbonated, classic, and the debut of the New York Negroni featuring Brooklyn-made Dorothy Parker Gin.

Another intriguing development for this year’s Gala experience is a cutting-edge digital component enabling all 3500+ guests to track their drinks, upload photos, check in on Facebook, and more – all with a simple tap of the wrist using NFC (Near Field Communication) enabled bracelets. Then, on Monday morning, everybody receives a customized email curated by TastingTable.com containing detailed recipes for each drink sampled. This sure beats scribbling recipes on the back of napkins or stuffing tons of pre printed brochures into a plastic bag. Stay tuned for real time hijinks and revelry!

Photo courtesy of Manhattan Cocktail Classic

Oyster Tin Display at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum Illustrates the Eastern Shore's Tenuous Bounty

If travel plans or your backyard’s proximity put you anywhere near Maryland’s Eastern Shore over the coming week, you simply can’t miss Talbot County’s Restaurant Week! This is your chance to try out some of the area’s top culinary stars in a region that’s blossomed in recent years into a must- taste culinary mecca.

No fewer than twelve Talbot County dining spots are listed in the 2011 edition of the famed Zagat guide to Washington, DC and Baltimore. The main reason behind this development is the region’s abundance of just caught seafood and loads of fresh seasonal produce from numerous local farms. This is largely due to the fact that the tentacles of suburban sprawl have been kept at bay here. Naturally, talented chefs have followed establishing themselves in this top quality food purveyors’ paradise. “Talbot Restaurant Week introduces diners to the most contemporary trends in gourmet dining, from European infusions to Chesapeake Bay specialties. Not only have our chefs trained and worked around the globe, many offer their time-honored recipes from esteemed culinary regions. They can’t wait to present their special culinary creations to tantalize diners’ taste buds”, says Debbi Dodson, Talbot County Office of Tourism Director.

Here are my experiences with 2 stellar restaurants among the lineup in this event:

Sherwood’s Landing at The Inn at Perry Cabin

The opulent manor-style Inn at Perry Cabin boasts the Eastern Shore’s only 4 diamond restaurant. Sherwood’s Landing, overlooking

Goat Cheese Mousse for Dessert at Sherwood Landing

the Chesapeake, is helmed by new executive chef Aaron Mc Cloud who has worked in an impressive lineup of top restaurants from the Vermont mountains down to Victoria and Albert’s in Florida. At an early age, Albert traded in his violin bow as a professional musician, picked up a chefs knife, and carved out a remarkable performance in the culinary arts. His artistry shows through in his world class preparation and presentation of farm-to-fork dishes that change with the seasons. Standouts that I ordered included roasted wild rockfish with pumpkin & apple salad, oyster stew, and a goat cheese mousse dessert plate.

Tilghman Island Inn

Tilghman Island Inn, right on the waterfront of Knapp’s Narrows, overlooks marsh and the Chesapeake Bay beyond. The restaurant’s menu incorporates local seafood and game whenever possible and David McCallum, co-owner and Executive Chef, is heavily influenced by his southern roots in South Carolina and New Orleans. Since David grew up on a farm, sourcing fresh produce, eggs, and meat is second nature to him. He has formed partnerships with local

Spicy Brazilian Duck Tart in a Sweet Cornmeal Crust at Tilghman Island Inn

growers and fisherman to get just picked vegetables as well as fresh caught rockfish, crabmeat, bluefish, soft shell crabs, oyster and shad roe. He also inventively uses unique regional ingredients like heirloom rice from South Carolina, grains from Minnesota, and grits from Georgia. But don’t come here expecting comfort food in a rustic setting. The dining experience and kitchen prowess is all about white table cloths and international panache influenced by David’s culinary excursions to Europe, South America and Asia.

During my visit, in honor of the weekend’s Waterfowl Festival, David hosted a Wild Game and French Wines dinner. Tasty inventive dishes included chick pea dusted frog legs with lemon caper tartar sauce; spicy Brazilian duck tart encrusted in cornmeal; braised rabbit; and my favorite, wild boar sausage with lobster, mustard, and scallion risotto. For me, the big surprise wine pairing with these dishes was an array of Lanquedocs. The dark chocolate red wine mousse served as a crowning touch to the meal.

