Ruddy Update...

So, with good intentions, we headed towards the Celebrate 375 Maryland events at St. Mary's college - some torrential downpours diverted us over to the brand-new Ruddy Duck, in search of local, craft-brewed heavily-hopped liquid barley sustenance.


Tall ships at St. Mary's college, right before the rain


The phrase that comes to mind is "great potential".

Sitting in the Ruddy Duck's cavernous space, all six of us well-cooled by ceiling fans and with a decor somewhat conflicted between Western Canada and Mid-Atlantic (surprisingly not a lot of traditional Chesapeake Bay hangings), the brewmaster's board said it all:



That's right, nothing published, with only 2 actual onsite brews to share - a fairly bland though refreshing Pale Ale, and a "Belgian Wit" that looked and tasted suspiciously like a well-limed Mohito. Luckily, a number of "guest beers" were available, most notably the spectacular Clipper City triple-hopped Loose Cannon...stealing the show.

Very nice and friendly staff, though obviously still learning the ins and outs of table-clearing, customer attentiveness, and keeping down the table-spraying around eaters.

Our Mucho Meat Pizza, Mussels and Rudy's Mega Burger were more than tasty, the kids' menu was certainly a step up from IHOP (but no crayons?), but the Caesar salad left a bit unsaid (mainly in terms of volume)...plus we had to ask for the wing sauce, for the wings.

All-in-all, a very promising brewpub and grill with high potential, should the kinks of newness get worked out - hopefully first on the brew-making side.



The Ruddy Duck is located in Solomon's Island right off of Rt. 4, co-located with Cherry Cove's Solomons Island Hotel The Hilton Garden Inn.

Ruddy Duck Brewery & Grill Opens - Solomons Island, MD

The area's first brewpub/restaurant opened its doors yesterday in Solomon's Island, evidently over 300 dinners served... at the Ruddy Duck Brewery & Grill...featuring:

- Breezy Point American Wheat
- Flag Harbor Pale Ale
- Hog Island Vanilla Stout
- Oyster Cove Barley Wine
- Sandbar India Pale Ale
- Ruddy Duck Solomons Lager
- Saint Leanard's Cream Ale
- Stonepile Koelsch

See you there! (And stay overnight next door at the Solomons Island Hilton Garden Inn!)

Celebrate Maryland 375 Events - June 2009

(Press release, St. Mary's Division of Tourism)

St. Mary’s County’s sites and attractions produce a full line-up of events that “Celebrate 375 MD” including a Birthday Celebration Weekend.

Over forty of the county’s 2009 annual events include special “Celebrate 375” components from Sotterely’s Garden Fair in April to the National Oyster Festival in October. The five-event Birthday Weekend takes place in June.

Maryland’s 375th Birthday Celebration Weekend Friday, June 19 – Sunday, June 21, 2009 features five events.

River Concert World Premier. Friday, June 19, 7 p.m., St. Mary's College of Maryland, St. Mary's City, off Route 5.

The River Concert Series Season Opener featuring the Chesapeake Orchestra, Jeffrey Silberschlag music director, Celebrates the 375th with the world premier of a symphonic work “In Terra Maryland” by Maryland composer Nathan Lincoln-DeCusatis with spoken texts culled from early writings on Maryland’s founding prepared by Jennifer Cognard-Black, Associate Professor of English, St. Mary’s College of Maryland. Maestro Silberschlag says: “This work attempts to tell about the arrival of the English colonists and their thrill of seeing Maryland for the first time.”
The concert also includes Handel’s “Trumpet Spectacular” and Dvorak’s Symphony No. 9- "The New World." Free.
240-895-4107 www.riverconcertseries.com

Maryland’s Birthday Celebration. Saturday, June 20, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., Historic St. Mary's City, St. Mary's City, off Route 5.

All day and evening celebration at the site of Maryland’s first colony and capital features tall ships along the St. Mary’s waterfront including tall ship Kalmar Nickel Delaware’s seagoing goodwill ambassador. The 200-tunnepinnace is modeled after the ship that sailed from Sweden to the New World in 1638. There will also be 17th-century style food, make-and-take crafts, sutlers (vendors), music, whimsey, and other entertainment. The day will close with a special River Concert, to include a reprise of “In Terra Maryland” and fireworks. Free. 800-762-1634, www.stmaryscity.org.

Juneteenth Celebration. Saturday, June 20, Noon, Freedom Park in Lexington Park, Route 235 and Tulagi Place.

Entertainment for all ages celebrating cultural diversity and freedom. Early evening jazz concert. Free. HC. 301-862-4868, www.ucaconline.org

Pinks All Out. Saturday, June 20, Maryland International Raceway, Budds Creek, Maryland.

Speed TV will be filming an episode of PINKS All Out. Hundreds of the best drag racers in the country will bring their game to MIR in search of glory and their share of $18,000 in cold, hard cash in PINKS All Out. Host Rich Christensen hosts the all day shootout that pits egos and cars against one another on the quarter mile. Ticketed event 301-884-9833, www.mirdrag.com

Celebrate Family, Fun and Fitness! Sunday, June 21, College of Southern Maryland, Leonardtown Campus, 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. 22950 Hollywood Road, Leonardtown, Maryland.

CSM celebrates 375 years with Wellness, Fitness & Recreation. Come dressed to play on Father's Day as you enjoy fitness demos, wellness tips, health screenings, fun
races and a 3.75-mile walk to include historic Leonardtown. Free. 301-934-7703 or 240-725-5312.

Visit Celebrate 375 MD Program and Website Sponsors including Southern MD hotels Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton Inn, and Marriott Fairfield Inn, by Cherry Cove Hospitality.

St. Mary's River Concert Series - June 19th - July 31st

Don't miss the upcoming St. Mary's College River Concert Series, June 19th - July 31st; absolute great entertainment in a magnificent, though very family-oriented and friendly setting on the banks of the St. Mary's river. Generously supported by local and regional businesses including Booz|Allen|Hamilton, SAIC, Cherry Cove Hospitality, and O'Brien Realty, among others.

Leadership Southern Maryland Class - Inaugural Awards at Southern MD Hotel Hilton Garden Inn

Per this SOMD News story, members of the inaugural Leadership Southern Maryland class graduated this May at the Southern MD hotel Hilton Garden Inn in Solomons Island, MD.

Leadership Southern Maryland is a nine-month tuition-based program specially designed to develop leaders from the Southern Maryland area for regional collaboration.

"LSM is an outstanding program for individuals to learn about the region, those issues that most impact our friends, co-workers, and families, and an outstanding opportunity for you to learn about those issues to make a difference," said Wilson H. Parran, president of the Calvert County Board of County Commissioners, LSM 2009 and LMD 1999 graduate, in the LSM press release.

The LSM program is dedicated to building a cadre of informed regional leaders, prepared to address common issues and bring long-term benefit to their neighbors and communities and incorporates a cross-section of the region to include diversity of geographic location, profession, ethnicity and gender.

Congratulations to many of our regional Southern Maryland leaders (find the whole list at the SOMD News post), including well-known business leaders such as Brian Norris, Chief Operating Officer, Cherry Cove Development, and Lisa Franzen, director of foundation and corporate relations, St. Mary's College of Maryland.