29 December 2019
Oh, that was a bit too much last night… A fabulous evening of excellent food and cocktails at Sailor Oyster Bar here in Annapolis, but I was feeling very rough. But I was up relatively early as I had to get to the US Naval Academy at 9am and go to visit the USNA Cemetery — and to pay my respects to John McCain. The long walk from the checkpoint was for the better, as I really did need to walk all that booze off from last night.
I eventually headed east, across the Bay Bridge over to the Delmarva Peninsula. I made a few stops along the way, but eventually got to Rehoboth Beach. In the summer the roads would have been jammed and the place overrun with tourists, but it being the dead of winter it was nice and quiet. I checked into my now-usual hotel and chilled out…and caught a much-needed nap…
I decided to drive out here as a(MUSE.) announced it was closing at the end of the year. I had such a wonderful evening here last time I visited the Delaware coast, remembering the fabulous food and wonderful staff.
I had originally planned to drive out here in January, and I was checking their winter opening times — only to find the sad news. It’s been brave of them to open year-round in a beach town, and they have been successful despite the challenging demographics in the winter. But that news saddened me, so I ended up making the 3-hour trip after making sure I got a spot for the last normal night of service on Sunday night.
I headed there and perched at a nice bar seat and tried to remember faces from my last visit, which was fantastic. I made sure they were running a tasting menu tonight, so I was really looking forward to this farewell dinner. Chef Hari Cameron came out to say hi and gave a little hint to the tasting menu ahead.
The jovial crowd were celebrating, but in a sad way, as many were regulars — either local or from further away — coming to mark the end of the restaurant’s 8-year run. I was just finishing up a cocktail when my excellent barman, a local institution, poured me a California bubbly and my first dish arrived — oyster.
After last night you’d think I’d had enough, but these local oysters I love, so when Chef Cameron offered this one from just down the coast I was pretty happy. Lovely flavours working well with the buttermilk ice. Lovely start, good palate opener. Then with a juicy red poured, the next dish arrives — the beef tartar.
I loved it the last time they offered it, and this was even better. The beef was so absolutely delicious, the texture perfect — not rendered to death like how so many chefs do it, but bearing just enough texture to make it truly interesting. I’ve had enough tartar from Michelin-starred places to know this is one of my all-time favourite versions. Lovely quality local beef, done in an expert fashion. I’m happy.
And I’m sad, that I didn’t make it out here more now that it’s too late… Another drink in hand and then the scallops dish arrived…
Now let’s uncover this…
Last time Chef Cameron did an excellent scallop dish for me too, and this one is even better. Beautiful stuff, grilled just perfect to extract even more sweetness from the quality scallops. I’m loving this dinner so far but again, it’s making me more melancholy. In a year that so many of my re-visits have failed me, it’s clear I took too long to come back to this place, one that would not fail me…
Then with another glass poured by the jovial bartender, who is the master of the court for all the bar customers celebrating, the next dish arrived…
An interesting dish to say the least, but you have a wonderful combination of mussels and pork belly on grits. What a lovely dish, each of the components flavourful but in unison a pure delight each time. This is one of the dishes I could have eaten a quadruple portion…so good. Chef Cameron is doing a fantastic final tasting here…
Then with a robust red poured, Chef brought out the last savoury dish — short rib. Quite good. Usually I’m bored to death by slow-cooked short-rib, but this was excellent without it being so dried up requiring all that sauce (if you’re wondering why people always serve their slow-cooked short-ribs in a bath of brown). Good stuff, a little sad that it’s all over…
Well, there’s the dessert, a tasty official close to the tasting menu… Ah, this was a great last tasting menu of the year, sadly one that will not be repeated. They are set for a mixed service the next evening with a big party, and a final New Year’s Eve night for the last night. I am not the party type, so was more than happy to say my goodbyes this final normal night of service…
But not yet. I kept drinking there, enjoying the banter with the staff and fellow customers, so I ended up grabbing some stuff to keep me going…
These spiced nuts are quite delicious, and then some devilled egg spread that’s more delicious than you imagine. That helped fortify me for the rest of the night, drinking until last orders to properly say goodbye to the place.
I’m so happy to have made it before they closed, as I would have been extremely disappointed to have not had this final chance to enjoy Chef Cameron’s cooking. It’s the last tasting menu of the year, a successful one. It’s the last re-visit of a previously excellent restaurant of the year, and a rare successful one in this year of re-visit fails (ie Juniper in Tulsa, Matthew’s in Jacksonville, Yono’s in Albany, Cured in San Antonio, etc…). The good ones always go away…
But a much needed and much appreciated final food celebration for a very messy 2019. I’m gonna miss this come 2020…
a(MUSE.)
44 Baltimore Avenue
Rehoboth Beach, Delaware
melhuang1972 