Lewnes' Steakhouse
By Gilles Syglowski
Lewnes' grilled veal chop.
Lewnes' Steakhouse
401 Fourth St. Annapolis, MD 21401
410-263-1617
Lewnessteakhouse.com
When to Enjoy:
Sun., 4-10 p.m.; Mon-Thur., 5-10 p.m.; Fri. Sat., 5-10:30 p.m.
Expect to Pay:
Soups salads: $4.25 - 6.95
Appetizers: $8.50 - market price
Entrees: $18.95 - market price
Desserts: $4
We visited Lewnes' back in November of 2006 and when I stepped inside the restaurant on this visit I instantly felt the same joy and anticipation of a fabulous meal. At this particular point I knew I was in for another treat. I could smell and feel flashes of the experience I had on my prior visit.
The restaurant is a charming two-story building, modeled as a New York-style "chop house. " Recently, Lewnes' completed an extensive addition, which added seating and baths upstairs and a very nice dining room on the first floor with a sectioned off room for private events. Along the wall of this room, a magnificent and elegant climate controlled wine cellar accommodates 2,500 bottles. It was built with glass doors for guests to enjoy the actual view of the wine menu.
With dominant cherry red bead boards, black leather booths, and period photographs of Annapolis' past, the atmosphere is very attractive and cozy. A full bar and two dining rooms occupy the first floor. My companion and I were actually seated in the dining room upstairs in a comfy and plush booth. Our waiter had a very good sense of humor—when he learned that we were here on behalf of What's up? Annapolis, he introduced himself as Frank. His real name is Nick, which we found out later when we told him that we were super satisfied with everything. It did make us smile and Nick really did a great job from beginning to end.
After ordering our appetizers, we had a moment to read over the rich history of Lewnes'. The legacy is traced back from New York in 1906. At the age of 14, Sam Lewnes set foot in the Big Apple, arriving from a small town in Greece. Lewnes worked several jobs, from bowling alley pin boy to pushing a cart selling peanuts and popcorn, and after several years he moved down to Annapolis at the urging of his first cousin. The entire history of the restaurant's evolution is fascinating, but after several generations and transformations, Lewnes' grandson Charlie and his wife Pam, along with their sons Sam and Mack, bought the restaurant from their Uncle Louie. In 1989, after extensive remodeling, the restaurant reopened under the name Sam's Corner, in honor of the man who had started it all 85 years earlier. The demand for an excellent steakhouse in Annapolis inspired Charlie to re-brand the restaurant as Lewnes' Steakhouse.
With our appetizers arriving, we began our culinary journey (in a New York state of mind) by sharing oysters. We asked for three prepared Rockefeller-style and three raw on the half shell. They were guaranteed local from the Choptank River and were fresh, sweet, and had just a light touch of saltiness. The Rockefellers were rightly cooked, topped with balanced spinach filling, enhancing the oyster itself.
The steaks at Lewnes' are with no doubt one of the main attractions and we know the superb selection, quality, and preparation of each offering. We agree that they are rightly voted the Best of Annapolis each year. However, on this visit we decided to taste other offerings in all fairness to the full menu. So with a little scrutiny, we ordered for our entrées a veal chop and a whole jumbo lobster.
When the 3.5-pound lobster arrived at the table, all we could say was, that is jumbo! It came wonderfully presented, properly sectioned to facilitate the joy of eating, and with Nick's assistance, we enjoyed every bite. As a chef myself, I understand the complexity of cooking large-size seafood. It does not take long to overcook, thus becoming tough. I offer kudos to Chef Lester Snowden, a 14-year veteran at Lewnes', for its excellent and delightful preparation, which included the traditional drawn butter. Our second entrée, the veal chop, held up to the quality and reputation of the steaks. It too, was very well prepared and rightfully cooked. The chop was a sizzling mouthful of tender, delicious flavor.
We invigorated our palates with the Spiro's Famous Greek Salad. Though less adventurous in relation to our other dinner choices, it proved scrumptiousness. The characteristic of the preparation does make it so special with the principle ingredients of a Greek salad and the addition of small, diced potatoes. The proper dressing binds it perfectly.
To end on a good note, we shared a Key Lime pie for dessert: zesty, creamy, not to heavy, just the right accent to a perfect finish.
My companion raved about the fine glass of Longview Shiraz during dinner. The choice of wine is astonishingly abundant and truly offers varieties that absolutely complement the menu: some more expensive, some less.
Paul Miguez, longtime general manager remembered me and did not omit to stop by and make sure our comfort and dinner was at its best. As I so often mention, consistency is such a huge part of the dining adventure and lasting success, for that matter. It is extremely refreshing to return to a restaurant that previously offered a great experience, and be able to experience again the all the reasons why.
Gilles Syglowski is a Certified Executive Chef, Certified Culinary instructor and a food Service consultant. He is a graduate from the Lycee d'Enseignement Professionel Hotelier in Metz, France. He is currently the Assistant General Manager of the Cosmos Club in Washington, D.C. Mr. Syglowski has more than 30 years of experience in the hospitality industry.
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