At Table
Old Bay Steamer
By M.B.T. Gastronome
A good friend and his lovely bride from the frozen north were spending a few days at the Grand Hotel in Point Clear. Weary of hotel food (and prices), they ventured into downtown Fairhope and settled in at the Old Bay Steamer for dinner. They were kind enough to ask my lovely dining companion and me to join them and we graciously accepted. After all, he was paying and we were on rations after dining at Ruth’s Chris Steak House the previous evening.
Never having been to Old Bay Steamer, we drove past it before realizing exactly where it was. A quick illegal u-turn brought us back to the restaurant where a convenient parking place was waiting by the front door. The exterior of the building is not impressive. Neither is the interior. It is a rather plain place (a la Veet’s), quite noisy and, for the uninitiated, quite unappealing.
Our guests from the frozen north (Birmingham) ordered steaks since neither is fond of seafood. They said the rib-eyes were good. I’ll take their word for it.
My lovely dining companion and I each ordered the Catch of the Day which, in this case, was Yellow Fin Tuna. It was served with salad, yellow rice and steamed broccoli. The salad, which comes in a large bowl for all to dip from (a la Olive Garden) was very, very good, much better than the Olive Garden salad bowl. The house dressing was very good – a little on the sweet side, but not too much. We really enjoyed the salad.
The yellow rice had a little kick to it. Not sure how it was prepared, but it was delicious. The steamed broccoli was fork tender and very tasty.
The tuna was exceptionally good. Seasoned just right and prepared to our specifications, it too was fork tender and delicious. It was one of those dishes that causes some dismay when the last bite is consumed and there is no more to eat.
Not to worry, though, dessert came quickly and was a fine touch to a fine meal. All of the Old Bay desserts, we were told, are made in house except for the Turtle Cheesecake. I chose the Key Lime pie and am so glad I did. The texture and taste were perfect. I really enjoyed it and could easily have eaten a second piece. My lovely dining companion chose the cheesecake and proclaimed it to be very good. She was unable to finish it, however, so I rose to the occasion and consumed the balance. She was right. It was very good.
Although this was my first visit to Old Bay Steamer, it probably won’t be the last. It is worth a trip to Fairhope.
As we stood in front of Old Bay Steamer, preparing to depart for our respective abodes, my friend said, “Hey, we are going to Wintzell’s tomorrow night? Care to join us? My treat.” Always the gracious guest, I accepted his invitation. Although I have eaten at Wintzell’s many times, I have never eaten at this location. Wonder how it will be?
(Editor's note: Our pseudonymous gourmand visits area dining establishments and reports on the experience. Wherever food is served, our peripatetic critic is likely to arrive with an appetite and depart with an opinion. He dines at his own expense; remains anonymous to all; reports only on those restaurants he frequents in the regular course of life, primarily reasonably priced places. However, he does splurge on occasion. Bon Appetit!)
