“ I love fusing comfort style food with an upscale twist.”— Chef Steve Weaver
and brick walls give the restaurant a sense of character. Copper-colored napkin rings and salt and pepper shakers echo the hue of the embossed tin ceiling. Olive green accents goldenrod walls, and pendant lights cast a warm glow. The centerpiece of the restaurant is the massive wood and granite bar.
COMFORTABLE, UPSCALE FARE Chef Steve Weaver had the vision for the menu and Manager Danny Hardy, referred to by Dan Aufdem-Brinke as“ the beer expert,” helped complete the team. Steve is originally from Boonsboro and has worked at several esteemed dining establishments in Washington County. From age 14 through college— he holds an associate’ s degree in professional cooking and a bachelor’ s degree in culinary management— he worked his way up at the South Mountain Inn. He later worked for Leiters’ Fine Catering, as head chef for Aqua 103 and also wrote the menu for Seven Ten. When he found out Dan’ s was opening, Steve jumped at the opportunity to be part of something new in his hometown. He showed up and insisted that they needed him on staff. The rest is history.
The management team at Dan’ s started planning the menu by looking at what was available locally during various times of the year, and who could keep up with the demand of the restaurant.“ Everything is derived from what we have when we open, produce-wise, and is made up as we go,” explains Steve.“ It’ s called‘ a la minute’ in culinary terms.”
The menu at Dan’ s is extensive, but several selections have emerged as clear favorites. Among those are the fish and chips, which features an IPA-battered fish with a light and crispy texture. The fish is served with a generous stack of hand-cut boardwalk style French fries, a creamy house made cole slaw, and the house tartar sauce. Another customer favorite is the scallops, which are the same brand used on the Food Network’ s Iron Chef and Top Chef contests. They are plump and meaty but tender and seared to perfection with just the right amount of caramelization. The scallops are plated on a bed of creamy wild mushroom risotto with a sweet Thai chili sauce.
“ We’ re also known for good burgers,” says Steve, who estimates the kitchen goes through 400 hundred pounds of burger a week. Each burger is made from a half pound of house-ground, locally raised beef and served with hand cut fries. Other menu favorites include steaks, salads, seven different flavors of buffalo wings, and seafood. The Crab Cakes Mini appetizer features several miniature crab cakes made from lump crabmeat, served with mango salsa. The finely diced yellow mango, red onion, green onion, and cilantro create a colorful presentation, while providing the perfect twist of sweet and savory that only a fruit salsa can! Many entrées from the menu have interesting flavor twists like the pan-seared bone-in-chop in a root beer reduction with Chipotle mashed potatoes or the strawberry chicken salad with a cranberry-lavender vinaigrette.
Restaurant specials are often as popular as the regular menu items, like the bacon-wrapped bone-in chop with a bourbon-barbecue glaze, served with garlic mashed potatoes and seasonal vegetables. The dark, rich glaze is a southern-inspired flavorful blend of spices with a sweet and smoky taste.
Steve credits his 14 years in the culinary arts with the inspiration behind the menu at Dan’ s.“ I love fusing comfort style food with an upscale twist. I like to use a lot of Asian flair.” Steve’ s philosophy is to take something familiar and comfortable but add his own personal, local touch.“ You don’ t need to use chicken for a pot pie, you can make pot pie out of rockfish that’ s running this time of year,” Steve says.“ My inspiration is the area, the time of year, and what is available and looks good.”
In addition to great food, Dan’ s Restaurant and Tap House offers 24 taps of American craft brews, specializing in those made locally. Dan’ s also has more than 100 cans and bottles of beer available.
Serving fine food since 1961
www. nicksairportinn. com( 301) 733-8560 14548 Pennsylvania Ave. Hagerstown, MD 21743
Lunch Mon – Fri Dinner Mon – Sat Live Piano Bar Thurs – Sat
Downtown Hagerstown ' s premier eatery offers a unique and affordable menu in a casual New York pub style atmosphere. Featuring traditional American cuisine with a flair, specialty drink menus, After the Bell Happy Hour, weekend entertainment and private dining areas for special events. Outdoor seating in the heart of the Arts and Entertainment District provides the perfect setting to enjoy a relaxing afternoon or evening.
38 S. Potomac St., Hagerstown ������������������������������������
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Hagerstown: The Best of Life in Washington County & Beyond March / April 2013 123