Severn Inn

1993 Baltimore Annapolis Blvd.
Annapolis, Md.
410-349-4000 or http://www.severninn.com

Food: Seafood with a Southern accent
Atmosphere: Plain interior, panoramic views
Clientele: View finders
Dress: Proper attire
Don’t miss: Blackened shrimp and grits, crab cakes, Creole gumbo, fried green tomato “sandwich”
Tariff: lunch entrees $8-$17, dinner entrees $19-$33, a la carte sides $4, pub menu $5-$12

With waterfront real estate in Annapolis breaking the reality barrier, getting a panoramic view of the Severn River for the price of a meal at the new Severn Inn is a real bargain. Sailboats flying bright spinnakers, a rare riverfront profile of the United States Naval Academy, and an outline of the Annapolis skyline are just a few of the visual delights to be had at this newcomer to the state capital.

Curiosity about the Severn Inn among Annapolitans has run high ever since construction began about a year ago. Several restaurants had occupied the premises over the years, but failed, mostly due to a faulty septic system. Tearing down the original building and starting over has solved that unseemly problem.

The local architect designed a peaked building with yellow siding and a red roof that peeks out from under the Severn River bridge as you drive along Route 450. Access into the hollow where the restaurant sits is from Baltimore-Annapolis Boulevard; ample parking is available on either side of the building.

We first visited the restaurant for lunch on a sunny day and suspected that the chef had gone fishing. The view and airy interior décor were
marvelous, but alas, we found nothing marvelous about the menu, which seemed hastily thrown together and lacked imagination. Crab bisque; Caesar salads with various add-ons (blackened salmon, chicken, or steak); shrimp; chicken; or tuna salad on croissants; quiche; burger; fried chicken; a barbecued pork sandwich; and blackened shrimp with grits—end of story. (Evidently numerous entrees, including cornmeal-crusted oysters, have been added.) Yet groups of seniors and couples of retirement age appeared to be enjoying a pleasant outing at this waterfront destination.

A family sitting nearby seemed to be suffering from sticker shock at the $8 hamburger and $15 plate of fried chicken. “Don’t worry, this is my treat,” said the grandmother in a party of five with two young children.

Floor-to-ceiling glass windows ensure that everyone seated in one of the two dining rooms or in the pub area can enjoy the region’s most beautiful eye candy. In deference to its natural beauty, Severn Inn’s interior design is clean and spare, its black and white theme complemented by framed pictures by celebrated Annapolitan M.E. Warren, a master of black and white photography. Subtle overhead lighting and high ceilings contribute to the serenity of the scene.

Despite slumping expectations about the food vs. view ratio, we plunged in by ordering the rich crab bisque with lumps of crabmeat. Served in an oversized bowl, it was an excellent rendition of this Maryland classic, silky in texture and subtly flavored with sherry. But we were far from pleased with the restaurant’s signature entree salad, the strawberry bibb and vinaigrette, which promised “tremendous flavors.” It translated into a bowl of Boston lettuce skimpily scattered with sliced berries, mandarin orange segments, red grapes, and strands of coconut—overdressed and overpriced at $8.

Caesar himself would have been livid at the liberties taken with his namesake salad, at least the one we sampled at lunch. Too much dressing made a mess of soggy lettuce served in a soup bowl and topped with a paltry portion of blackened salmon. This classic dish is best prepared tableside, using coddled egg yolks, anchovies, lemon, garlic, freshly grated parmesan cheese, pepper, and homemade croutons.  Severn Inn’s version didn’t come close, and the server responded with a blank stare when I asked why there were no croutons.

Figuring our experience might have been a fluke, we went back a week later for another lunch visit and had much better luck. A tasty shrimp salad on a croissant, with a swirl of greens dressed with raspberry vinaigrette on the side, was excellent. So was a fat soft-shelled crab nestled in a soft bun, and the burger with blue cheese was a winner, too. But let’s not linger over lunch. Things were even better on a return dinner visit, when the sky was colored with the rays of a setting sun and the lights from the Naval Academy added drama to the spectacular view.

Joseph Garner, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y., is in charge of Severn Inn’s kitchen. He must have instructions from the top brass to go easy on trendy items, since the menu sticks pretty close to the standards. His personal touches reflect a fondness for Creole cooking, such as a satisfying Cajun-style gumbo thick with spicy andouille sausage, tasso ham, shrimp, and scallops in a flavorful brown sauce. Another successful starter featured shrimp with grits, featuring four jumbo crustaceans embedded in a mound of wonderful stone mill ground grits moistened with a bit of mascarpone. These are not your grandma’s grits they could become Severn Inn’s signature dish.

Another candidate for that honor is the restaurant’s terrific crab cake, all lump and bound only with just enough Old Bay-flavored aioli to hold it together. One way to try them is as an appetizer, sandwiched between two fried green beefsteak tomatoes and garnished with chopped red, yellow, and heirloom tomatoes. The combination is the essence of Maryland’s midsummer bounty. Garner uses only Maryland crab, relying on Martin’s Seafood in Baltimore to supply him with the best and freshest from the Eastern Shore.

Other starter possibilities are a shrimp and crab “cheesecake,” the seafood spread on a crust of oyster crackers and drizzled with bourbon sauce, or barbecued scallops and andouille sausage partnered with a polenta cake. A couple of starters with a glass or two of wine, and patrons with a light appetite should walk away happy.

Our entrees were disappointing in comparison to the starters, in particular an undersized veal chop with a large bone-to-meat ratio, although the accompanying mushroom risotto was a delicious grace note. Creole jambalaya pasta featured chicken, shrimp, and andouille sausage tossed with ribbons of homemade fettuccine was bountiful—but arrived cold. Taken home and given a good heating, it showed its true colors, even though it was missing the scallops promised on the menu.

Dessert seems to be the restaurant’s forgotten child. We found a leaden bread pudding special to be inedible, although a parfait glass filled with a mocha mousse, raspberries, and chunks of brownie was well worth the calories. Manager John Gilbert, a Cornell School of Hotel and Restaurant Management graduate with an impressive resume (including running resort hotels in St. Thomas and St. Martin’s), says his restaurant has since started a bake shop and is proud of its chocolate raspberry soufflé and a “decadence” cake of light and dark chocolate. Gilbert has done an excellent job with staff training. Our waitress, though busy, was pleasant and accommodating.

Severn Inn has a broad selection of well-chosen and well-priced wines, dominated by good California vineyards, with representatives from Oregon, Washington, Sicily, Argentina, and South Africa. Most “house” wines are from Pepperwood Grove in the Sonoma Valley.

We visited Severn Inn when it was just a baby, beautiful but a bit unsteady on its feet. Its prime waterfront location is a priceless asset, and the crab cakes rank up there with the best. While I predict the view will surpass your highest expectations, I hope that the kitchen gains momentum with age and can elevate its performance to match the glorious setting.

Mary Lou Baker has been a food and travel writer for more than twenty years.