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Family business celebrates a decade at Morris Point
Around town
Friday, May 22, 2009
 Click here to enlarge this photo Staff photo by REID SILVERMAN
Chris and Debbie Soussanin have run Morris Point Restaurant in Abell for 10 years. The waterside spot overlooks St. Clement's Bay and serves local seafood.
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Look for the first sign on Route 470 and the second on Abell Road. Morris Point Restaurant, built on a dock in Canoe Neck Creek, is at the end of a quiet, narrow, residential road.
It was Thursday, and Morris Point's Web site said the restaurant was open for business. Officially, though, the restaurant was sort of open: Thursday is really a prepping day, but 10-year owners Chris and Debbie Soussanin keep the door open for anyone who happens to show up.
The establishment has a history of this. When Morris Point used to open at 4 p.m. on Thursdays, the owners would show up a couple hours before then and find boats tied up to the dock. Rather than ask the passengers to wait or return, the Soussanins invited them in. Had I known about this, I would have chosen another night to visit for a review. Still, I am confident that I did not get slighted regarding freshness or the availability of items.
Ten years ago the Soussanins bought Frank Morris Point Marina Restaurant. Stewart Morris opened a general store and oyster packing house here in 1885. The following operation, Ebb Tide Restaurant, burned down. Later, Frank Morris opened his restaurant.
The Soussanins, seeking a change of pace from life near Washington, D.C., bought the then-run-down restaurant from Morris' niece. They had no restaurant experience but apparently learned the trade quickly. Nowadays they live in St. Mary's County and run the restaurant on weekends.
Morris Point is casual but a far cry from a shack, even if the restaurant specializes in crab dishes. The tiny dining room (making a reservation seems like a wise idea) is carpeted and decorated with nautical décor. Tables are set with simple chairs and covered with oilcloth. The food is pricey but not too expensive, and the place does not skimp on quality or portion size. An ordering window, meanwhile, provides a peek into a homey kitchen.
Whether one is referring to the weathered sculptures in the yard or the relaxing view across St. Clement's Bay, the setting here is a memorable one. Chances are, too, that the dishes featuring local seafood will draw you back to enjoy it more than once.
The menu is diverse. Soups include chili ($3.95), cream of crab ($5.95), Maryland crab ($4.95) and oyster stew ($8.95). Appetizers range from mozzarella sticks to crab dip Florentine ($9.50). Basket meals served with fries offer a chance to eat for between $8 and $12. Morris Point's menu also includes salads and an Italian touch in dishes like shrimp scampi ($16.95) or even chicken parmesan ($15.95).
The heart of the menu, though, is comprised of hearty seafood dishes served with two sides. The lump crab cake dinner ($18) comes with two cakes (fried or broiled), fries and coleslaw. The list has fresh local fish (grilled, fried or broiled) for market price and also a New York strip steak ($15.95).
While ordering a fried seafood combination dinner ($19.95) of lump crab cake, soft shell crab, two fish fillets, fried clams and fries, I explained to Chris Soussanin that my wife, Emily, prefers seafood dishes prepared in a healthier manner. Also, her rockfish dinner would have to spend an hour in the car.
While meals come with two sides, I enjoyed my coleslaw and hush puppies like a first course, as they arrived a few minutes before the entrée. The coleslaw consisted of squares of cabbage drenched in a sweet dressing. The hush puppies were smallish, yet dense.
Then the entrée came out, and what a feast. The mellow lump crab was encapsulated within a light, crispy outer layer. Though flavorful, the spices, including Old Bay and herbs, were nicely kept in check.
As for the clams, these were no small critters. The soft shell crab, meantime, was meaty rather than a fried thing shaped like a crab, although it did have a very thin shell some find undesirable.
Moving on, the long fish fillets seemed to define the art of frying. The meat was juicy, and a squeeze of lemon was the only necessary flavor supplement. (The meal came with two dipping sauces.)
Even the fries were better than average. You could taste the potatoes and yet the outside was delectably crispy. But when you're staring down at a meal as unhealthy as this one, fries, something one can order just about anywhere, were not what the doctor ordered.
I was too full to eat them, anyway — although I did find a way to pick at Emily's meal when I got home.
The cauliflower and broccoli salad topped with cheddar cheese, sunflower seeds and bacon bits had a sweet, slightly nutty flavor, and the shell pasta dish was highlighted by feta cheese and tomato. The two pieces of rockfish ($18.95) had been sautéed in oil with vegetables and a soothing tomato sauce, and the taste was clean yet surprisingly rich.
If you go
Morris Point Restaurant, 38869 Morris Point Road, Abell. Hours: 5-10 p.m. Friday, noon-10 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday. Entrée prices: $8.95-$19.95. Credit cards: AE, MC, V. Call 301-769-2500. Go to www.morris-point.com