Be sure to check out the full roster when planning your visit!

Photos courtesy of Steve Mirsky

Grand Tasting Room Entrance

I arrived early at the Mohegan Sun WineFest, right at the front door leading to the Grand Tasting Room before the first glass was even touched. I was on a mission.  This year, with event program in hand, I committed myself to roughing out a game plan for the day ahead. With approximately 50 tasting tables & pavilions each with multiple vintages to pick from, 10 chef demonstrations on the main stage, additional special events like the Elite Grand Cru Tasting along with food booths, various liquor & cocktail samples, and a wide array of beers upstairs, it’s easy to get distracted and overwhelmed. And did I mention the crowds vying for samples close behind and to either side of you?

It’s tempting to take the spontaneous route and not have a plan. Just let the experience unfold, wander to tables that seem appealing, and taste anything you can get your hands on. The only problem with this approach is you’ll quickly get frazzled navigating the crowds, and miss your favorite top chefs on stage. Your palate will also get mighty confused in a short time, unable to accurately discern each wine’s distinctive flavors. So there is a reason that the Sun WineFest spans 2 days…take your time…follow the less-is-more

Toasting Good Cheer at Sun WineFest

adage and develop your own daily itinerary. Here’s what worked for me:

Wine Tasting Strategy

Decide before you arrive in the Grand Tasting Ballroom what types of wines you simply can’t miss. Go ahead and give in to some comfortable old favorites but also be sure to pick some unfamiliar vintages that pique your interest as well. After all, this place is like speed dating for wines so play the field…with a purpose. Which leads to the next major rule of thumb…try to stick with whites first, then hit the reds. Upon reaching your limit, feel free to give into several full flight tastings which include both…you earned it!

Main Stage Chef Presentations

Here’s an unavoidable fact…there will be slightly lighter tasting table crowds during presentations. Unless you’re a Food Network junkie or in the food/hospitality business, it’s hard to determine which chefs out of the lineup will most effectively intrigue you. This is where a little pre-event research goes a long way. Sure the program

Bobby Flay at Sun Wine Fest

has a brief bio for each chef but it helps to become a bit more acquainted by watching an episode on youtube to get an idea of focus and presentation style. Some sound interesting on the surface but perhaps Jacque Torres‘ finer techniques in making the perfect chocolate bon bon isn’t really going to captivate you for over an hour after all. While others are basking in the star power of Bobby Flay or deciding if they really want to stick it out, you stand a better chance getting up to the table of your choice and receiving a personal wine flight narration.

Beers and Liquors

Even though you’ll only get a modest swallow per glass, if you plan on tasting as many beers and specialty liquors as possible, it helps to keep in mind the old rule of thumb, “Liquor and beer, you’re in the clear…beer and liquor, couldn’t be sicker.” Most importantly, save these libations for after your wine tasting since they totally alter your palate’s sensitivity. It also helps to keep in mind that heading upstairs to the beer tables involves transitioning into a different environment…more of a party scene rather than a focused celebration of gastronomic delights.

Take Breaks

I know it feels like you’re missing out on valuable tasting time but walking out of the ballroom onto the casino floor for about a half hour a couple times each day makes all the difference. You get a chance to clear your head, grab a seat along the way, and recharge your sensory perceptions. It may come as no surprise that being on your feet for hours sandwiched amongst fellow wine enthusiasts takes its toll. Excitement can only sustain you so long. Take a break…your body will thank you for it and you’ll enjoy your tasting time much more.  See you next year!

Photos courtesy of Steve Mirsky and Mohegan Sun

Pies on Parade

I blame it on my “sphere of activity”, a convenient phrase I use to describe routine daily movement whether it be back and forth to work, hitting the grocery store, or even taking day trips. We fall into a pattern of convenience and familiarity…which makes perfect sense for doing everyday tasks. But for travel and vacations, this can be very limiting indeed. Living here in New England most of my life, I can count on 3 fingers how many times I’ve visited the strikingly large state of Maine…large for New England that is. But this changed last week when I visited mid-coast Maine’s Rockland.

