Exquisite Experi

Exquisite Experiences

By Tom Worgo Photography by Stephen Buchanan

The first impression you get when you walk up to Blackwall Hitch Annapolis is of the rooftop deck and yellow doors. They immediately grab your attention. The interior pops with a marble-topped bar and a chandelier that hangs from the second story. Marble tables with rustic chairs and antiques are sprinkled throughout the restaurant.

“It’s important to have an up-to-date, freshly decorated place where you enjoy yourself,” Events Director Jessica Oliver says. “We handpick items. We want to be comfortable and inviting, but upscale and fresh. We have the architectural elements and the exposed lighting, the glitz and the glam with the little bling elements.”

You can see boats go by on nearby Spa Creek from the rooftop deck. It’s also a space where diners can enjoy the restaurant’s great food. Assistant General Manager Michael Ennis describes the menu as “American Cuisine with a seafood flair.”

Indeed. Seafood does dominate the menu. Rockfish is a customer favorite and something that fits into the Americana category, Creole Rigatoni, is also a big hit.

We recently talked to Oliver and Ennis about everything that sets the restaurant apart from others. And we spoke with Executive Chef Danny Choung about Blackwall Hitch’s cuisine.

Michael, what kind of customers are you trying to attract?

People that want to come in, enjoy our environment, and see what it’s all about. Everything here offers you an experience. You can come down here and be in the wine room, which is an enclosed private dining area. You can be in either of our main dining rooms, or go to the main bar for a really cool experience. There are probably eight to 10 different experiences you can have here by just coming to this restaurant. You have the fine dining. You can have a closed intimate experience in the living room or wine room. You have the wine and oyster bar. You have the crow’s nest—our outdoor experience.

Do you offer signature drinks?

The bartenders put a lot of effort into making these drinks. One of the highlights, which is offered year-round, is the massive Bloody Mary. It’s a 32-ounce mason jar and it’s loaded with a Gherkin pickle, a dill pickle, a lime wheel, a lemon wheel, two pieces of bacon, two steamed shrimp, two blue cheese stuffed olives, a jalapeno stuffed olive, along with lump crab meat. It’s one of our signature drinks. We also do a great strawberry ginger Margarita using Patron Silver, real strawberry puree, lime juice, and ginger beer. With craft beers, we knock all the local brews out of the park.

Jessica, can you talk about the rooftop deck?

It is our most popular space. It’s a Brazilian hardwood deck that overlooks the skyline of the State House. It has a quick-service bar, a lounge area with couches, and tables with yellow umbrellas for dining.

Do some customers just come to dance and see the bands on the weekends?

We have a very large bar that has a stage. We do live music on Friday and Saturday nights. We

start out with acoustic music early in the evening and have a full band later in the evening to draw in the party crowd. We have a variety of different artists, but we have someone like Dana B, who is here all the time and very popular. Mike McHenry also draws a good crowd. The bar is a great spot where people just come for music and drinks.

Why are the décor and design a big deal?

We have our own interior designer that comes in. We try to do the same themes in different locations. But some of the furniture will be different and that is important to us. We have comfortable seating and furnishings as well as accent pieces that are antiques or sourced from highend furniture stores. All our private rooms have custom-made, hand-scraped farmhouse tables with reclaimed wood. We have high-end finishes like hardwood floors. The marble tables are custom-made and acid-washed to look rustic. Our private rooms are well decorated.

Can you talk about the Sunday allyou-can-eat brunch?

Sunday brunch is jammedpacked from start to finish. It runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. We do large parties in the room, which are great for birthdays or bridal showers. The restaurant stays full the whole time because it’s an all-you-can-eat buffet with mimosas. It has a wide variety of all your breakfast fixings: pastries, deserts, an omelet station, mimosas, a carving station, and raw seafood. As far as a daily specials, Sunday would be our most popular day. We serve over 300 guests every Sunday.

Danny, what makes your restaurant unique?

Me [he says with a laugh]. I was trained at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. It’s the best culinary school in the world. I think our food is phenomenal and our ambiance sets us apart. We have great décor, our banquet (room) is always booked, and our servers are top-notch.

What dish do customers crave the most?

Rockfish is our number-one seller. We stuff it with crabmeat, put on a white butter sauce, lime juice, cilantro, and it has clove rice, tomatoes, and roasted corn. It has a unique taste—almost like a Southwestern rice flavor.

What else is popular on the menu?

Creole Rigatoni. It has creole crème sauce with shrimp, Andouille sausage, and grilled chicken. The key part of the dish is we make our pasta daily. It’s almost like Alfredo with a little kick. The meal is awesome. I eat it every other day.