Mark’s Score Restaurant 9.1 Wine Store 9.6
Truth is, I prefer Ocean City in the winter. Yes, the weather is cold and many places are closed. But the crowds are gone, so no waiting for tables. I also think the stark beauty of the beach in winter is an under-appreciated charm. After the tourist go home, I return to some of my favorite haunts. Chief among those haunts is Liquid Assets.
Liquid Assets has won a long list of accolades and awards, too many to cover here. You can read about their awards on their website. It is owned by John Trader, an iconic name in the local restaurant scene. Liquid Assets isn’t just a restaurant. It is a high-end wine store with a restaurant in the middle of it. Or maybe it is a restaurant surrounded by a wine store. The wine store, in my view, is the best stocked wine store on the Eastern Shore. They carry many unique, and sometimes very expensive world-class wines. This is not the place to shop if you are looking for a bottle of plonk. But if you want a bottle of Napa’s Bond Pluribus, you have come to the right place.
As for the restaurant nestled among the bottles, they promise to, “provide farm-fresh local ingredients, offering traditional favorites with a contemporary culinary vision, in a sophisticated atmosphere with impeccable service.” And they deliver on that promise. I have certainly fallen for the charms of having an excellent meal served in the middle of a wine cellar, I was intrigued the moment I walked in the door. You can almost imagine yourself in a Napa Valley vineyard and not on a beach in Maryland.
Conde Nast Traveler says they have the best burgers in America. I have never eaten their burgers. I don’t think of burgers when I eat here. On my last visit I ordered from their lunch special menu (a two-dish combo of your choice). I ordered the “Massaged Kale” salad. Which they claim is appetizer size, but it is in fact a mountain of kale, cauliflower, feta, pickled shallots, serrano ham served in a lemon garlic vinaigrette. I could wax lyrical about this salad for hours, let us just say it is one of my favorite salads anywhere. With the salad I ordered a small bowl of the house pasta in truffle cream sauce, mushrooms, and chicken. It was a little heavy, not sure I would order it in the heat of summer, but it was a perfect side dish on a cold winter’s day.
Diners at the restaurant, get a 10% discount off purchases in the wine cellar. So, while I was waiting for my food, I selected three bottles of my favorites. While searching for wines, I struck up a conversation with one of their sommeliers about the virtues of Loire Valley versus New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs. We both prefer the Loire Valley. Though the food is excellent, for me, this restaurant is all about the sophisticated atmosphere. If you are a vinofile, this restaurant should be on your short list.
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