One of our favorite aspects of ShoreBread is having a constant excuse to explore the Eastern Shore of Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia. No one really needs an excuse to get out and explore, but with the stresses of life, the daily grind, and the cold weather, it’s easy to get stuck in the rut of routine. Fortunately for us, it’s our job to get out, discover (and re-discover) Delmarvalous places, and share it with you all, in hopes that you too will be inspired to take a few hours, a day, or a weekend to enjoy Eastern Shore life.
Last week, we decided to make a day trip to Historic Downtown Cambridge. We are pretty well-versed in small towns across Delmarva, as we make it a habit to visit them each as often as we can, but it had admittedly been awhile since we had spent significant time in Downtown Cambridge. Sure we drive through the city limits on the way to Oxford, Easton or St. Michaels, but we hadn’t made the short detour to the downtown area in a few months. For this trip we set up an appointment with the Executive Director of Cambridge Main Street, Brandon Hesson.
We met Hesson at Elliott’s Baking Company during the late morning rush. We quickly fell in love with the adorable coffee shop and bakery, stepping out of the cold and settling into one of the cozy, plush couches. The sweet, sweet smells of baked goods and coffee grinds had our mouths watering instantly. We quickly fueled up on coffee and got down to business – the latest happenings in Downtown Cambridge.
“The restaurants are a real anchor point for Downtown Cambridge,” said Hesson. “The restaurants provided this need to come downtown and do more.”
We can remember a time when Downtown Cambridge was full of vacancy signs. Sure there were a few staple stores that lured you to the area, like Craig’s Drug Store, but there wasn’t that Main Street feel that some of the other Eastern Shore towns had. Thanks to the hard work of merchants, business owners, and the Cambridge Main Street program, times are definitely changing.
As Hesson aptly pointed out, securing a solid collection of restaurants in Downtown Cambridge had a lasting impact. As people started coming for lunch and dinner, it made sense to walk around and browse in the surrounding stores. Soon to follow were more retail spaces, as well as art galleries. The restaurant scene started with longtime favorites like Canvasback and Snappers. Chef Patrick Fanning made a big splash with The High Spot (more on this dining hot spot later), Stoked and Squoze. Fanning also took over Elliott’s Baking Company recently, with the Nose 2 Tail Smokehouse and Butcher Shop on the horizon. Stoked features wings and pizza, taking your traditional hot wings and pizza and turning them on their head with ingenious toppings and sauces. We suggest stopping in on Sundays for their killer food specials.
Continuing along in the restaurant roll call, Bistro Poplar is sure to impress, with a laundry list of awards and accolades, including being named as one of five finalists in Maryland’s Favorite Restaurant category in the Maryland Restaurant Association’s Best of the Best Stars of the Industry awards program. What to expect? Fine French cuisine in a relaxed bistro setting that is ideal for date nights, girls’ nights out, or a ‘just because’ dinner.
Jimmie & Sook’s Raw Bar & Grill also caught our eye, particularly since we are avid seafood lovers. The restaurant was started by a Dorchester County native hailing from a long line of watermen so the place oozes authenticity. There’s also Leaky Pete’s Oyster and Wine Bar, which rumor has it will be opening a second location in Berlin!
For the sweet stuff, there’s Gina’s Ice Cream & Sweet Shoppe, which was unfortunately closed for the season, but we had plenty of sweets to choose from at Elliott’s, and later, off of the dessert menu at The High Spot. After some serious debating, menu perusing, and soul searching(we are only half kidding) we decided on The High Spot for lunch. We will let the pictures speak for themselves, but in a word, lunch was…amazing. We were uncomfortably but happily full by the time our helpful and attentive server came by with the dessert menu. We gladly obliged with a peek…followed by a mountainous berry cobbler. When in Cambridge!
For the true taste of what’s happening in Cambridge, plan a trip for Taste of Cambridge. “This is the thing that we really showcase our town for,” said Hesson, who explained that the streets overflow with locals and visitors during the event, which features the town’s culinary mainstays. Event-goers also get the chance to vote on crab dishes made by local restaurants. The Summer Send-Off is another popular event, with BBQ, brews, blues and more, including the Main Street Mile Race. The Cambridge Beer Festival, held each spring, showcases regional craft brews, along with live music, and food from local restaurants.
The list of events goes on and on, as do the restaurant accolades. Hesson noted that the events had served as an excellent source of getting more traffic in the downtown area, as well as, convincing business owners of the value of embracing change. “It’s been great to see Cambridge open our arms. The businesses here have started to see the impact of opening your arms to new people in our area.”
Another positive move has been working to establish Downtown Cambridge as its own entity, branding it as the unique small town that it is instead of trying to mirror what other towns like Berlin, Easton, or Frederick have achieved. “We aren’t trying to re-brand ourselves as anything other than what we are,” said Hesson. One aspect that they are trying to highlight is the fact that Downtown Cambridge is one of the few Arts & Entertainment Districts on the Eastern Shore. There are several galleries in Cambridge, with retail stores selling original artwork as well. We popped into a few during our tour and were in awe of the array of talent on display, not to mention the way the artists and employees in the gallery were so quick to offer assistance and help. Small town appeal at its finest.
Also shoring up the small town appeal were the quaint stores and retail spaces, scattered throughout the downtown sector. Take Simmons Center Market for example, which still allows locals to shop on credit. “They’re your typical, neighborhood small town store,” said Hesson. Or Craig’s Drug Store, which has been a mainstay for Downtown Cambridge for years. Sunnyside Shop is another pioneer of Downtown Cambridge, celebrating 10 years of business, which as Hesson noted, “is monumental to survive as a downtown business over the past ten years.” We stopped in Sunnyside and fell in love with the eclectic mix of clothing, jewelry, home goods, novelty gifts, and free trade goods. The owner was warm and welcoming as well, a pattern that we soon realized was a constant in Downtown Cambridge…smiles, warm hellos, and heartfelt, “thanks for stopping in!”
Needless to say, we could go on and on about the shopping and dining in Historic Downtown Cambridge. From the ingenious crab bushel Christmas tree during the holidays, to the festivals and events, to the culinary mainstays, we are already planning our next trip. Until next time…
Photos by Gina Whaley
