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Chef Charlie Bauer and Kelli Wise, formerly from O'Leary's, along with their partners Paul Broccolina and new chef at the helm, Buzz Porciello, have done a wonderful job creating what we consider to be Annapolis' best new restaurant, Rockfish.

The Eastport restaurant blends right into the nautical and colonial style of Annapolis, with its sea-washed shingles and comfortable charm.

Adorning the facade is the logo, reminiscent of the scales of a rockfish (created by a local artist friend). General Manager Kelli Wise assisted with it and the interior design.

Separating the entry from the main dining room is a fish tank filled with an assortment of fish. My favorite looked like a small sand shark, sucking the sides of the tank. Just to the left is the glass-enclosed copper-topped bar area, where locals were enjoying a musical trio playing Jimmy Buffet tunes. On this Friday night we were fortunate to have reservations, because at 9 p.m., the restaurant was filled to capacity.

The décor of the restaurant has an open-air feel. Beautiful teakwood and ceramic-top Euro-style tables and chairs adorn the dining room. At the back stands an open kitchen with a granite mid wall, creating a casual effect. The total look is clean, defined, and sophisticated. (More artwork and plants are on order to add warmth.)

We were seated at the back corner of the room with a full view of the bar and its patrons. Chris, our server, presented the beautifully appointed menus (you don't need glasses to read the menu) filled with steaks, specialty pizzas, burgers, and ribs.

The copper logo on grey paper with a gray leatherbound cover is very elegant. It set the tone for a fine dining experience. I was confused, however, when our bread arrived in a stainless steel martini shaker. O.K., maybe it is casual after all, but with an original touch.

The beer list consisted of nine eclectic yet trendy selections, including our local favorite, Fordham Lager, as well as the traditional domestic and imports. The wine list featured at least twenty-two wines by the glass, including two sparkling, a very nice touch! And an additional four pages offered very interesting selections-not the typical who's who of California. It was apparent a lot of time and tasting went into this list.

Rockfish offers dining throughout the day. Lunch is a little pricey, boasting a $14.00 crab cake sandwich (we found some differences in pricing on the website). However it does come with sweet-potato chips and fantastic pineapple slaw. (A must have!) The crab cake platter is $25.00. Raw bar items, including Hamachi Sashimi, are also available and moderately priced. And their brunch menu is incredible. All items are served a la carte, and they also have a "build your own mimosa and bloody Mary bar," meaning you can create a customized weekend repast.

We chose to skip the traditional starters to get right to the main attraction…rockfish. We shared a small plate of Caesar salad ($6.00), crisp romaine tossed with house made Caesar dressing and croutons with fresh Parmesan cheese. Perhaps we should have opted for the rockfish soup, since the restaurant does seafood so well, but that would have been redundant.

The entrees, ranging from $23-29, include one side dish. Additional sides are large enough to share and range in price from $4-6. We started with the excellent grilled wild rockfish, topped with jumbo lump crabmeat, atop fresh spinach, in a lace of Dijon remoulade. Also offered is grilled whole rockfish, stuffed with garlic, lemon, and herbs and roasted on a wood-burning rotisserie; however, Gilles and I both chose the wild rockfish. We each selected the cheddar-mashed potato to accompany this dish. There was a small glitch when our server recited that the wild rockfish was served on a bed of spinach, however it was absent when presented to us. We received the spinach and my potatoes after we had eaten our fish.

Our daughter and friends dined on crab cakes, rib eye steak, and barbecued baby back ribs. Of course we had to taste. The Maryland blue crab cakes with jumbo lump and lump domestic blue crab are lightly bound with fresh eggs, herbs, and panko, pan fried, and served with Dijon remoulade. The chosen accompaniment was well seasoned and perfectly prepared slaw.

The 14-oz. Southwestern Rib Eye Steak, rubbed with dry pasilla chilies, cumin, garlic, and lime zest and grilled over mesquite charcoal is very nice. Every spice could be identified. The barbecued baby back pork ribs, glazed with house made chipotle barbecue sauce, were meaty and tender.

After such a rich delicious dinner we weren't really inclined toward dessert. Featured items on the dessert menu include apple pie a la mode, New York cheesecake, strawberries and cream, and chocolate brownie a la mode.

Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings feature live acoustic music beginning at 10 p.m. Regular happy hour is Monday through Friday from 4-7 p.m. and appetizers are half-price.

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.

What's The DISH?
By Barbara McGarry

At the Jetty, on Wells Cove Road in Grasonville, chef Al Sorrell has customers returning for more than just the waterside setting, entertainment, and lively atmosphere. They are coming back for the good food.

Sorrell, who began working at the restaurant in the summer of 2004, became executive chef six months ago, and owner Ron Kirstien says patrons are enthusiastic about innovations and improvements Sorrell has made. He credits both Sorrell and general manager Justin Kiernan for their success in making the Jetty so popular for its dining and restaurant service.

"For many years, it was a wonderful place for people to come to listen to music and dance, and it had mostly a bar atmosphere. We've worked diligently on the menu to add great food," Kirstien says.

Sorrell, who says he views his job as an opportunity to "entertain people through food," explains how he helps ensure his customers are pleased. He uses fresh, quality ingredients, cuts and ages meat on the premises, and creates his own recipes. Sorrell has created recipes for the Italian shrimp and crab dip appetizers, as well as the crab imperial. Soups are his favorite item to prepare, and his version of both Maryland and cream of crab soup are offered on the regular menu. Frequently he features his lobster bisque as the soup of the day. (He was kind enough to share his recipe with us.)

Explaining that he likes to work with seasonings, he says he has added his own dry rub to the Jetty's barbecued pork ribs, which, along with the seafood platter, are among the restaurant's top-selling items. Sorrell also has a unique and delicious broth for the mussels, which are offered year-round on the steamer section of the extensive menu.

Entrée specials give Sorrell an opportunity to exercise his creativity. Sometimes he makes fresh swordfish, marinated in ginger, teriyaki, and garlic, grilled lightly, stuffed with crab imperial, and served with seaweed salad. Another special is ahi tuna; pan-seared and cooked in a skillet, drizzled with raspberry glaze, and served with a side of mandarin and habanera salsa.

Sorrell offered some tips for home chefs who want to serve fish. "Buy the freshest you can find," he says. "And be sure not to overcook it."

Rather than broiling swordfish or rockfish, Sorrell recommends grilling. He suggests coating the fish with olive oil and lemon juice, seasoning with salt, pepper, and optional garlic, and initially cooking the fish over a high flame. Once the fish is seared, turn the grill to low, and cook it until flaky.

Flounder, by comparison, can be fried, baked, or stuffed as well as salmon, which can be a good choice for home chefs. "You can do a lot with salmon," says Sorrell. "It can be grilled, baked, stuffed, or smoked."

Mussels are popular as a restaurant appetizer, and are a dish you can prepare at home. For two people, says the veteran chef, buy about one pound of fresh mussels. Be sure that they are closed tightly. Rinse, and place them in a stovetop pot with one cup of liquid (water or white wine). Bring them to a boil, and then let them simmer until the shells open. Turn the heat off; add one-half of a stick of butter and the juice of one-half of a lemon. Put the top on the pot until you are ready to enjoy them. Serve the mussels in a bowl with the liquid, and have warm bread as an accompaniment.

Barbara McGarry is an Annapolis-area freelance writer and editor with degrees from the University of Missouri School of Journalism.