Dining Out: Chef Kinkead's Hell Point is simply Heavenly

Here's an interesting quote from Virginia Woolf: "It's impossible to think well, love well, or sleep well if one has not dined well." Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. Iconic Washington Executive Chef Robert Kinkead has brought us Hell Point Seafood so we can all do the dining well part with ease.

Hell Point Seafood has one of the premier restaurant locations in the entire area (on the site of what was most recently Phillips Seafood), and consequently, has boatloads (pun intended) of foot traffic exposure with the legions of locals and visitors who enjoy walking along the City Dock.

It won't just be the meanderers who decide spontaneously to drop in at Hell Point, however, for our cadre of local foodies (who began drooling at the prospect of having a Kinkead restaurant in our city as soon as rumors began to fly) have made it a destination spot as well.

Why the intense interest?

Rarely has so much culinary talent gone into the establishment of a local restaurant. Kinkead himself, owner of the legendary Kinkead's in Washington D.C., and winner of an impressive array of awards (including the ultra-prestigious James Beard Award for Best Mid-Atlantic Chef), has put his indelible stamp on the entire operation.

Significant contributions come as well from chef-partners Jeffrey Gaetjen and James Huff. Gaetjen, long a Kinkead associate, graduated with honors from the Culinary Institute of America. Huff has honed his skills cooking at such venues as Emeril Lagasse's Delmonico in New Orleans. If ever there were a recipe for an amazing restaurant experience, it would be with these three at the helm.

Having eaten at Hell Point several times since their early summer opening, I looked forward with anticipation to introducing a group of friends to the delights of their cuisine. Our table by the window was spacious, comfortable and beautifully appointed - a fitting backdrop for the treats that lay ahead.

It was Friday, so the first item on the agenda was cocktails to celebrate having made it through another week. Sapphire martinis ($8), Mount Gay with tonic ($8), and Knob Creek Bourbon on the rocks ($9) were the first home run of the evening.

With high-octane (no stinting on the pours here) libations like these, we nibbled our way through the breadbasket with dispatch. The dense raisin-studded country bread and the creditable French pain de pais were both tasty, but the corn bread with just a hint of cumin won the honors. Usually corn bread in restaurants is too sweet, but this was just right. All the breads are baked in house.

My dining companions pondered long and hard before making appetizer choices, but my decision had been made before I left home. On my first visit to Hell Point, I tried the Stuffed Quahogs with Chorizo and Lemon ($9) and haven't tired of them yet. The minced clam (the shells don't seem to be big enough for quahog shells, but the meat is sweet and luscious) is studded with savory bits of chorizo sausage, punctuated with lemon and broiled until the tops are brown and crunchy. Marvelous.

The other appetizers, sure winners all, included Crispy Thai Squid with Green Papaya Salad and Lime Chile

Dipping Sauce ($10); Blue Hill Bay Mussels with Thai Yellow Curry, Coconut Milk, Lemon Grass, Ginger and Potatoes ($11); and Seared Sea Scallops with Caper Parsley Puree, House Made Bacon and Arugula ($9).

The calamari was exquisite, crisp exterior giving way to tender and flavorful squid, and the delicate papaya salad was a perfect accompaniment. The scallops, firm and delightfully fleshy, were set off nicely by the puree and the supporting flavors of the bacon and arugula. A mouth-watering marriage of ingredients.

Does anyone have a bumper sticker that says "Eat Hell Point Mussels"? One taste of these beauteous bi-valves would send you looking for one. The sauce, with its seasonings and base of coconut milk, disappeared as each of us dipped bits of bread in to get every scrumptious drop.

Hell Point offers a couple of non-seafood entrees (the menu changes daily), and there were beef medallions ($24) and a pork chop ($21) available when we were there. They would likely be excellent; but the truth is, I'll probably never find out. When you can get fresh, uber-quality seafood prepared with such panache and inventiveness, why would you choose the land offerings?

