One of the best ways to live easily in the summertime is finding a waterside place where you can sit back, enjoy a cocktail or three and watch the world and water go by. One of my favorite places to do so is on the deck at Carrol's Creek Cafe (410 Severn Ave.), where the view is phenomenal, the food delicious, the wine list long and varied and the attitude relaxed and happy.
Many people think of Carrol's only for fine dining and, while there is a very good reason for that - they do offer a fantastic fine-dining experience - there is much more to the Creek, something for everyone to enjoy, starting, in the summer, with that deck.
With views of downtown Annapolis, the Spa Creek Bridge, the Annapolis Harbor and even the bay and the Bay Bridge on a clear day, the deck at Carrol's offers a constantly changing and always-gorgeous vista on which you can enjoy your meal, snacks or drinks. The deck is split into two sections, one for diners and one for the more casual crowd. In this section, both the full and lite fare menus are offered, allowing you to choose a full meal or just some nibbles.
This year Carrol's is celebrating their 25th anniversary, which means great things for long-time fans of this restaurant, as they have brought back some of the old favorites such as BBQ Shrimp, Scallops in Shredded Phyllo and more. They offer a wine list that is quite extensive and their bartenders are up to the task of creating almost any cocktail you desire.
Speaking of the bartenders, one of the best deals in town can be found at Carrol's bar during happy hour when, from 4 until 7, most appetizers and raw bar items are half-priced. That means you can enjoy, for example, those scallops for only $7, the great calamari for only $4.50 and a delicious tuna tartare for $5.50. These half-price specials are only found at the bar and lounge area on weekdays, so I recommend getting there early, enjoying cocktails, apps and raw bar treats, then heading out to the deck for more cocktails and the best view of the sunset in Annapolis. One of the delicious desserts on the menu wouldn't hurt your evening either!
The deck is open for lunch, dinner and their delicious Sunday brunch. One of the best times to hit the deck is on Wednesday nights when multitudes of sailboats race to the finish line that just happens to be directly in front of the restaurant. Watching the spectacle while enjoying cocktails and great food is a uniquely Annapolis experience, and one that only Carrol's Creek can offer (unless you belong to the Annapolis Yacht Club). The boats start coming in around 6:30 or 7 depending on the wind.
The deck is also open for Carrol's ginormous Sunday brunch, one of the best in Annapolis featuring a variety of sweet and savory items for only $21.95 including a Bloody Mary or a glass of champagne or a mimosa.
For more information on Carrol's Creek Cafe, visit www.carrolscreek.com
Although this column is entitled After Dark, some daylight things are worth discovering and I try to let you know about those on occasion as well!
One of the complaints that you might hear around town is the lack of access to the water for those who don't have their own personal watercraft. I recently discovered a great place that eliminates that problem for those looking to kayak or canoe - Annapolis Canoe and Kayak (formerly known as Springriver). Located on the corner of Third Street and Severn Avenue in Eastport (311 Third St.), ACK offers a wide variety of paddleboats that you can rent for an hour, a day, a weekend or an entire week! The price is right, starting at $15 per hour, as is the location, with a dock right on Spa Creek that lets you rent and get out on the water almost immediately.
The staff fits the kayak to you and offers all sorts of helpful hints before letting you loose on the harbor to paddle away. It's an entirely different perspective to view the Naval Academy and Annapolis from a canoe or kayak and one that you should take advantage of before summer is out!
For more information, visit www.annapoliscanoeandkayak.com or call 410-263-2303.
There's also plenty of fun to be found on land this weekend and next week, so let's get down to that business.
Friday
Happy hour on Friday nights at John Barry Bar at O'Callaghan Hotel (174 West St.) has been quite the scene this summer. With great live music from 5-8 and half-price appetizers from 4-7, it's definitely a fun place to be when you're Uptown. Tonight, David from Pilgrim and Trout will play acoustic rock for the happy happy hourers.
Down at O'Brien's (113 Main St.) happy hour patrons will enjoy the acoustic rock sounds of Dana B from 5-8. The country-rock sounds of Peterbuilt are what you will find during happy hour tonight at The Whiskey (1803 West St.). Stay all night and enjoy Can't Hang upstairs beginning at 7:30.
