We discovered – quite by accident – North East, MD (pop. 3678) during a recent trip north from Florida. Located on the banks of the Northeast River (which branches off from the Chesapeake Bay), this quaint, sleepy little town has a scenic waterfront, many historic buildings, museums and parks.
The weather was great so we decided to meander along Main Street where we enjoyed the beautiful old restored buildings that now house unique shops, antique stores, local restaurants and Rorie’s favorite…a candy store. Not a chain store in sight!
At the southern end of Main Street is the Day Basket Factory. Local craftsman still hand weave white oak baskets just like they have for over 130 years. Using local lumber, it takes 3-4 days to complete the process for each basket. Really a labor of love!
After our window-shopping walk we wandered into Woody’s Crab House (http://www.woodyscrabhouse.com), a bustling casual restaurant with a huge front porch and lots of tables for outdoor dining. What a find this place was. Woody’s specializes in Chesapeake Bay crabs and, since I love seafood and Bart loves really great “no filler added” crab cakes, we were in heaven. Brown paper covers the tables and peanut shells cover the floor and there is just a great neighborhood vibe to the restaurant.
Our waitress Dena was a terrific server – a happy and energetic woman who provided great service. And, lucky for us, we happened to be there on a night when the owner – whose name just happens to be, yup, Woody – was in the restaurant. We had a nice chat with him and learned how he turned a closed up broken down bar into a local hotspot. This place does local seafood right and don’t even get us started on the hush puppies. Pure bliss.
So if you’re in the area, hungry or just looking for a place to take a break and sightsee, be sure to visit North East (and Woodys). It’s another great little off-the-beaten-path town we’re proud to shine a light on.