As everyone in our party was having seafood, we chose the 2007 Bonterra Sauvignon Blanc ($29) to enjoy with dinner. We enjoyed it so much, in fact, that we ordered a second bottle. Unfortunately, there wasn't one. The 2008 Wild Rock Sauvignon Blanc ($34) that we substituted neither complemented the food as well nor held our interest as well. Recommendations for those just-hit-the-lottery or Uncle Louie-died-and-left-me-a-fortune occasions? The 2006 Macherelles Chassagne-Montrachet ($112) for white, and the 2005 La Justice Gevrey-Chambertin ($105) for red.

Our experiences with the drinks, the bread and the starters gave us high expectation with regard to entrees, and our expectations were met and surpassed. One member of our group decided on the Grilled Swordfish with Cherry Tomato and Basil Confit ($25) and pronounced it a winner. The toothsome and addictive Crispy Zucchini Fries with Parmesan that accompanied the swordfish are available as a side dish for $5. Good to know.

Having enjoyed the Raw Tuna Carpaccio ($17) for lunch on two earlier occasions, I was powerless to decide against it even though there were several other appealing choices on the list of main courses. Made with sushi-grade tuna, the parchment-thin slices of delectable fish were accented with a shaved fennel salad, fresh basil, toasted pine nuts and currants atop a drizzle of artisanal olive oil flecked with parmesan. This same entree caught the attention of another member of our party, and both of us loved it.

If fish judges were holding up cards in the Seafood Olympics, then the Crispy Cornmeal Crusted Black Back Flounder ($24) would have them all holding up their 10s. In a tough field, this was the star of the evening. Inspired choices of artichokes, shrimp and tasso ham accented the fish. Served simply with a lemon herb butter and some new potatoes, this dish should be on everyone's Must Not Miss List.

"It's Friday" was the rationale du jour for having dessert and we savored our shared bites of Local Pear Tart Tatin with Caramel Ice Cream ($9), and Warm Chocolate Molten Cake with Hazelnut Ice Cream ($8). Ah, bliss. A suitably spectacular finish to a spectacular evening.

Several years ago, one of the high points of every year was the annual trip to Nantucket, and one of the high points of that trip was visiting 21 Federal, which was considered by most to be the best restaurant on the island in those days. Know who was in the kitchen? Chefs Robert Kinkead and Jeffrey Gaetjen.

Now it doesn't require a bumpy commuter flight or a lengthy ferry ride to enjoy their sensational fare, just a trip downtown. The name Hell Point came from the decidedly jaded reputation of the rough and violent area around City Dock in the past. With the arrival of this restaurant, we might well consider renaming the area Heaven Point.

A Final Note: I know. It's almost impossible to comprehend, but soon we're going to have to start thinking about holiday shopping.

If you have that person (some of us have several) who is really difficult when it comes to selecting a gift, remember that a gift card to one of our fabulous local restaurants would be the perfect present.

It's easy to wrap, just the right size and color, and a guaranteed winner when it comes to crowd-pleasing.

WHEN YOU GO

WHAT: Hell Point Seafood
WHERE: 12 Dock St. (right by Ego Alley), Annapolis.
PHONE: 410-990-9888.
WEB SITE: Not available.
HOURS: Lunch: 11:30 a.m.- 2:30 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday.
Dinner: 5:30-10 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday. Closed Monday.
EXECUTIVE CHEF: James Huff.
APPETIZERS: $9-$16.
ENTRÉES: $17-$32.
RESERVATIONS: Recommended but not required.
CREDIT CARDS: American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Visa.
ACCESSIBILTY:  Yes.

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OF NOTE: Another sad reminder of the devastating effect that the economy has had on local restaurants comes in the form of another closing, this time Pesce Grande.

There were many good things about Pietro Priola's Italian grill and sports bar in Parole, not the least of which was the ability to get every tasty menu treat in larger and smaller portions. As has been mentioned in this space previously, there are many things we can do without during a tight economy. Food isn't one of them.

Restaurants are making it easy for us, with many specials and portions (in most instances) large enough for two meals.

Come on, people, put "eat out" on your calendar and let's get behind our local restaurants.

Terra Walters is a freelance writer and editor based in Annapolis.