Good eats in Chesapeake Bay area of Virginia

[estragon]

Spending a couple of days in early August somewhere along the Virginia coast, probably not too far from Richmond, though possibly as far south as Virginia Beach. Looking for the best dining experience we can find, preferably seafood-focused.

Recommendations, anyone?

[glebe]

There is a restaurant in the Duke of York Hotel in Yorktown.Close to the Geo.Coleman bridge that has DELICIOUS seafood dishes.I'm from the area and love to eat there.Sorry I'm late on this but keep it in mind the next time you are traveling in the area.

[ccoffeegod]

If your are willing to drive to williamsburg, then the Fat Canary is a must for really good upscale food. I also second the river inn.

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Fat Canary
410 Duke of Gloucester St, Williamsburg, VA 23185

[danbee1]

That's a helluva big area. Maybe you can narrow it down some when you find out exactly where you'll be.

[estragon]

We'll be staying in Seaford, not far from Yorktown. Rivers Inn in Gloucester has been recommended. Also Harpoon Larry's in Hampton, and Crab Shack on the James, which I'm told is a franchise. None of these sound ideal.

Any other ideas?

[danbee1]

Of these, I'd go with River Inn. Pretty nice place with good but not exraordinary food. They also have a tiki bar if that suits you. Other than that there's pretty slim pickings in this area. You might want to drive over to Williamsburg in the hopes of finding something there.

[estragon]

I'd drive as far as Williamsburg for a great meal, but probably not for one that's just OK. Is there anything there that takes local seafood seriously?

[danbee1]

You might want to try The Trellis located in the Old Town center. Used to be run by Marcel Desaulniers who" invented" the Death By Chocolate dessert item. I'm not sure I would call it great but it is very, very good with excellent service. Be sure to make a reservation and if you're into chocolate desserts reserve Death By in advance as well. Other than that, Pierce's Pit BBQ is supposed to be world class for ribs. For seafood, River Inn is about as good as you're going to get and I would rate it good but not higher. You can Google The Trellis and Pierce's. For whatever reason, good seafood is hard to come by in the area restaurants. Go figure.

[estragon]

Thanks. I think we'll stick with the River Inn. Hope there's a proper blue crab experience somewhere in our future.

But come to think of it, we'll be in DC for a few days too. Any recommendations there? Keep in mind, we're travelling with an infant, and long, leisurely fine-dining experiences are not in the cards. Preferences: original and local, seafood, BBQ. But we'll settle for anything delicious, not super-formal and close to a metro stop.

[danbee1]

I strike out on DC. Maybe others can help. Probably ought to put a new post on the DC board.