Edible Delmarva: Early Summer 2021
In the last year, words like hope and resilience and gratitude have dominated so many of our conversations. And as resources from paychecks to patience levels became stretched beyond belief, we just dug deeper to keep moving forward. We sacrificed, we pivoted, we made do. In fact, this might be the new definition of sustainability. To keep making plans. To do the best you can. To just keep swimming.
Along with the uncertainty and difficulties of the last year, there have also been opportunities for second chances, for forging new paths, for pandemic pivots. Writer Sam Anderson knows firsthand how not knowing what’s next can inspire great creativity. In “Silver Linings,” he shares how his passion for natural wines turned into a new career, and how other local food-lovers used their unplanned downtime to explore something new.
While we get our bearings again, and figure out how to navigate what’s next, it’s a comfort to have the seasons arriving as they should. To eagerly anticipate the Chesapeake Blue Crab season, and know that Chris and Shelia Lingerman will be behind the counter at Chester River Seafood in Rock Hall, Maryland, with their beautiful local harvest that celebrates the rivers and the bay – and is the starting point for many an Eastern Shore get-together.
Tom and John Knorr, of Evolution Craft Brewing, know how important innovation and adaptability is when you’re playing the long game. The two brothers have been at the helm of EVO for more than a decade, and their approach for managing the impact of the pandemic was to get outdoors, and fast. Their all-hands-on- deck strategy allowed them to get back in business quickly, and back to serving customers with new craft beer offerings, new beverage categories (think hard seltzer!), and even a foray into ice cream.
Now that we’re able to return – slowly but surely – to dining at our favorite restaurants, it’s great fun to check out the new seasonal dishes that appear on the menu. If you’ve wondered where chefs get the inspiration for new dishes, writer Roger Morris talks to four local icons (and gets them to share some seasonal recipes!) for a behind-the-menu look at the season ahead.
Launching a new restaurant is never easy, and the last year was particularly challenging. But for five hospitality-experienced friends who were on a mission to keep their plans on track required full-time attention to detail and never wavering in their belief it would happen. Together, the Oristian and Clark families opened Legal Assets in December in an iconic building in historic Easton, and as the warmer weather approaches, it’s thriving as a craft-food-and-cocktails gathering place – just as they had planned.
So as the glorious Delmarva summer arrives with all its hopeful promise of a return to normal (whatever that will be), please make some plans, do the best you can, and just keep swimming.