I’m betting that if you’re not a foodie, travel writer, or local tourism board staffer, you had no idea that Rockland Maine is also known as Pie Town USA. About an hour drive from I-295 winding down mostly rural Route 1, you quite suddenly arrive in an historic village overlooking the rocky shores of Penobscot Bay. My January visit, coinciding with the 8^th Annual Pies on Parade was a much different experience than visiting during summer when Windjammer tours continually set sail just offshore, fresh caught lobster is celebrated with another more widely known Lobster Festival, and the ocean’s beauty attracts droves of sea

Lime Rock Inn for the Holidays

kayakers, fishing enthusiasts, and all-around fun-in-the-sun junkies.

For a town with a main street that can be driven through in 5 minutes, Rockland boasts an impressive array of eclectic restaurants and cultural attractions that put other typical mid-size towns to shame. The secret is historic preservation which enables the Farnsworth Art Museum‘s extensive collections to be showcased alongside local shops like Rock City Coffee Roasters and the Grasshopper

Keylime Tartlets

Shop. These solid multi-story brick blocks are punctuated by side streets leading to residential streets studded with stately Victorian homes, some of which are now magnificent B&Bs. I was lucky to be a guest at the Limerock Inn which was a Pies on Parade participant serving their signature key lime pie tartlets. The other 20 “parade” stops were all within walking distance of each other offering both a sweet and savory pie.

As I made my way from Amalfi on the Water all the way up to the Berry Manor Inn armed with an officially stamped recycled metal fork, I discovered that this was not only a great way to sample a ton of delicious pies ranging from classic Maine blueberry to seafood and German onion pie, but the perfect opportunity to taste a restaurant or inn’s cuisine and meet the owners behind the inspiration. It would be impossible to accomplish this under normal circumstances.

Cafe Miranda's Chef Kerry Sharing Pizza Pie Samples

Sometimes the pie theme was skewed a bit to accommodate eateries who didn’t have anything resembling pie on the menu like the deconstructed chicken tamale with red mole at Park Street Grille and the turkey & sweet potato empanadas at Rheal Day Spa.

My absolute favorite pie was Café Miranda’s Apple and Mascarpone Pizza on Cocoa Dough. This small bistro with a gigantically diverse menu helmed by Chef Kerry has an open kitchen behind the bar and a wood-fired brick oven that really gives life and substance to pizza crust…not to mention the huge chunks of Focaccia bread served in baskets at each table during regular restaurant hours. I highly recommend that you table your usual ski vacation next winter and book a weekend Pies on Parade package with one of the Historic Inns of Rockland.

Photos courtesy of  Steve Mirsky and Lime Rock Inn.  Coverage made possible courtesy of a partially sponsored trip.

Mohegan Sun Wine Fest

If you’ve ever attended the Mohegan Sun Wine Fest, you already know that it’s one gigantic bonanza of not only wine tastings but a stellar line-up of celebrity chef cooking demonstrations, food samplings of top regional cuisine (extra charge), and plenty of beer and liquor tasting opportunities as well. The cover charge for this main event is $70 per day…certainly enough to keep hopeless barflies and the $1 gin & tonic crowd at bay. But still, you’ll notice roughly two types of attendees in the crowd. The first is serious trade…restaurant owners & bar tenders looking to keep up on the latest imbibing trends and making informed purchases. And of course all the merchants marketing these lovely libations. The second group range from dedicated oenophiles to refined lushes. You can either sniff, swirl, taste, and spit or make your way around the maze of tables fully enjoying each wine being offered. There are arguments for and against each approach but it’s the escalator leading up to the second floor packed with beer and other various alcoholic beverage booth that transports you to a louder talking partyish scene. Last year I sampled among many others Jeremiah Weed Ice Tea, Narragansett Ale, and Hawaii’s own Kona Brewing Company’s full lineup.  On your way back down the escalator, you’re bound to hear a tipsy utterance or alcohol infused conversations.

