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Northwoods
609 Melvin Avenue, Annapolis
410-268-2609

Northwoods remains one of our favorite restaurants to visit, and the wall of awards it displays shows that we are not alone. Chef Russell Brown and his wife, Leslie, who have owned and operated the Annapolis landmark for the last 20 years, are graduates of the Culinary Institute of America. Most restaurants noticed a decline in business after 9/11, the Washington sniper and Isabel; Russell and Leslie, however, have managed to stay on top, with good reason.

Appetizers on the menu range from $ 8.25-$9.05, with entrees from $23.50-$29.50, but there's another option: Northwoods serves a four-course dinner for only $32.95. Remarkably, everything on the menu is available in your selection of this prix-fixe menu-on weekdays, even the specials. (After placing our orders, I realized there was a second side to the table tent….the one that advertises whole Maine lobster with crab stuffing or Surf & Turf. If I'd been more observant, I would have chosen the surf & turf for the prix-fixe dinner.) This offer is valid Tuesday thru Thursday, while the rest of the prix-fixe menu is offered everyday except Saturday.

On the Tuesday evening we visited, the room was quite full. The newly enhanced terrace was adorned with baskets of flowers and vines, a beautiful setting for al fresco dining. Inside, the repainted dining room seemed more welcoming than before, if that is possible.

We scanned the wine list, which is always a treat, for our favorite merlot. The Browns have one of my favorite wine lists in the city: ten glorious pages, nicely defined and easy to read. Gilles is a diner who prefers not to drink alcohol, as well as our designated driver. But Northwoods is one of the only restaurants we have visited that offers non-alcoholic wines, as well as a selection of non-alcoholic beer. In this age of alcohol awareness, we commend the decision to include this option.

After the recitation of four to five specials, we started with our favorite appetizers: Northern Seafood Bisque, creamy and perfectly seasoned, then on to the Crabmeat Portofino, a mound of backfin crabmeat tossed in a hearty Spanish vinaigrette. I could not believe the size of the portion (again, included with the special price). Beef Bruchetta was another contender for four-star status. A little different than the standard bruchetta, it was tenderloin sautéed in garlic and basil, served on a coustade with roma tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and extra virgin olive oil. Gilles enjoyed this tremendously. Following was a beautiful Caesar salad with Chef Brown's special Caesar dressing….yes, it's included.

Our dinner companion Haz, whose taste is similar to mine, chose the Seafood Rockefeller: gulf shrimp, sea scallops, mussels, and crabmeat in a tarragon Pernod cream sauce, served on a bed of spinach and glazed with Swiss cheese. It made me want to change my selection. I went through three choices before settling on the Fruits de Mer Nantua: crabmeat, shrimp, scallops and calamari simmered in a light lobster sauce with fennel, roasted peppers and artichoke hearts on a bed of gemelli. It was excellent. Gilles ordered the veal Oscar, traditionally prepared scallopine sautéed in butter, topped with asparagus and crabmeat and glazed with béarnaise sauce. Cathy, another chef in our group, ordered the veal scallopine special. It must be a "chef thing."

As we all know, dessert is the only reason Gilles dines out. During dinner, we had watched the dessert cart roll through the room and carefully pre-planned what we would order-after all, it's included! With far too many choices to be made, each of us selected one chocolate item from the cart, including the chocolate decadence. That's the lovely dilemma at Northwoods: there are just too many wonderful selections. You really have to visit often in order to try everything that interests you. Just when you think you've covered all of your favorites, Chef Brown, along with his new chef, Mike Murphy, will change the menu.

With Northwoods now closed on Mondays, Leslie and Russell have a day to rest and watch their children grow. Well, almost. The entire restaurant is available for private parties on Monday, as well as wine dinners. Put it on your list of special places-you'll see why ZAGAT, Wine Spectator and DiRoNA have done the same.