THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, August 14, 1994 TAG: 9408110052
SECTION: FLAVOR PAGE: F6 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Restaurant review
LENGTH: Long : 102 lines
THE CHESAPEAKE BAY is the piece de resistance at Alexander's on the Bay. One year after their restaurant burned to the sand, owners Wayne and Jane Smith have reopened with a lovely showcase for their seafood and beef specialties. Every diner has a water view: raised banquettes offer a vantage point for people seated away from the windows; two glass-encased wings extend the viewing area. From the large patio, guests can bask in the glow of sunset over the bay.
Two months after the grand reopening, we found some wonderful touches contrasted by several disappointments. For example, homemade aioli was delightful, but homemade raspberry vinaigrette was an unpleasant emulsion. Crab soup had a delicious broth to which the waiter added sherry to customer preference; unfortunately, there was hardly any crab meat in the bowl. Our Angus beef was a large serving but a bit gristly.
On one visit, a conscientious, smartly dressed waiter made excellent recommendations for food and wine but was too often absent because he had so many other tables to deal with on a busy weekend night; on a weeknight return, we waited an hour for our two entrees.
Despite some drawbacks, there are some features to like about Alexander's.
Chef Lynn Brewer offers tempting variety. Along with all the popular beach standbys, his menu lists duck a l'orange, oysters topped with bleu cheese, carpaccio, veal saltimbocca, and seafood Madagascar with green peppercorn sauce. He has devoted a section of the menu to light dishes with nutritional breakdowns; dieters won't feel deprived when they eat grilled salmon or mesquite-grilled scallops or a crab cake accompanied by a garden salad.
But we weren't watching our waists. A smoked salmon appetizer meant a large fresh filet lightly smoked and served with two dabs of aioli, rich and glossy homemade garlic mayonnaise - an excellent accompaniment and one of the highlights of the evening. Oysters Alexander was a generous serving of too-heavily-breaded, pan-sauteed mollusks in a tasty white-wine-and-shallot sauce.
An appetizer called Bleu Bayou Shrimp featured three jumbo shrimp and a dollop of bleu cheese encased in an undercooked pastry. Other starters are fried or barbecued shrimp, carpaccio, fried mozzarella, onion rings, baked brie with fruit and oysters Rockefeller. Hand-shucked oysters or clams are available as well.
The house salad blend of iceberg and romaine lettuces was fresh, with the nice touch of bleu cheese and walnut garnishes; red wine vinaigrette, however, was a thick emulsion rather than a delicate balance of oil and vinegar. Smoked duck salad was the same lettuce base as the house salad draped with a generous serving of breast slices. Smoked in cherry wood, ``infused with Chambord,'' and then coated with the raspberry vinaigrette, the meat was overwhelmed. Caesar salads and seviche are other offerings.
Main course listings are extensive. Three pastas include fettuccine alfredo and a seafood combination. Other offerings: a lamb dish that varies, five steaks and prime rib, three veal dishes, three chicken and duck dishes (one of them containing a little of each), and plenty of seafood.
The simplest seafood dish is the catch of the day prepared to order; fanciest is ``king of the sea,'' a lobster tail with large shrimp, scallops and smoked salmon.
Angus beef is promoted on the menu, so we tried the strip steak with lobster tail, which our waiter deftly deshelled for us. The sizable steak, though not so well trimmed as we would have liked, was flavorful; it was garnished with Alexander's yummy thick beer-battered onion rings. The lobster tail was just a touch overcooked but was helped by a dip in butter.
One of chef Brewer's new dishes - and our favorite - was Flounder Chincoteague, a large and tender filet perfectly cooked and topped with a rich bacon-basil sauce highlighted by three plump oysters.
A broiled seafood combination gave us a chance to taste a variety of the kitchen's fish. Best were the scallops, the jumbo shrimp and a creamy version of the traditional Old Bay-flavored crab cake with tasty bits of onion and pepper. The oysters and clams were somewhat overcooked. A slim flounder filet was sprinkled with paprika. Tempting salmon St. Tropez, described as ``Medallions of Atlantic Salmon Sauteed With Fresh Herbs,'' turned out to be breaded, a preparation that disguised rather than enhanced the flavor of the fish and was expensive at $18.95. Pasta primavera also was costly at $13.95, but the vegetables were nicely sauteed; the noodles, however, were a bit dry and the promised Parmesan was unnoticeable.
With meals, diners can choose standard baked potato, twice-baked potato, or steak fries or a commercial-style rice pilaf; the vegetable that evening was broccoli, perfectly cooked but topped with an undistinguished hollandaise.
Desserts have their own menu. Key lime pie was a well-balanced version. A white and dark chocolate cake was more successful than a cappuccino-Grand Marnier cheesecake. Even dieters can have a sweet, though we found the chocolate pinwheel cake in raspberry sauce to be rather bland.
Owners Wayne and Jane Smith have taken considerable care with all the appointments, from the pretty trellis-trimmed crockery to the servers in crisp white shirts and ties. Their menu includes an invitation for smokers as well as nonsmokers; in fact, smokers have the best view of the setting sun. If the crowds on the night of our visit are typical, the restaurant is popular, especially for special occasions, for which tables are decorated with confetti and streamers. MEMO: Reviews are based on a single, unannounced visit by a party of four,
unless otherwise noted. The Virginian-Pilot and The Ledger-Star pay for
the reviewer's meal and those of the guests.
ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO/ROY A. BAHLS
Every diner has a water view at the recently reopened Alexander's on
the Bay.
by CNB