Back in the Grand Ball Room, you’ll immediately be immersed in main stage chef presentations which this year promise to be exceptional with an impressive lineup including Todd English, Bobby Flay, and Donatella Arpaia.  Culminating each day of the festival is the hilarious Grape Stomp and highly competitive Oyster Open shucking competition.  I can’t wait to see what this year brings and hope to see you there!

Video and photo courtesy of Steve Mirsky & Mohegan Sun Casino

Pies on Parade Selection

Who suspected that Rockland, way up in Mid-Coast Maine, is also known as Pie Town USA? Perhaps you’ve heard of Rockland for its extensive Wyeth collection at the Farnsworth Art Museum, its distinctive rocky Penobscot Bay shoreline or succulent lobster boils and majestic Windjammer excursions during summer.

Rockland’s pie claim-to-fame is thanks to Food Network’s Bobby Flay when he paid a visit here for a pie throwdown. Held each year on the second to the last day of January in conjunction with National Pie Day, this year’s 8^th Annual Pies on Parade Pie Tour promises to be bigger than ever. The whole town will go pie crazy on Sunday, January 22, 2012 from 1:00 – 5:00pm when hungry pie eaters converge to sample more than 45 different pies at restaurants and inns throughout town.

Forget your notions of staid apple and pumpkin pies…this pie tour offers up everything from Shepherd’s Pie and a number of gourmet Pizza Pies to sweet and savory Italian Galettes, seafood pies, Whoopie Pies and the signature Key LimeRock Pie at the LimeRock Inn. Of course, for those who still love the age-old classics, look for Apple, Raspberry and Blueberry along with savory egg pies at the Berry Manor Inn and a newly developed Cranberry Apple Pie and a delicious crab quiche at the Granite Inn. Captain Lindsey House will serve their signature Cornish Meat Pasties too. And for those needing to mind their caloric intake, several healthy pies are a part of the lineup as well. Crust made with Fiore olive oil will encase a “Not Too Sweet” Sweet Potato Pie (chosen for the antioxidant qualities of sweet potatoes & gluten free) and a Refined Sugar-free, Lavender, Honey and Yogurt Pie.

If you plan on staying the entire weekend, you better act fast because rooms book up far in advance. The Historic Inns of Rockland have created a 2 night Pie Tour package starting at $345:

• Two guaranteed tickets to the biggest pie event in New England
• Two personal pies baked just for you
• One 2012 commemorative Pies on Parade poster
• A $50 Midcoast Money dinner voucher on Saturday at your choice of many area restaurants.
• Top Tips for Surviving the Pie-Fest from veteran Pie Paraders
• Two tickets and exclusive tour of Owls Head Transportation Museum on Saturday where pies will be paired with foreign autos by country of origin 12:15-2:15
• Exclusive tour of Audubon’s Project Puffin Center on Saturday 1/22/12 from 2:30 – 3:00 pm or 3-3:30 pm featuring “Sweet Cream Puff(in) Pastry Pies”
• Invitation to a “Wine and Pie” tasting at the Wine Seller Saturday, from 3:30-5:30 pm with exclusive tasting from 3-3:30 pm
• Complimentary access to Maine Lighthouse Museum opening on Sunday, at 10am featuring “Lite Pies”

Perhaps one day is more manageable on your waist and budget. Tickets for the Inn-to-Inn Tour alone are a bargain at $25 for adults and $10 for children ten and under.

Photo Courtesy of the Historic Inns of Rockland

Talbot County on the Chesapeake

One striking feature of traveling down Route 301 about an hour after crossing the Delaware border into Maryland is that all vestiges of suburbia like strip development and shopping centers recede into wide open fields and miles of undisturbed forest. Partially due to the fact that I was headed out here in November to experience the Annual Waterfowl Festival, I immediately thought, “Wow, what great farming and hunting grounds.” This coming from somebody who has never shot a rifle or climbed aboard a tractor. Little did I know that Talbot County’s first impressions were already revealing the underlying culinary treasures brimming forth from this peninsula jutting out into the Chesapeake Bay on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.

