and here it is~~bayside 28

Bayside 28

All Summer long I watched a dream unfold. The "Rocking Robin" sign that had been my landmark as I traveled the back way to Salisbury on Old Ocean City Blvd. was the first to go. Next came the construction, with piles of junk discarded out the side door, followed by lumber and other building materials. Ever curious, I couldn't wait to see what came next. Finally, a sign proclaimed, "Cool Cats Cove" coming soon. Was it to be a blues club? A throwback to fifties beatniks? I tucked the mystery away until this past week, when I finally saw the Open sign.
I am not one to go into a tavern alone, but in the spirit of exploring what's new in the area, I gathered my courage and visited on Sunday afternoon. It's not a fancy place, nor a particularly elegant establishment. But I predict The Cool Cats Cove is going to become one swinging place to go.
Owner's Shirley and Tee O'Neal have done what most of us don't have the courage to do. They took the "maybe some day" out of their dream, and turned it into "now". Both entertainers, with a passion for music and dancing, they wanted to create a place where people can eat good food, listen to great music from the 1940's to the 1980's, and dance the night away. The plan includes theme nights, including a tribute to Elvis, and classes teaching those cool cat dance steps.
I knew I had hit gold when a dark-haired lady came out of the kitchen proudly carrying a homemade cake, resplendent in chocolate butter crème. When she heard my enthusiastic "Wow!" she offered me a slice. ( I am a fool for chocolate, as you well know.) Between bites of cake, she introduced herself as Taz, head bartender and bottle-washer, along with chef Michael. I didn't tell them I was a columnist until the last bite, so I was particularly impressed with the kindness of the gesture. I am no fool when it comes to good food, as my hips will attest. I asked for a taste of the broth in the homemade Chicken and Dumplings, knowing that one sip would tell me if it was truly homemade, or Sweet Sue in a can. It was to die for, folks, every bit as good as mine. We were just warming up. Next came the broccoli cheddar soup, and that WAS better then mine. Chef Mike waxed lyrical as talked about the specials he had planned, like old-fashioned Ham and Cabbage, and said everybody was loving the southern fried chicken and homemade crab cakes. I'm hoping to catch a few tunes and sample the hot crab dip next weekend after work. They have a really cool website where you can access location, special events, and hours; www.coolcatscove.com.
Great food is good food, and I don't care if it comes wrapped in a napkin or swathed in silk, it's the taste that counts. I headed to Ocean City to finish this week's adventure. I love Chef Paul's food column here in the Bayside Gazette, and now that he's "cheffing" at The Avalon Market, I stopped by to meet him and hopefully sample his culinary delights. The Avalon Market, if you haven't been, is a must for serious foodies looking for hard to find ingredients, specialty equipment and fine wines, and the best in gourmet take-out, meats and cheeses. Watch for a column interviewing Chef Paul and sampling the goodies he creates soon. (there goes another inch on the hips.)
See you next week!