Repeat with a Twist - Pusser's, Annapolis, MD

Annapolis is one of my favorite places in Maryland.  The Naval Academy is right outside of downtown, there's lots to see and do, and the nightlife is pretty fun.  I will admit I had to stay away from the nightlife for a while after college, because all the Navy guys wanted to do was get married and have a million kids...not really my thing.  They filmed the movie Wedding Crashers on the Eastern shore, not too far from Annapolis, and one night we saw Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn at one of the bars.  They were very low-key, wearing casual clothes and baseball caps pulled as far down as possible.  It was cool until too many people recognized them and asked for autographs, and they left. 

One of my favorite restaurants in Annapolis is Pusser's Caribbean Grille.  They've got a great outdoor seating area, right on the water.  People dock their boats right there, and can literally climb out of the boat and onto the Pusser's dock.  

 
My friends Dean and Christy live in Annapolis, have a boat, and often pull that boat right up to the dock.  That's where I met them and their two friends on Thursday night.  I ran into an accident and lots of traffic on the way there, so by the time I reached they had already had a few cocktails so it was high time for me to get started.

After a couple drinks, we knew we had to get some food.  Who needs a table when you've got a boat??

Everything was amazing.  The crab dip (lump crab, peppers, onions & tomatoes in a creamy cheese dip) was creamy, fresh and delicious.  The jerk chicken & pineapple quesadillas (grilled jerk chicken with pineapples, onions, peppers & cheese.  Served with guacamole, mango corn relish and sour cream) had such awesome flavor.  I can't even explain how good Gary's Favorite Shrimp  was (jumbo shrimp sauteed in garlic-infused olive oil and finished with a rich cream sauce). The mussels were perfectly steamed and delicious.

I only had a little bit of each item.  There were 5 of us, so it would have been rude to wolf everything down myself.  Plus, I was waiting for Michele and Brian. 

A bad weather front approached at the same time Michele and Brian were getting to Pusser's.  Dean decided it was best to take the boat back home so they wouldn't get stuck in the storm.  So once they arrived I said my good-byes to Dean and Christy, and we went into the restaurant for dinner. 

By the time we sat down for dinner I had enough to drink, so I passed on another cocktail and instead stuck to water. 

Over the last few months I saw Swai in the grocery store.  I was hesitant to buy it though, because I wasn't sure how it would taste.  The package said "mild white fish", but I hated to get it, hate it, and waste it.  Lo and behold...as I'm perusing the menu, what do I see?  Cajun Blackened Swai...

Swai filet dusted with Cajun blackening spice and seared on the cast iron griddle.  Accompanied by steamed vegetables and rice with black bean sauce.  Garnished with mango corn relish

I've definitely been missing out by not buying Swai.  I'm sure how it's prepared goes a long way towards how good it's going to taste.  Well, Pusser's done good.  It was light and flaky.  The seasoning was a little spicy but not too bad.  I'm not a huge black bean fan but the sauce was really good.  The mango corn relish was absolutely delicious.  The beans were tender-crisp, my favorite way to eat them.

I don't get back to Annapolis often enough when I go back to visit, so I need to make sure to add it as a must-go every time I'm visiting.