Easton: Talbot County’s Premier Downtown

The first town you reach almost immediately upon exiting Route 50 is the historic village of Easton. It’s easy to see how this town earned the distinction of being the “Colonial Capital of the Eastern Shore”. If you take away the cars, it feels like you’re stepping back in time surrounded by turn of the century ornately designed brick buildings flanking many streets while the more residential sections are lined with grand Victorian homes lovingly maintained as they were when they were originally built. Luckily during Waterfowl Festival held each year here in November, you can fully enjoy this pre-car ambiance when all of Harrison Ave. and some side streets are closed off and the sidewalks are filled with

Hot Off The Coals

local food vendors. Smoke wafting from huge slabs of pit beef and whole turkeys cooking on a smoker the size of an SUV grabbed my attention. Hot Off The Coals from the nearby town of Queen Anne MD not only had the most tender wood-fired smoked turkey sandwiches I’ve ever tasted but were peppering their service with periodic duck calls. Next it was on to the tasting pavilion to sample local wines and grab a bread bowl of crab soup chock full of sweet blue crab meat. However, the tons of waterfowl sculptures artfully made from materials ranging from bronze to wood are a major raison d’être of this festival. Collectors from all across the country come to browse and purchase these true-to-life replicas of waterfowl like Blackwater Woodies and Mergansers. These serve as an inspiration for actual duck decoys used here during the popular duck hunting season that abounds in the coastal tidelands. Idlewild Park, on the fringes of downtown hosted a sportsman’s pavilion filled with hunting gear and a wide assortment of rifles. Also going on throughout the day, a Dock Dogs’ Competition put a roster of water dogs, mostly Labrador retrievers to the challenge, seeing how far they could jump into a tank of water to fetch tennis balls. Out in the field, this particular skill is relied upon to carry just-shot succulent duck back to their masters. Be sure not to miss the Historical Society of Talbot County on Washington Street which provides some illustrative exhibits covering area history. I promise that even museum-phobes will find it intriguing.

St. Michaels: Maritime Community Meets Shopping Village

Heading out away from Easton on Route 33 further down the peninsula past more stretches of undisturbed forest and pastureland,

Ava's Wood Fired Artichoke and Basil Pizza

you’ll quite suddenly emerge into downtown St. Michaels. The main route is now a historic thoroughfare flanked on either side by candy shops, funky boutiques, and eclectic eateries. Must visits include the Eastern Shore Brewery, St. Michaels Winery, and Ava’s Pizzeria and Wine Bar, the perfect lunch stop for some wood-fired pizza. St. Michaels Winery is located in an old mill complex and has a Log Canoe-inspired tasting room for sampling vintages like Gollywobbler Pink or their Chocolate Zinfandel.

The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum lies a few blocks away on brick sidewalks from the center of town on the banks of the Miles River. Be sure to reserve a full day to experience all the exhibits, many of which are hands-on like climbing up into the 1879 Hooper Straight Lighthouse, ringing its bell, and walking through rooms outfitted just as they stood when the last keeper

vacated the premises. You can even peek inside the period oven and poke around in the closets. For the more adventurous, the

Tonging at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum

museum hosts a Lighthouse Overnight Program where you can experience a lighthouse keeper’s rustic life firsthand. Other attractions include a working boatyard where you can get up close and watch teams of volunteers restoring the Skipjack Rosie Parks or talk with a shipwright or visiting captain. Step on board an oyster boat, the E.C. Collier, and enter the world of the working watermen on the Chesapeake Bay. Via video and mechanical motions, it feels like you’re on an actual boat at sea eavesdropping on the captain and crew as orders are shouted; the cook talks about lunch; the crew brings in the dredge and sorts the oysters. One of the accompanying exhibits also illustrates that today’s harvests are one hundredth of what they were at their height in the late 19th century. At Waterman’s Wharf, a recreated crabber’s shanty, try your hand at being a Chesapeake Bay waterman. Check an eel or crab pot to see if you’ve caught anything, or tong for oysters.