Poetry night returns to b.b. bistro (112 Annapolis St. in West Annapolis) tonight at 6:30, featuring the poetry of Elizabeth Bruce, an open mic and delicious dinner specials.
The Annapolis Summer Garden Theatre (143 Compromise St.) presents "All Shook Up," a jukebox musical featuring the life and music of Elvis Presley, Thursday through Sunday nights at 8:30 through Aug. 30. Tickets are $18 for adults and $15 for students. For more information and ticket reservations, call 410-268-9212 or visit www.summergarden.com
World Artist Experiences and Maryland Hall present a free performance of Japanese comedy on tonight at 7 p.m. Rakugo: Traditional Japanese Comedy is a style of Japanese comedy dating back 300 years in which the comedian or storyteller is dressed in traditional robes and seated in front of their audience. Bring the whole family to enjoy this cultural treat performed in both English and Japanese. For more information, see Top Billing on Page 3.
The waters of the Chesapeake Bay and the Annapolis Harbor will be rocking tonight for Watermark Cruise's Gilligan's Luau Cruise, departing the dock at 7 p.m. Featuring the surf-rock sounds of the Atom Bumz, this three-hour tour will keep you dancing all night long. Come dressed as your favorite castaway for the look-a-like contest. The $35 tickets include one free drink. Food and beverages will be available onboard. Visit www.watermarkspecialevents.com or call 410-268-7601, Ext. 107.
Angie Miller brings her acoustic folk-jazz-rock sound to the deck at Proud Mary's Dock Bar, part of Sam's on the Waterfront (2020 Chesapeake Harbor Drive East) tonight at 7:30.
Saturday
Saturday and Sunday offers one of your last chances to explore the beautiful and historic Thomas Point Lighthouse through the Annapolis Maritime Museum's tour program. Tours are scheduled for 9 a.m., noon and 3 p.m. and cost $70. The tour involves a 30-minute boat ride to and from the lighthouse and a docent-led tour. Thomas Point really is an amazing site and worth the cost of this tour.
Reservations are required as each tour can hold only 18 passengers. To make a reservation, call 800-690-5080. For more information, visit www.annapolismaritimemuseum.com
The Wine Cellars of Annapolis (1410 Forest Drive) will host a celebration of cabernet on Saturday. Stop in between noon and 4 p.m. and explore the world of the cabernet sauvignon grape from Australia to Argentina to Napa.
The summer concert series at Quiet Waters Park (600 Quiet Waters Park Road, off Hillsmere Road) continues this Saturday with the Caribbean jazz sounds of Oasis Island Sound. The concerts this summer have been fantastic and this one is sure to be right up there. It's a perfect way to spend a Saturday evening - not too late if you have kids, early enough to go out afterwards if you don't, a beautiful location and great music.
The park starts allowing concertgoers to enter free starting at 5 p.m. Those in the know bring a picnic, some low chairs, a blanket or two and whatever else they need for two hours of outdoor music (bug spray isn't a bad thing either). For those who don't want to prepare a picnic at home, food is available for purchase on site.
Another popular idea is to stop by one of the nearby restaurants on your way in and pick up a freshly prepared meal. Parthenon Restaurant (907 Bay Ridge Ave.) is conveniently located less than a block away and right next to Rita's Italian Ice, a perfect concert dessert treat, making for a great one-stop shopping experience. Anything on their carry-out menu (found at www.greekfoodannapolis.com) would be perfect, but I particularly like the House Pekilia, a perfect picnic platter of gyros, soutzoukakia, dolmathes, spanakopita, tyropita, feta, olives, tzatziki and pita. The unassuming exterior hides some of the best Greek food in town and a concert at Quiet Waters offers you the opportunity to try it for yourself if you have not already.
At The Rockfish (400 Sixth St.), Sweet Leda (the band formerly known as Bittersweet) takes the stage for a night of "sexy smooth rock and groove." Combining new school funk, soul and pop in a rich amalgam of heartfelt and original material, Sweet Leda recently released a limited edition CD. Stop by the Rockfish after 10 to see what the fuss is all about.
Over on West Street, catch Brother Shamus at Stan and Joe's (37 West St.) or the double whammy of Dave Tieff and Jon Gosnell downstairs at The Whiskey (1803 West St.) and the crazy sounds and antics of the Grilled Lincolns upstairs.
