The Retriever 337 1/2 High Street, Chestertown, Maryland 21620

During the East-Central American Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies at Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland, I stopped into a quaint restaurant and bar that felt like a railway stop, and I passed by the bustling bar to reach the back restaurant. I sat in the corner to get a great view of the dining area.

The Wölffer No. 139 Dry Rosé Cider paired nicely with the oysters. The briny soft morsels were washed down with the blush-chilled cider. The sweetness did not overwhelm the seaweed flavor or the earthy velvety meatiness. I added just a drop of lemon to all six oysters. I drizzled vinegar on half, and cocktail sauce on the other half. Tipped them back, closed my eyes, and savored the moment. Slipped a little bubbly in to let the flavors pirouette together.

Half a dozen sweet

sea mollusks, sleepily rest

nude on a half shell

The grits arrive with an aroma reminiscent of escargot. They are quite coarse and almost gritty; I can feel the husks clinging to each grain, adding heartiness to the meal, while the mushrooms are exceptionally succulent. A light drizzle of fragrant oil graces the top, complemented by a sprinkle of dill. As I sipped my rosé, it enhanced the flavors of the mushrooms and dill, creating a vibrant, earthy sensation on my palate, as if the mushrooms and dill were grown together in a field, meeting again on my tongue. The dish offers a variety of textures, from the grainy yet tender interior of the grits to the soft and smooth, juicy, plump mushrooms. The gravy, infused with dill, is floral, while the cream sauce rolls over the grits like pebbles in a brook.

I ended with an appetizer

of creamy goat cheese and honey

with sesame seed crackers.

A savory end,

not the end, until the

Frapin Cigar Perfect Cognac

smoothly chased the taste

with the nutty, vanilla notes, a gingery spice

that tickled my nose and sent me into the night

twirling my tongue

around a new song.