Community Connection
CHINA HARBOR IS A JEWEL IN SOLOMONS

By Richard Taggs
Having recently been pressed into service to restore the venerable newspaper’s system, I remarked casually about the restaurant known as China Harbor in Solomons and what a good seafood restaurant it has become. Now, I find myself Pressed again into service to write a review with a little help from my wife Clarissa.
“Chinese if food not very good without chopsticks,” or so the saying goes, but don’t believe it. We in Southern Maryland have an excellent Chinese restaurant that specializes in seafood and it is known as China Harbor. Gorgeous, piled-high and sizzling in seaside surroundings describe their dishes.
Certainly the big draw in Solomons is seafood, or should be, with its atmosphere reminiscent of Cape Cod and the coast of Florida. So, if you are like myself, who only dines on Chinese food as a break from the ordinary, you will be surprised to find excellent seafood at China Harbor. Here is another Jewel, it is a romantic little spot with linen tablecloths and napkins soft music the lights are low, a great bar and a wonderful staff who remember you and how spicy you first specified the dish.
You can dress up or down; the atmosphere is relaxing and we find our-selves passing up the more expensive restaurants for this haven. Because of good prices, we can dine our bore often yet feel we have dined like kings. All the comforts are here; Irish coffee, Old Fashion’s made right, colorful drinks. On cold nights like this, warm up with their Finger Tea, hot tea with Ginger Liqueur.
I have not found an off night there. No matter the weather or crowd, the service is fast and the crew is top notch. They deliver sizzling fresh fish dishes, including fresh rockfish. The perfect food according to my wife is the one and a half pound fresh lobster with sweet ginger and scallion sauce. I have not found the delicacy of Chinese cooking to rival Double Delight, a filet mignon and shrimp human medley. Try the Sea King Delight: crab, scallops and lobster covered with a very delicate white sauce. Note: no crab or lobster substitutes are ever used and nothing is spared to present the finest seafood. If you order lobster, the live lobster is brought to you table for inspection before cooking.
Bring an appetite because portions are large. Yes, there are more traditional oriental favorites as well as a light menu. For reservations, call 410-326-0700