Sunday
Stan and Joe's (37 West St.) has changed their brunch from a buffet to an a la carte menu, with rave reviews thus far. Tracy's 30+-item Bloody Mary bar is still intact, so get there and check this all out!
Local photographers Christine Hunt and Karen Guay present "This Land and Beyond," a show of fine art photography, in the visitor center's Willow Gallery at Quiet Waters Park (600 Quiet Waters Park Road) now through Sept. 7. The show includes a combination of black-and-white and color photographs depicting nature and landscape scenes from the East Coast to the Pacific Northwest, the United Kingdom and Asia.
A free opening reception will be held from 2-4 p.m. on Sunday. Gallery hours are 9-4 weekdays and 10-4 weekends; closed on Tuesdays. For more information, contact Christine Hunt at 410-923-3055, chris@imagesbychristine.com, or Karen Guay at 410-562-0014 or karenguay@comcast.net
Enjoy the weather and the summer at Proud Mary's Dock Bar at Sam's on the Waterfront (2020 Chesapeake Harbor Drive East) with the acoustic rock sounds of Hurricane Kevin Lebling beginning at 4 p.m. Sunday.
Tuesday
Linwood Taylor plays smooth jazz for wine lovers at Domenicas (2444 Solomons Island Road) on Tuesday night. Bottled wine is half-price with the purchase of a meal or tapas.
The Naval Academy Concert Band returns to City Dock Tuesday night for the second-to-the-last concert of the summer. Get there early as space goes quickly. The show begins at 7:30. It's a great way to spend an Annapolis summer evening.
Wednesday
The Annapolis Maritime Museum's (723 Second St.) summer concert series continues on Wednesday with traditional sea chantyman Geoff Kaufman on stage at 7 p.m. Songs of the sea, songs of the Earth, songs of the heart and the spirit - all of these are in Geoff Kaufman's ditty bag and are likely to be woven into one of Geoff's concerts. And he is sure to invite the audience to sing along. The free concert begins at 7 p.m.
Beer and wine are available for a nominal donation. Bring a picnic or pick up a pizza from the nearby Leeward Market (601 Second St.) and sit back and enjoy the sounds, the view (the concerts overlook Back Creek and the bay) and the fact that we live in one of the best places anywhere.
Geoff Kaufman will also perform at the noon concert on Thursday at the foot of City Dock across from the Market House.
If you'd rather be on the water than looking at it, get yourself to the Harbour Queen on Wednesday night for a night of crab-picking, race-watching and cruising. That's right, it's a crab feast on the Queen. The boat leaves at 7 from City Dock, just in time to watch the races and the sunset as your enjoy a meal of freshly steamed crabs and cold beer. Cost is $70 for adults, $62 for children ages 3-11. Reservations are required. Visit www.watermarkspecialevents.com or call 410-268-7601, Ext. 107.
Thursday
Every Thursday, those who like to dance know to go to Bamboo Bernie's (8359 Baltimore-Annapolis Bulevard, Pasadena) where the Bayside Big Band plays under the big band tunes under the palm trees for scores of fans. This band has been playing weekly gigs for dancing fans since the days of the Eastport Clipper and still draws quite the crowd. If you're a fan of the big band sound, you must go up to Bernie's to check them out.
Want to learn to dance? They help with that too! Dance instruction starts at 7 and the band plays 8-11 p.m. Over the past several months they've even had dance contests with a recent $300 prize awarded. For more information, visit www.baysidebigband.com or www.bambooberniesusa.com
Fado Irish Pub & Restaurant (1 Park Place) has live music every Thursday night during the summer. This week, enjoy the sounds of Someone Else beginning at 9 p.m. Peterbuilt will bring their rocking country sound to Stan and Joe's (37 West St.) on Thursday.
Coming up
The Boatyard (400 Fourth St., Eastport) Beach Party is scheduled for Sept. 20, but tickets are on sale now. This great party, which benefits the Annapolis Maritime Museum reconstruction of McNasby's Oyster Packing Co., features great music, on the Jimmy Buffett side of sound, Mount Gay drinks and great food.
Tickets are $50 and get yours now if you want to go. Purchase them by phone, check or credit card at 410.295.0104 or with check only at Fawcett Boat Supplies and at The Boatyard.
Tell Jessica about your next event, party or gig at afterdark@hometownannapolis.com
