Note: This review is for the Baltimore location of Oceanaire.

My grandparents have been married for 60 years, and we needed a special restaurant to celebrate this diamond anniversary. When people visit Baltimore (especially the Inner Harbor), they basically assume they are going out for seafood. But we didn't want the same old crab houses we are used to on everyday occasions. Several people suggested a brand new restaurant located right on the water of the Inner Harbor: Oceanaire.

ATMOSPHERE
You enter the restaurant through a revolving door, which instantly transformed our moods. The atmosphere was perfect for a special occasion: dark wood walls, shiny chrome accents and dim lighting. The decor is modeled after a 1930s ocean liner. Very appropriate for my grandparents who really got a kick out of the restaurant's nostalgic look and feel. The wait staff are all dressed in sparkling white chef coats, which adds to the feel that you are dealing with expert seafood lovers.

FOOD
The best way to describe the food is not to describe it at all; just go taste it for yourself and you will be in heaven. We have been to some pretty incredible restaurants before, and living in Baltimore our family is filled with seafood connoisseurs. Honestly, Oceanaire served us some of the best tasting seafood we have ever had.

Oceanaire has fresh seafood flown in daily from around the world. As they say, the fish you are eating may have been swimming off the coast of Alaska yesterday. Their menu has a list of their fish at the top, and those with a check mark next to them are fresh. They also keep a daily list of fresh fish on their website and on a chalkboard in the restaurant.

My wife ordered her favorite: crab cakes. And being located next to the Chesapeake Bay, the crab is always fresh in Baltimore. She is very picky when it comes to crab cakes and knows a thing or two about what makes a good one. The Oceanaire crab cakes were both very large and appeared light and fluffy. My wife was amazed at the amount of real chunks of crabmeat in them, and there was very little "filler". She has lived in Baltimore for 30 years and said it was the best crab cake she has ever had - there isn't a bigger compliment to this dish. (Approx. $28)

I order lemon sole stuffed with shrimp, crabmeat and brie cheese. Wow. The sole at Oceanaire is shipped fresh from the fishing village of Dover, England. "Dover Sole is regarded as a mainstay of Continental cuisine for its exquisite and flavorful taste, indulgent texture and succulent, surprising character." The fish was thick, juicy and cooked to perfection. It was indescribable - there was a hollandaise-type sauce at the bottom... simply mouth-watering. (Approx. $32)

My brother-in-law ordered something I really wanted to try: Copper River King Salmon (only in season for four weeks out of the year, late May to early June). Copper River King Salmon is the best salmon in Alaska, and therefore the world. These salmon swim upstream in the Copper River; the most rugged wild salmon journey on Earth. They store extra fat and oils in order to make this difficult, long journey. The high fat and oil content is why Copper River salmon are the best tasting and highest quality salmon in the world. Not just any old seafood joint will serve this fish. Oceanaire has the Copper River King Salmon flown in fresh from Alaska, and my brother-in-law almost passed out in bliss when he tasted the dish. (Approx. $45)

Our table shared several side dishes, including large sweet potato fries, creamed corn, and the largest broccoli spears I've ever seen (sprinkled with cheese, of course).

For dessert, because it was such a special occasion, our waiter brought our table two Baked Alaska. They were towering over the plate that somehow supported them, and the waiter ignited the meringue right before our eyes. It sat upon a bed of chocolate brownie, which must have been dipped in either rum or brandy...

SERVICE
The service was impeccable. They were willing to make any type of fish any way you could imagine. They had a highchair for my son, made a special 60th Anniversary menu just for our table, and our waiter even brought my son two chocolate chip cookies towards the end of the meal for being such a good boy. They were all very accommodating, friendly, and I felt they were there to please.


Look, this restaurant won the 2006 and 2007 award for Best of Baltimore - Seafood Restaurant. There are also locations in Atlanta, Charlotte, Dallas, Houston, Indianapolis, Miami, Minneapolis, Orlando, Philadelphia, San Diego, Seattle, Washington DC, and coming soon to Boston, Cincinnati, Denver, and Phoenix. Run, don't walk, to the nearest Oceanaire.

For more visit: http://www.theoceanaire.com


Recommended: Yes