The Bayard House: Something Old & Something New by Apryl Parcher

Inspecting a container of fresh scallops in the kitchen of the Bayard House in Chesapeake City, Chef Mike Hutton selected six fat ones to prepare for searing. Usually reserved for “specials” because he never knows when he’ll get them from the seafood vendors at a good price, these scallops were about the size of my palm and at least an inch thick; five were pearly white, and one was a creamy orange.

“That’s a female,” he told me, popping them all into a pie plate, adding a pinch of cilantro, a sprinkling of salt and minced garlic, and spraying them with cooking oil.

Hutton then transferred the prepared scallops to a hot searing pan, where they spent a few aromatic moments hissing before he turned them onto a platter to finish off in the oven, looking and smelling oh-so-tasty along the way.

Behind him, the rest of the kitchen staff joked with each other as they prepared for the evening, giving the kitchen a pleasant air of excitement and camaraderie. It’s obvious that the employees like working here.

“Everybody gets along so well,” said our server, Alicia Foore, a long-time Cecil resident. “We have a great time together.”

As Ken and I settled at our table on the enclosed porch overlooking the canal, we enjoyed the early evening watching tugs ply the waters. Some pulled barges and others pushed, sometimes fast enough to make the orange pilot boats across the canal dance in their slips.

“When the big ships come through we dim the lights,” said General Manager Natalie Gentry. “People love to watch them, and sometimes they’ll take bets as to whether or not the tall ones will ‘make it’ under the bridge.”

Although The Bayard House lawn slopes right down to the banks of the canal, it was not always waterfront property. When Samuel Bayard built the original manor in the 1780s, the building sat a block or so away from the canal, and gradually moved closer to the water’s edge every time the canal was “widened.”

Once known as Chick’s Tavern (1829), then Hariott’s Hotel (1899), The Bayard House has seen some changes over the years, but one mainstay is The Hole-in-the-Wall Lounge, located at ground level below the main entrance to the restaurant, where drinks were once served outside through a hole in the wall (hence the name).

A recent chimney fire and the resulting water damage brought about a complete renovation of the lounge this year, which now sports a beautiful, circular bar and expanded seating.

Also new this year is a more relaxed, expanded menu, which includes a broader array of items priced for every budget—everything from Old Bay fries and sandwiches to surf-and-turf entrees—and a healthy wine list to match.

To start off, Ken and I shared a tasty plate of Prince Edward Island “Drunken Mussels” steamed with andouille sausage in Tequila lime butter, and smothered in melted pepper jack cheese and tomatoes, followed by a beautiful Pear and Walnut Salad; tender young spinach dressed with Bartlett pears, sugared walnuts, crumbled bleu cheese and a tangy raspberry vinaigrette.

We also sampled the famous Bayard House Maryland Crab Soup (which has won more awards than I can count). It’s very crabby, and pretty, too—with a dark, rich vegetable base, and just the right amount of spice.

The sun set behind the C&D Canal Bridge while we enjoyed a pleasantly light wine, Kris Pinot Grigio. It went perfectly with both our entrees: a Crab Melt with lots of lump crab, bacon and Provolone cheese on toasted sourdough for Ken, and Tournedos Baltimore for me; melt-in-your-mouth twin filets grilled rare and topped with crab cake and lobster cake, seafood champagne sauce, and a garnish of tiny red lumpfish caviar.

For desert we tried the new Carrot Cake (made by Fay, a long-time server who works the day shift) and an old favorite, Kentucky Pie, a heavenly concoction of chocolate, pecans, vanilla and coconut served warm with vanilla ice cream from a local creamery. Both were delicious endings, enjoyed while the sky deepened to indigo and lights refl ecting the canal surface shimmered with the swift-moving current.

“This makes a very nice evening,” said Ken as he sipped his coffee.

“Good food…watching the ships go by…how can you beat that?” —CSM