Mark’s Score 8.7
If you never leave the village, you might not know this restaurant exists. It is not on the waterfront, it isn’t in the center of the village, you do not pass it on the way in or out of town. You have to drive towards Tilghman Island; well beyond the village. Though it is a bit inconvenient, you would be making a mistake if you didn’t make the effort to eat here.
Chesapeake Landing opened as a local family-owned roadside seafood restaurant and fish market in the early 1990s. This restaurant is all about remaining true to classic Eastern Shore cuisine, cooked in a classic style, without reinvention or pretension in a homey and comfortable setting. It has a neighborhood seafood restaurant vibe, meant to cater to locals and visitors alike, offering consistent traditionally prepared dishes.
On my last visit to St Michaels, I was in the mood for seafood, and to be honest, to-date I haven’t found a seafood restaurant in St Michaels that impressed me. So, I decided to drive a bit out of town and give Chesapeake Landing a try. Though it is not easy to miss, it is on the stretch of the road where the speed limit is 50mph (80kmh). So, you can easily pass it by.
Though it was a warm spring day, it is still early in the season so I was one of only a handful of customers. The entrance to the building leads you into the fish market. You can buy fresh fish here and take it home to cook yourself. The main dining room is to the left, and the bar is to the right. I decided to sit at the bar. With it being just past noon, the bar was unattended. But the lovely woman behind the fish counter offered to serve me.
I immediately fell in love with the décor. It is traditional, all wood, with nautically themed photos, and items on the walls. I found it warm, and full of charm. It reminded me of fish restaurants of my childhood in New England. The menu was chock-a-block with traditional seafood dishes served in a traditional manner. I ordered the blackened flounder with potato salad and a locally crafted beer.
Given that the restaurant was practically empty, it took longer than I expected for the dish to arrive, but it was worth the wait. No pretention here, it was served on a plain white plate with a small salad garnish. But what it lacked in pretension it made up for in a perfectly cooked and seasoned flounder. Accompanied with perhaps the best potato salad I have had in some time. In fact, I would also rate this as one of the best flounder I have eaten on the shore.
Modern interpretations of classic dishes have their place, and I enjoy haute cuisine as much as the next guy. But if you are in the mood for classically prepared seafood, I would classify this restaurant as my favorite traditional seafood restaurant on the shore.
What else is there to do in St Michaels?
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