Boaters who haven’t set a waypoint for Annapolis, Maryland, the past few years might be surprised by how much they find there.
“Annapolis, for years and years, was really traditional with what was downtown,” says Samantha Branham, regional director for Safe Harbor Marinas. “But the landscape has changed. They’ve built it up, and there are new restaurants right on the waterfront. It’s really cool.”
One of her newer favorites is The Choptank, billed as a classic fish and crab house. Its deck overlooks the boating action. “You’re sitting right over everything,” Branham says.
Another favorite of hers is Preserve, which is on Main Street. The menu shows a range of options from lamb ragu to vegan pot de creme, but Branham goes for the oysters, which she orders topped with creative accompaniments. “They’ll do things that are a little different, like a pickled onion mignonette,” she says, adding that she has also enjoyed the apple variation. “It was really sweet.”
To work off some of the calories, boaters can head back to Safe Harbor Annapolis, which has tennis and pickleball courts for member use. After that, maybe it’s a light nosh at The Fat Crab restaurant on-site, with a newly extended pavilion, before another walk around downtown.
“It’s the state capital, so there’s also a lot of history,” she says. “You can do walking tours. The Naval Academy is there. It can be romantic, or it can be good for a family with kids. It’s beautiful. I’m biased, but I think it’s the most beautiful place in the world.”
Local Delicacy
So many places serve crab in Annapolis that eateries regularly battle to make it onto Top 10 lists. Crab cakes, crab bisque, crab dip and soft-shell crabs are just some of the varieties.
Music Galore
A newer event in the city is the Annapolis Songwriters Festival, which takes place in September. It was created a few years ago and is modeled after the Key West Songwriters Festival, with dozens of free performances over the course of four days, as well as some ticketed concerts for highlighted acts. Shows performed at the City Dock are free for children 12 and younger, with additional venues typically including Maryland Hall and Rams Head On Stage. Some musicians also perform in the local parks, hotels and bars, with many of those concerts free for boaters who are having a walkabout downtown. The styles of music at this festival are wide-ranging, with a little bit of something for everyone.
