The name remains, but North Beach has a new Beach Cove

Friday, March 19, 2010

Click here to enlarge this photo Staff photo by DARWIN WEIGEL Beach Cove Restaurant & Lounge co-owner Betty Anne Harrington holds two of the Chesapeake Beach eatery's specialties: crab nachos and "Chesapeake toranado," which the menu describes as two beef tenderloin medallions topped with lump crab imperial and grilled jumbo shrimp. E-Mail This Article | Print This Story Click here to enlarge this photo Beach Cove's smokehouse burger is topped with barbecue sauce, hot sauce, ham, cheeses, bacon and a fried onion ring.

On Mondays, sliders go for $1. On Tuesdays, tacos are 25 cents. Your list of diversions here includes electronic darts, and on Wednesdays bikers and blues musicians flock here for a combined bike night and blues jam that features $5 food specials.

But Beach Cove Restaurant & Lounge offers more than pub grub. In fact, the dinner menu has more than a dozen upscale steak, seafood and pasta dishes.

The previous Beach Cove closed at the end of 2008 and was then bought by Kerry Harrington and his sister, Betty Harrington. Kerry's wife Diane is active in the business, and the couple also own Renegade Classics, a motorcycle shop in Prince Frederick. Their passion for motorcycles is evident on Beach Cove's walls, which, among other things, bear black and white biker photographs by Doug Barber.

Since reopening the bar and restaurant last summer, the new owners have maintained some of the former establishment's entertainment offerings (like the blues jam) but have also made an effort to revamp the menu. Andy Baran, who worked at Calypso Bay Restaurant in Tracys Landing, is now Beach Cove's head chef.

Patrons can dine at the bar or choose a table among a spread that fills the front of the room.

A look at the dinner menu reveals salmon baked in Chardonnay wine with tomato, basil and provolone and baked flounder filet stuffed with crab imperial. (Both dishes are $18.)

Seafood platters go for $24, and a grilled sirloin steak paired with a jumbo crab cake sells for $22. A new addition to the pasta portion of the menu, meanwhile, is chicken vodka, which is described as chicken grilled in vodka sauce then tossed with penne pasta ($15).

If you're looking for an interesting sandwich, consider the seafood club ($14), which is a nice twist on the typical stack of bacon and turkey (though the Beach Cove offers that, too) and I suppose is the obvious choice for any diner torn between shrimp salad and a crab cake. With this one, you get both; the shrimp salad fills the top layer and a seasoned crab patty fills the bottom. (It's cut in half rather than in quarters.)

The meal — a good pick — also includes a solid cup of sweet coleslaw, salted fries and a pickle.

As said, there are certainly plenty of ways to keep your visit here simple and inexpensive. And if bar munchies are indeed what you crave, I feel like I can recommend the crab nachos ($12) without even trying them. The appetizer is described as tortillas loaded with lump crab, tomato, shredded cheddar cheese and a special sauce.

Thinking about heading to Beach Cove for Friday night karaoke? You might discover that a prime rib carving station awaits your appearance. And I hear it's unwise to step up to the mic before having a good meal.

—

Beach Cove Restaurant & Lounge is at 8416 Bayside Road, Chesapeake Beach. Hours are 11 a.m.-2 a.m. daily. Entrée prices range from $9 to $22. Credit cards: V, MC, D. Call 443-550-3342.