Articles
O'Learys Seafood Restaurant
-- City's Best
Wonderful seafood and lots of ambience.
Restaurant
310 Third St.
Annapolis, MD 21403
Phone: 410-263-0884
Fax: 410-263-5869
If this is Annapolis, it must be seafood. Chef Charlie Bauer, a graduate of Johnson & Wales who has done stints at Hilton and Sheraton properties and the Silver Diner chain, blends his years of experience with restaurants, seafood and regional cooking at this almost-waterfront restaurant. The emphasis, says Bauer, is on "whatever is freshest today," and his purveyors know to supply only the best.
The dining experience and the prices definitely are upscale, but the atmosphere and dress code are unquestionably casual and warm. Depending on the season and availability, you may find mahi mahi, stone crab claws, grouper, snapper, copia or fresh shrimp. The menu undergoes a major change several times a year, although the day's specialty changes with what's available. Baked oysters are the signature dish here. And chef Bauer says his crab cakes have no more than an ounce of other ingredients in the six-ounce cake.
The wine list isn't deep, but it is comprehensive and there are even light-bodied red wines to drink with your fish. Regulars include Annapolis area residents, parents of Middies and boaters from along the East Coast. And, regardless of the weather, the bright yellow interior brings lots of sunshine into the restaurant. -- Judy Colbert
3/21/05