Lighthouse Bistro (Annapolis, MD)

This was our second visit to this small, bustling restaurant located off Annapolis’ busy main drag. With the Eagles getting bumped off local tv and assuming the Ravens would get slaughtered by Houston (44-10, how prescient!), we decided to drive down and meet friends on a warm, October afternoon. 

Without fail the first beer I ordered was no longer available, so I settled for a crisp, light Delco Amber Lager. (This happens so often that it has become a running joke with my wife and me.) An appetizer of Crab Dip with a Kick ($20) arrived with crisp house-fried tortillas sturdy enough to hold the creamy, crab-filled, jalapeno-spiced dip (garnished with bonus fried jalapeno slices), and the plentiful lumps of crab justified the price. 

Though I was initially drawn to the Meatloaf Hash, I’d already had breakfast and went for a half-pound burger topped with Swiss cheese, mushrooms and onions ($18). The meat was a little bland and the whole thing was in desperate need of a sturdier bun (classic Maryland), but it was juicy, filling and accompanied by a bounty of delicious skin-on fries that my wife and I couldn’t finish.

However, I’d like to suggest to restaurants that if it’s late-summer/early-fall and you no longer have access to local tomatoes, you can skip the anemic, industrial adornments to my burger. It’s just sad after eating so many juicy, delicious, garden-fresh slices for the last few months. Quibbles aside, the rest of the group enjoyed the Pulled Chicken Salad, Bistro Club, and Eggs Benedict with pork over biscuits. 

In addition to the good food, friendly staff and lively atmosphere, Lighthouse Bistro gets high marks for a mission focused on providing hands-on training, job experience, and living-wage employment to individuals facing barriers to work, especially those transitioning out of homelessness. –
Dan Taylor

Dan Taylor is the editor/publisher of The Hungover Gourmet. Stay tuned to this blog and our website for details about the upcoming issue 13.