Mark on the Shore

Mark’s Score   9.6

I was in Ocean City to take the Ocean Princess wine tour. As luck would have it, the Ocean Princess leaves from the Dorchester Street Pier at the entrance of which sits Oyster & Scales, a restaurant I have wanted to visit for some time.  Since it was convenient, I decided to have an early dinner at Oyster & Scales before taking my wine tour. 

Oyster & Scales was opened by restauranteur Elias Wood (Spain Wine Bar) in August of 2025 in the former location of Marina Deck/Jackspot. Wood’s intent in opening Oyster & Scales was to create a polished upscale East Coast oyster house inspired as much by elegant Cape Cod oyster restaurants as traditional Maryland seafood restaurants.  He also intended to give Oysters & Scales an additional Mediterranean twist. Wood wanted to make Oyster & Scales as much about the experience as the food by creating a sophisticated and elegant interior design, subdued lighting, and sophisticated music. 

I was impressed from the moment I walked in, the dining area is sleek and elegantly modern, with soft lights and floor to ceiling windows with views of the bay, and light jazz playing in the background. I was alone, so I told the hostess that I would just sit at the bar. It being a beautiful summer’s evening, she suggested that I might prefer the rooftop patio bar. I climbed the stairs, turned the corner and was presented with an elegant patio with breathtaking vistas of Isle of Wight Bay. 

It was a bit early for dinner and I knew I would be eating more later so I ordered the roasted brussels sprouts and a plate of the mussels from their small plate menu. To accompany my meal, I ordered a glass of chardonnay, recommended by the bartender. It took no less than three smartly dressed and professional waiters to bring out my food in quick succession. I value presentation, it shows respect for the craft of creating an excellent meal. The food was artistically arranged on shell shaped plates, the cutlery had pressed scallop shells on the handles. Everything was perfectly and artistically arranged, down to the smallest detail. 

As for the food, the sprouts were perfectly crisped and drizzled with a high quality balsamic and thinly sliced aged parmesan. But the show stopper were the mussels. They were cooked in a saffron broth, with sun-dried tomatoes, herbs, and Aleppo pepper.  There was a delicacy to both these dishes that was enhanced by the garden-fresh herbs sprinkled on the top. The meal was made all the more special by the tableau of a sultry summer’s evening, the setting summer’s sun, and sailing boats floating on the silver waters of the bay. 

We are fortunate to live in an area with many good restaurants. But in the two years that I have been doing this project, it is very rare to come across a great restaurant. Oyster and Scales is indeed that rare find. I consider it one of the best restaurants in the region.  

What else is there to do in Ocean City?

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