Trifecta at Harbor Island Marina, Solomons, Calvert County, Maryland – John Tanner’s Barbecue Blog
One of the great existential questions humanity faces is where to have lunch on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, when you need a change from turkey and so many places have closed for the full weekend. When you’ve tried or eliminated the usual spots, you ask, what’s new? In Solomons you recall that there’s a place that’s been about to open — the space that used to be the Charles Street Brasserie, catty-corner from the Tiki Bar.
We went and found Trifecta open for business.
Trifecta has a large space on two levels, the lower level with a bar by the entry (don’t overlook that sign near the center of the photo listing daily specials)
and a separate area with a half dozen or so tables overlooking the Solomons marinas.
Not yet open is a larger upstairs area with a deck outside that promises to be a little bit of heaven in good weather. And it’s a big old barn of a building so there may well be other dining spaces.
We settled in, enjoyed the view and ordered. Ella and Lily chose boring food from the Kids Menu. Sigh! Nancy ordered Maryland crab soup.
Nancy raved about the crab soup, its flavor, its abundance of crab and vegetables. And that was a lot more than the standard cup of soup. It was a generous serving.
She also chose blackened shrimp with a salad. At the server’s good suggestion that became a salad topped with shrimp on the salad.
The salad was fresh, and don’t those shrimp look nice? I hear we’re getting more shrimp in the Bay, and that’s good news indeed.
Michael ordered the jerk-seasoned double smash burger.
You can see that the burger wasn’t really smashed, not patted super-thin and pressed hard on the grill as at the incomparable Smash House. Real smash burgers are rare. I’m being pedantic. It was what most people call a smash burger, a double burger with two regular patties, and they were good, meaty-flavored patties formed by hand, and Michael reported that the jerk seasoning was worth writing home about. And note how well the cheese melted. This was a superior burger.
Liza and I both ordered the blackened fish sandwich.
It, too, was a double with two rockfish fillets, American cheese, good pickles (Claussen?), and a thin red onion slice. The two thick fillets hung over the edges of the bun. I took a bite of the overflow and thought, “Wow! Impressive!” The fish had a marvelously fresh taste and texture and a pleasant amount of blackening seasoning. This was good Southern Maryland rockfish prepared by a chef worthy of the fish.
Each of the sandwiches came with a side and we all stuck with fries. They were good fries, coated to add to the crust and flavor. I asked for hot sauce and received a small container of what turned out to be house made. The sauce was not so much hot as it was flavorful. It immediately reminded me of the sauce at Orozco I liked so much.
The meal was a success all around, and we all have high hopes for Trifecta. It’s early days, of course, as the place had been one for under a month, and the kitchen wasn’t slammed as it no doubt will be at times. But it’s off to an impressive start, adequately staffed to provide good service, and with a seductive view. The menu is varied and displays some intriguing Asian touches. And there’s that superb rockfish that merits repeated visits all by itself. Definitely give Trifecta a visit. This is one we want to nurture — and enjoy.
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