Just up the road, the opulent manor-style Inn at Perry Cabin boasts the Eastern Shore’s only 4 diamond restaurant. Sherwood’s Landing, overlooking the Chesapeake is helmed by new executive

Goat Cheese Mousse Plate at Sherwood's Landing

chef Aaron Mc Cloud who has worked in an impressive lineup of top restaurants from the Vermont mountains down to Victoria and Albert’s in Florida. At an early age, Albert traded in his violin bow as a professional musician, picked up a chefs knife, and carved out a remarkable performance in the culinary arts. His artistry shows through in his world class preparation and presentation of farm-to-fork dishes that change with the seasons. Standouts that I ordered included roasted wild rockfish with  pumpkin & apple salad, oyster stew, and a goat cheese mousse dessert plate.

Tilghman Island: Watermen and Local Ingredients

The only hint that you are now on an island is that you cross a bridge over Knapp’s Narrows. Really, it’s a continuation of the peninsula and you are getting closer to the tip. You’ll see a small marina below harboring recreational vessels as well as some commercial fishing boats…a clear sign that the ocean’s presence is ever closer. The tiny village of Tilghman Island, unlike Talbot County’s other towns, can really be driven through without noticing if you’re not paying attention. But slow down long enough and you’ll discover a couple gems that authentically showcase Chesapeake heritage. One is the Tilghman Watermen’s Museum. If it weren’t for the independent mom and pop fishermen heading out into waters tonging for oysters and catching crabs, fresh local seafood wouldn’t make it to dinner tables and restaurants. Currently housed in what used to be a barbershop, the small exhibit space is crammed with pictures of watermen in action, old pulleys, engine parts, rigging, and other tools of the trade…many of which are still in use today.

Tilghman Island Inn Bay Views

The other can’t miss attraction here is the Tilghman Island Inn right on the waterfront of Knapp’s Narrows overlooking marsh and the Chesapeake Bay beyond. Wooden docks right out their back door invite you to linger in a chair at sunset or enjoy your morning coffee in tranquility. The Inn’s primary attraction is their restaurant open to the public with a menu incorporating local seafood and game whenever possible. David McCallum, co-owner and Executive Chef is heavily influenced by his southern roots in South Carolina and New Orleans. Since David grew up on a farm, sourcing fresh produce, eggs, and meat is second nature to him. He has formed partnerships with local growers and fisherman to get just picked vegetables as well as fresh caught rockfish, crabmeat,

bluefish, soft shell crabs, oyster and shad roe. He also inventively uses unique regional ingredients like heirloom rice from South Carolina, grains from Minnesota, and grits from Georgia. But don’t come here expecting comfort food in a rustic setting. The dining experience and kitchen prowess is all about white table cloths and international panache influenced by David’s culinary excursions

Brazilian Duck Tart

to Europe, South America and Asia. During my visit, in honor of the weekend’s Waterfowl Festival, David hosted a Wild Game and French Wines dinner. Tasty inventive dishes included chick pea dusted frog legs with lemon caper tartar sauce; spicy Brazilian duck tart encrusted in cornmeal; braised rabbit; and my favorite, wild boar sausage with lobster, mustard, and scallion risotto. For me, the big surprise wine pairing with these dishes was an array of Lanquedocs. The dark chocolate red wine mousse served as a crowning touch to the meal.

Photos & video courtesy of Steve Mirsky.  Coverage made possible by participating in a partially sponsored trip.

Spicy Brazilian Duck Tart in a Sweet Cornmeal Crust Served at Tilghman Island Inn

And so I was on the road again down to Maryland’s Eastern shore to check out Talbot County, a peninsula jutting out into the Chesapeake only 2 hours from both D.C. and Baltimore but a world apart.  It just so happened that the Waterfowl Festival was going on in historic Easton during the weekend I was there.  To whet your appetite, here is one course from my French Wine & Wild Game dinner at the Tilghman Island Inn…a perfect pairing for the day’s activities.  Stay tuned!