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Dining with Gilles and Kathy

Carrol's Creek Cafe
410 Severn Avenue, Annapolis
410-263-8102

After being closed this spring for extensive renovations, Carrol's Creek Café has finally reopened. The changes had nothing to do with last year's devastating Hurricane Isabel, but everything to do with the dedication of the owners to the comfort and service to their guests.

To be honest, the news of the change made us somewhat anxious. Having visited Jeffrey Jacobs' place on many occasions, we already knew that dinner would be far beyond compare. But the plans were quite ambitious. The first phase was to re-organize the back of the house; the second phase, the front. Both are totally different from the original layout.

If you've been to Carrol's Creek before, you would hardly recognize the new dining room, now sleek and spacious with a more private "private party" area. The décor, with accents of burnished wood and stainless steel, exudes an elegant, slightly nautical flair. Panoramic windows and tiered seating put the focus on the restaurant's superb view of Spa Creek and the Annapolis skyline.

A handsome raw bar and bar are now separated from the main dining room, giving the restaurant a two dimensional aspect. This space is very modern, with a marble counter, plasma TV screens and a chef who will offer you anything from an oyster to a lobster-all in a refreshing and cooling ambiance.

When we arrived, the restaurant was busy, and although we had reservations it took few minutes to get to our table. But that was fine, because with a little time to spare we could appreciate the extensive, well-stocked wine cases displayed in the lobby area. As I understand it, they're the General Manager's pride and joy. Miss Swan, our server, has been working at Carrol's Creek for about 15 years and took very good care of us. We started with few appetizers. Kathy and Has ordered the famous cream of crab soup, perfect as always. It's smooth and tasty with a splash of sherry, and still, we think, an award-winning item. I decided to be a little adventurous and try Chef's Warren McLean's new crab rolls in a wasabi vinaigrette, nicely presented and enhanced with a seaweed salad and pickled ginger. Our friend Cathy had a satisfyingly crisp salad with pine nuts and Gorgonzola cheese.

For entrees, our choices were a little more diverse. Kathy enjoyed the grilled shrimp over pasta tossed in a sun-dried tomato sauce. Cathy settled on the duck breast glazed with citrus and honey, served aside with cranberry chutney-an attractive and tasty combination. I tried the rosemary-encrusted rack of lamb and found it very good and well-prepared.

Has, Cathy's husband, waited until the last minute to share his more-than-perfect crab cakes, truly, I think, even better now than in the past. And our daughter Katelyn's filet mignon was special-may I emphasize "special"? After all these years going to so many restaurants, she finally (finally!) complimented the accompanying sauce and actually enjoyed it. (That is a compliment to the chef, versus a compliment to the ketchup makers). Even I have not been able to satisfy her with a steak sauce. Dessert uncertainty? Not for me, nor anyone else. The espresso crème brulee was a true stand out, the flourless chocolate cake was just perfect for my diet, and the New York-style cheesecake, although perhaps a tad lemony, was very good.

In this new, comfortable setting at Carrol's Creek, something caught my attention this time that I hadn't noticed before: the flair or the menu tendency seems to be Chesapeake traditional with a "Parfum de la Mediterranee." However, this is my personal observation. I will let you first translate and then find out!

Gilles Syglowski is a chef, culinary instructor and food services consultant. He is a graduate of the Lycee d'Eseignement Professionel Hotelier in Metz, France. He and his wife, Kathy, a member of the International Wine Society, have more than 45 years' experience in the restaurant industry.