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Has anyone been to St Michales in Maryland.
Any info would be appreciated.
Thanks.

Roger

I live 30 minutes away. St. Michaels is the most tourist oriented town on the Eastern Shore, not including the beach resorts. The Watermens Museum is well worth the visit--an hour of your time is all it will take. There are several fine restaurants in St. Michaels. My favorite is Michael Rorke's down by the water on Mulberry Street. If you want to see a more authentic watermen's town, travel another 15 miles and tour Tilghman Island. A very large percentage of Tilghman Islanders still work in various aquaculture occupations. Harrison's Chesapeake House still offers very delicious country cooking. Of course, crab cakes are a specialty.

Larry

Check out this web site for more info on St.Michaels-- http://www.stmichaelsmd.org/

L

For the best restaurant in the area, make a reservation at Columbia in nearby Easton. You will not be disappointed. We were there twice in August and loved it!!! Ciao

Roger

L, where is Columbia located in Easton and what kind of grub does it cook. I've never heard of it.

L

Columbia is one block from the Tidewater Inn in Easton, MD, in the historic section. I forget the street - but it's very close. Just a two-minute walk. Very stylish - seafood, meats, much as you'd have a the better places in DC. Very good wine list. Very moderate prices. We were at the Inn in August and had dinner there twice ... small staff ... two people serving plus the chef. Like having dinner in someone's dining room ... probably 8-10 tables, plus two on their front porch. Very nice indeed. Nice people. Ciao

Roger

Thanks for the information, L. Are pirates allowed to dine at Columbia if they sport proper attire?

L

I wore a tie (it was during that hot spell) ... the staff just smiled. They nonetheless gave us decent service ... influence of the redhead with me no doubt. Of course, I'm the one who wore a suit to a Jamaican dive in DC, and reserved ahead. They placed us in a booth near the take-out window, but away from the blaring TV attached to the ceiling. So I'm not your best source, but I would think pirate togs would be right for every occasion. Ciao

Clousie

I'm also interested in info on that general area.

Any comments on Oxford or Cambridge? Which of the towns on eastern shore deserve special attention?

What would you suggest as a good local restaurant with excellent seafood?

Roger

Half of Cambridge is a slum, the worst on the Eastern Shore. Restaurants are mediocre. But if you want to treat yourself, get yourself some crabcakes at the Robert Morris Inn (built circa 1710) in Oxford. I'm getting pretty damned hungry thinking about the Robert Morris inn. I always get the double crabcake dinner, one crabcake baked and the other broiled. As a tourist sideline, the Blackwater Refuge south of Cambridge is worth driving through. The arsterman town of Secretary is very scenic and has a beautiful Catholic Church inn town- Our Lady of Good Counsel. My two youngest tykes were baptised there.

Roger

Quick addition. The Morris also cooks their fries and onion rings in Old Bay. Nice appetiser.

Clousie

Thanks, Roger, for the comments. When you just see towns on a map, one has no clue as to whether it's a great spot or slum.

What do you mean by "arsterman" town of Secretary?

We were thinking of visiting Blackwater Refuge as we like to walk and heard we may see bald eagles there.

Would you suggest Oxford over Tilghman? Thanks for your help.

Roger

Tilghman is more of a waterman's village. Oxford is becoming more of a resort though certainly not as much as St. Michaels. Though I prefer dining at the Robert Morris Inn in Oxford, Harrison's Chesapeake House in Tilghman is also a fine place to eat. Perhaps you can visit Tilghman and later take the Belleview-Oxford Ferry (privately run; few long waits) to go to Oxford.
Secretary is a waterman's town ten or so miles up the Choptank River. The Suicide Bridge Restaurant two miles north of Secretary is fine but not in the same class as the Robert Morris or Harrison's. Get the rockfish at the Suicide Bridge if you eat there. It'll be very fresh. And, for more good news, the Canadian geese are back a little early this Fall. Maybe tidings of a colder than usual winter. But the Canadians are old friends to those of us living on the Shore.

Roger

"Arsterman" is Eastern Shore for "Oysterman". All in the Shore accent.

Charles

Cambridge isn't that bad - I'd say more of a working fishermans town than a slum, thow it certainly has some poorer areas and is not as tourist oriented as St. Michaels or Oxford. Cambridge has surprisingly good crab cakes at a place called snappers, which is unfortunately low on ambiance aside from being on the docks.