Meals, deals and beers at OC Restaurant Week
Restaurant Week returns to Ocean City with a new twist.
The event, now in its ninth year, will still emphasize great deals on great food, but with a slightly different element this fall season, said Susan Jones, executive director of the Ocean City Hotel-Motel-Restaurant Association.
"October has been named Shore Craft Beer Month so we're connecting the two," she said. "We're encouraging restaurants to infuse menu items with locally brewed beer or to pair dishes with craft brews."
Drink up; October named Eastern Shore Craft Beer Month
The deals will run Sunday, Oct. 11, through Sunday, Oct. 25.
So far, there are 16 participating restaurants, but Jones anticipates more to join.
Among those pushing the craft beer movement is the Original Greene Turtle.
Dawn Hodge, marketing and office manager, said the 116th Street restaurant has paired beer with popular entrees such as the char-grilled New York strip steak with Dominion Brewing Company's Harvest Ale draft, a medium-bodied amber ale spiced with cinnamon, ginger, clove and pumpkin.
The signature crabby melt is to be paired with the Shell Raiser Pale Ale draft, an English-style pale ale made with crystal malts and English and American hops. The Shell Raiser draft was brewed specifically for local Greene Turtle restaurants by Heavy Seas Beer in Baltimore.
Hodge hopes to use restaurant week as a platform to further promote the Shell Raiser and to continue supporting the local beer community.
Touch of Italy will also participate by pairing new dishes, such as an artisan antipasti board, with hand-crafted beer from Burley Oak Brewing Co. in Berlin.
The authentic Italian restaurant, located at 67th Street in the Holiday Inn, suggests Burley Oak's Rudeboy, a barrel-aged barley wine available in large-format bottles or the brewery's secret sauce draft available on tap.
"Besides craft beer being delicious, it pairs exceptionally well with gourmet meats and cheeses," general manager Matthew Ellison said. "We're thrilled to combine ours with Burley Oak, a fantastic brewery in our backyard."
In addition to Ocean City's Restaurant Week, a number of special events and festivals, centered around local craft beer, will take place on Delmarva all month long. One such event is the inaugural Shore Craft Beer Fest, slated for Oct. 24 at Ocean City's Sunset Park.
Jones hopes the month-long promotions will spark additional interest for craft beer enthusiasts and foodies to visit the area. And with more than 20 breweries on the Shore, there's quite a few reasons to raise a glass.
"October is going to be such an exciting month," she said. "It's the first time we've had a unified focus on the local beer movement. And Restaurant Week is right in the middle of it."
To view the participating restaurants, visit www.oceancityrestaurantweek.com. Reservations are highly suggested. Contact the restaurants directly.
Participating restaurants include:
BJ's on the Water: 75th Street on the Bay, 410-524-7575
Blue Ox Bar & Grill: 127th Street & Coastal Highway, 410-250-6440
Buddy's Crabs & Ribs: 221 Wicomico St., 410-289-0500
Captain's Table: 15th Street & Ocean in the Marriott Courtyard, 410-289-7192
Crab Bag: 130th Street & Coastal Highway, 410-250-3337
Culture/Authentic Eatery: 12507 Sunset Ave., Unit #19, 410-251-4029
Greene Turtle Sports Bar and Grille: The Original, 116th Street & Coastal Highway, 410-723-2120
Happy Jack Pancake House: 25th Street & Coastal Highway, 410-289-7377
Horizons Oceanfront Restaurant - Clarion Resort Hotel: 101st Street on the beach, 410-524-3535
Jules Restaurant: 118th Street & Coastal Highway, 410-524-3396
Layton's on 92nd: 9204 Coastal Highway, 410-524-4200
Longboard Cafe: 6701 Coastal Highway, 443-664-5639
Peaky's Rooftop: 13801 Coastal Highway, 410-250-7663
Seacrets: 49th & the Bay, 410-524-4900
Sunset Grille: 12933 Sunset Ave. West OC, 410-213-8110
The Hobbit Restaurant: 81st Street overlooking the Bay, 410-524-8100
The Shark on the Harbor: 12924 Sunset Ave., 410-213-0924
The Skye Bar & Grille: 66th Street & Coastal Highway, 410-723-6762
Touch of Italy: 6600 Coastal Highway, 410-524-5252
302-537-1881, ext. 209
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