Julia is a dog. Not the restaurant itself, mind you, but its namesake. Proprietors Valerie and David Clark named their establishment after their mutual best friend, a five-year-old shepherd-chow mix. A miniaturized copy of the dog’s paws are imprinted on the personalized table cards, but this is where the canine connection stops.
Julia’s is a dear. Beginning with the upbeat phone greetings on the reservation line, then the whimsical place cards, the restaurant’s personality is at once professional and ingenuous. Valerie has front-of-the-house duties, graciously greeting and seating guests in the forty-seat dining room. David, a graduate of the Baltimore International Culinary College, is busy creating pretty plates of food to be served by a young wait staff with an eager-to-please attitude.
Driving into Centreville on Route 13, look carefully for this unassuming storefront location just across from the courthouse. Centreville is the county seat of Queen Anne’s County, and its courthouse dates to the eighteenth century. Time seems to have stood still in this small town, but recently its quiet charm and elegant old houses are attracting buyers seeking that elusive commodity called peace.
Those seeking an eclectic symphony of tastes and textures would do well to consider dinner at Julia’s. While the atmosphere is plain—sparsely decorated brick walls and white linen tablecloths—the fare is fancy. For proof, try the Asian duck salad, a rosy fan of sliced duck breast on a bed of baby arugula, sliced daikon radishes, and tender pea shoots enlivened with a snappy ginger-hoisin dressing. Or share the “pizza” appetizer, a creation featuring sautéed wild mushrooms, creamy smoked Gouda cheese, and arugula laid on a crisp, paper-thin lavosh crust and crowned with a scoop of molten mascarpone. Wondering about its provocative perfume? It’s a whisper of white truffle oil, sprayed on the dish just before it is sent from the kitchen.
Combine these several appetizers for an elegant light meal, or move on to the entrees that change frequently—not only with the seasons but with Chef David’s whims. But first, a word about Julia’s wonderful salads, which owe their appeal to a light hand with the dressing and super-fresh greens. The house salad of mixed lettuces, grape tomatoes, red onion, and roasted wild mushrooms features vinaigrette laced with pungent morsels of blue cheese.
A crisp slice of baked parmesan cheese shaped like a Christmas tree tops the Caesar salad—hearts of romaine judiciously seasoned with a hint of anchovy and tossed with garlicky croutons and lots of freshly grated parmesan. Still hungry? Then on to the main events, which at Julia’s live up to the overtures.
Impeccably fresh salmon, roasted in “scales” of thinly sliced potatoes and served with lemon-scented spinach studded with pine nuts, was a winner. So was a shrimp and pasta combination—linguine cooked al dente and eight jumbo crustaceans sautéed in a simple lemon-butter sauce with mushrooms, spinach, and pine nuts.
Rack of lamb—currently a top choice of America’s dining-out public—featured tender baby chops moistened with a velvety port demi-glace sauce. The meat was arranged “skyscraper style” atop a mountain of Yukon gold mashed potatoes encircled by the same savory spinach. A fine filet mignon was fork tender, cooked medium rare as ordered and served with the same starch and vegetable. The sauce, a demi-glace made with the homemade veal stock that the chef uses as a base for most of his sauces, was a lovely enhancement for the beef.
There is always a vegetarian dish on the menu—perhaps fettuccini with eggplant, wild mushrooms, asparagus, and tomatoes in a sun-dried tomato cream sauce. At this time of year, chef’s specials might include venison in a brandy demi-glace, a pan-seared twelve ounce frenched pork chop with a Southern Comfort demi-glace, a hearty rib-eye steak, or sesame-crusted ahi tuna in a soy beurre blanc. David is conscious of local tastes and limits the Asian influence so as not to “scare away” more traditional tastes. In truth, it is the Asian “grace notes” that add excitement to the fare at Julia’s.
Desserts are the creation of pastry chef Michael Quicho and use seasonal ingredients. On one visit, luscious black raspberries were draped in a cloud of Chantilly cream, a house-made sangria sorbet came with a crisp waffle cookie, and a miniature flourless chocolate cake was graced with a mango ginger sauce and served warm with a dollop of unsweetened whipped cream. Coffees—espresso and regular—would pass muster with the Starbucks crowd.
Valerie is proud of the restaurant’s boutique wine list, carefully chosen with the assistance of California-born staff member Sarah Frampton. A nice selection of by-the-glass wines ($4.50 to $7) features Red Diamond, a lush Merlot from Washington State, a nicely assertive Tyrells pinot noir from Australia, two Chardonnays (the very California Leaping Horse and a smooth Australian version from Yalumba Vineyards), and a St. Germain brut from France. Bottle prices are in the $28 to $50 range.
There is a lot to like about Julia’s, which has earned a loyal following among local residents. The restaurant is the realization of a longtime dream for its owners, made especially sweet since David and Valerie have returned to the town where they spent their childhood years. Right now, it’s honeymoon time at this little gem on Maryland’s Eastern Shore—and we sincerely hope it successfully celebrates many anniversaries to come.
Mary Lou Baker has been a food and travel writer for more than twenty years.
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