A Day on Kent Island

We celebrated our actual anniversary with a beautiful dinner at the Dabney, which I’ll write about very soon. However, we were still feeling festive and nostalgic when the weekend rolled around, so we decided to spend a day on Kent Island. We visited all of the spots that made our wedding weekend special, and then some, all with the backdrop of perfect weather and clear blue skies.

Memories at Kent Manor Inn

Of course we had to hit up the place where we actually said “I do”. There was a reception going on in the garden room, but the little waterfront where our ceremony took place was free and clear.
It was strange and wonderful walking those grounds, I felt like hardly any time had passed at all. It was so nice to spend some time sitting on that dock and reminiscing about what a great day it was.
It’s surprising that this is the first time we’ve returned to the area, considering that it’s only an hour away. I’m sure we’ll head back several times over the years to reconnect with our beginnings.

Fish Tacos at The Big Owl

Kent Island is definitely not a high-brow destination, but that’s exactly why I love it and why we chose it as a wedding destination. I love the laid-back, casual bars and eateries along Kent Narrows and the fact that I feel like I could be on a lake somewhere in Oklahoma doing the exact same thing.
The Big Owl may be my favorite bar in the area. The drinks are cold, the service is great and the food is on point. Many of my friends and family raved about their fish tacos, but I never managed to try them myself in the midst of all the chaos. I was finally able to give them a try this weekend, and they definitely lived up to the hype.
These are not your average fish tacos. The fresh fish is grilled instead of fried, served over diced tomatoes and crunchy pineapple slaw and topped with a creamy aioli.
Although always lively, especially when there is live music going, The Big Owl is rarely too packed to find a seat.
The views are pretty great, too.

Drinks at The Jetty

Oh, The Jetty. So many ridiculous memories were made at this colorful bar. From the wild and crazy dance parties to my first and last karaoke performance, some of the best times we had over the course of our wedding weekend happened here.

Unfortunately, huge crowds of day-drunk people aren’t as much fun when you don’t have your squad with you. Maybe someday we’ll rededicate our vows so we can get the whole crew back on Kent Island for more Jetty shenanigans. It’s so much better that way.
We had a beer and listened to the hilarious 80’s cover band perform Men at Work’s Down Under, complete with actual flute accompaniment, before heading on to the next spot.

Dinner at Rustico

Nestled in the quaint little town of Stevensville, Rustico is a nice departure from the waterfront scene.
We stumbled on this Italian restaurant and wine bar months before the wedding when we were in town doing research and were instant fans. The food and wine selection are great, and the small town prices are an excellent change of pace from what we’re used to in DC.
We stopped by before heading home to catch a quick bite, and were lucky enough to catch their weekend happy hour with discounted wine by the glass and half price food from the bar menu.
We split the Siciliana flatbread with Italian Sausage, broccoli rappini and Italian cheeses with garlic infused oil as well as the fruttura di pomodori verdi, or fried green tomatoes topped with homemade buffalo mozzarella. The grand total for both of these items was $9.50 before tax, which is pretty much insane.
And because we were still celebrating our anniversary, we obviously needed dessert. We went with the day’s special, Monterosa cake, with mascarpone and ricotta cheese divided by delicate layers of sponge cake and topped with wild strawberries. These bites were the perfect ending to a day of sweet nostalgia.
Even though our original plans to go away for our anniversary fell through do to several unexpected trips we need to take later in the year, our day on Kent Island turned out to be the perfect way to celebrate. Marriage means making the most of even the small adventures.
And so we left beautiful Kent Island and returned home to grocery shop and go to bed early on a Saturday night. We’re an old, married couple now after all.
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