Hubby Gets Hooked

I was so excited to take Justin to Hooked when we went to Ocean City, MD, last week, because I knew he would love it as much as I do. We had originally planned to go to our favorite Mexican place our first night there but once we found out it would be closed for the duration of our trip (boo!) we opted to go to Hooked that night instead of later in the trip.

It started with the cocktails. I had an amazing peach margarita and Justin chose a whiskey mixed drink.

Of course we weren't skipping over appetizers. We were provided with just baked slices of warm focaccia bread to dip in olive oil and then chose the Red Curry PEI Mussels, served with bok choy, shitake mushrooms, garlic confit, and curly scallions. The mussels were huge and the broth was so good we were eating it like soup once all the mussels were gone. 

For dinner I chose the Seared Scallops, served with grilled corn and roasted poblano peppers, braised bacon, cheesy grits, and an applewood bacon broth. OMG this was one of the best things I have ever eaten. The scallops had this beautiful golden sear and packed lots of flavor and then douse anything in a bacon broth and you have instant deliciousness. Grits have also notoriously been one food item that I really couldn't stand with their gritty texture and lack of flavor. However I have quickly found that if they're prepared right (mixing them with gobs of cheese and soaking them in bacon broth probably helps) they're amazing! Justin had felt the same way about grits and he couldn't stop eating them off my plate! 

Justin chose the Soft Shell Crab special, two large soft shells served with a cous cous salad, greens, and a sauce very similar to chimichurri. The soft shells were melt in your mouth good and the salad could have been served on it's own but paired perfectly with the crabs. 

We ordered one last item, the pesto fries which had us extremely intrigued and which we couldn't pass up. These were every bit as good as they sounded! 

This place has quickly made it into my Top 5 all-time favorite restaurants and Justin has said the same. He loved it! I love Hooked's way of turning local ingredients and seafood, which sometimes gets lost in breading or continuously matched with boring sides, into creative dishes with unique ingredients. I also enjoy the presentation of the dishes and the clean, bright atmosphere of the restaurant. I wish it wasn't so far away so we could go back again soon! 

We skipped dessert but after dinner we stopped by the Ocean City Brewing Company to sample some local beer. How cute are these tasting flights served in mini-surfboards! 

Some of our favorites included their pumpkin, watermelon, and red ales and we would definitely come back during the other seasons to try some more seasonal flavors. Stay tuned for a few more posts from our time in OC!