Unrated during the pandemic.
To understand Bas Rouge, the crown jewel in a collection of culinary draws called Bluepoint Hospitality in Easton, Md., it helps to know a bit about Paul Prager, the energy mogul responsible for transforming the once-sleepy town in Talbot County.
Born in Brooklyn, the descendant of grandparents who fled Austria during the Holocaust, Prager graduated from the Naval Academy in Annapolis in 1980. Life as a Navy officer gave him a literal taste of the world, Asia in particular. Later, as the owner of a shipping company, he made a habit of stopping in Vienna en route to Eastern Europe. (“For opera, sweets and crystal,” he says, “it’s hard to beat.”) Prager is the founder of Beowulf Energy, owns 1,000 acres of farmland on the Eastern Shore, counts some of New York’s top chefs as pals, and has a wife who appreciates Scotch and dogs, which explains both the Stewart, his intimate lounge featuring single malt Scotch whiskies, and the name of his fine-dining restaurant. Bas Rouge is a French nickname for Beauceron, a breed of herding dog distinguished by its red feet.
Prager, 63, has spared no expense at Bas Rouge, which would look at home in his beloved Vienna. The crystal, so delicate you wonder how it doesn’t float away, is from Zalto, the fine china from Bernardaud. German hunting scenes are captured in 19th-century paintings displayed around the intimate main dining room, which is further embellished with an antique Lobmeyr crystal chandelier.
“Textures are everything,” and not just in terms of food, says Prager. The feel of the linens and the fabric on the banquette is rich, encouraging hours-long meals. The recent addition of a second dining room (take a left at the cheese cart, also new) and a chic bar designed exclusively for reservation-holders adds to the sense you’re someplace special. At Bas Rouge, even purses get their own padded stools.
Wiener schnitzel was Prager’s sole request for the menu. Otherwise, executive chef Harley Peet, 40, a veteran of the Inn at Perry Cabin who also oversees the rest of Prager’s food operations, is free to serve what he sees fit. Peet’s winter collection gathers Asian accents, old-school notions and reminders of proximity to the Chesapeake Bay. Diners choose between three or four courses, priced at $100 and $125, respectively. Perusing the possibilities, I wondered if anyone ever orders the $175 caviar supplement. As if on cue, a bowl of shimmering roe trailed by buckwheat blinis landed on the neighboring table.
The kitchen, under the day-to-day care of chef de cuisine Phil Lind, signals its priorities from the start, with house-baked breads that include a cheddar scone and caraway-seeded rye, and a salad of beets and Hidden Rose Apples topped with a beet-colored foam. There’s a lot going on in the first course, which fits in fried bits of prosciutto and soft pecorino mousse, but it all makes sense on the tongue. The apples, cut into little balls and poached in lime juice, apple juice, star anise and verjus, are especially delicious. Beef tataki — quickly seared slices of raw Wagyu beef dusted with dehydrated kimchi — is another impressive launch. The scarlet meat is fanned over a “cream” made from silken tofu and pulverized cashews, and splashed with gingery soy sauce.
“Fly Me to the Moon” feels like the right song to be playing in the background as I’m served grilled wild shrimp arranged on sliced cucumbers shot through with jalapeños, a composition joined at the table by a sauce of mango electrified with chiles. Bas Rouge likes adding soups and sauces to its bowls and plates as recipients watch. Hot cream forms a moat around a mound of diced potatoes, crisp bacon, minced chives and local oysters, which are lightly smoked. A tuft of foamed milk completes the steaming comfort.
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The Old World setting compels me to order that Wiener schnitzel, a lunch selection and another example of the lengths Prager goes to get things right. Lind credits the esteemed Austrian chef Mario Lohninger for the recipe, which he demonstrated when Prager brought him to Easton after Bas Rouge opened in 2016. (Prager likes to bring in outside experts. New York chefs Eric Ripert and Michele Brogioni have been by, too.) The entree starts with deboned veal loin, pounded thin, lightly dusted with flour, dipped in an egg wash and rolled in crumbs of semmel rolls from Prager’s nearby Sunflowers & Greens, a boutique salad stop with a bakery. The veal slices are cooked over low heat in a constantly moving pan, a technique that lifts the crust away from the veal and creates “souffle” Wiener schnitzel, says the chef de cuisine, 32.
Having lived in Germany, traveled throughout Austria — and eaten a lot of schnitzel — I can vouch for the formula. Puffed and golden, the signature is served with lingonberries and warm and vinegary German potato salad, as lulling a performance as “Edelweiss.”
Have you noticed? Some chefs are mining the past for inspiration. As pleasing as the brioche-crusted rockfish and pappardelle with duck ragu sound at Bas Rouge, history lovers are likely to gravitate to the restaurant’s European classics, among them chicken ballotine and veal roulade, succulent rounds of shank meat veined with herbs and truffles and arranged on a buttery parsnip-potato puree coaxed into a perfect rectangle. It takes skill and time to produce these dishes. The chicken ballotine, stuffed with truffle mousseline and served with the dumplings known as gnudi, involves removing the bird’s skin in one piece, says Peet, who adds that the main course takes two days from start to finish.
There’s lots to like about the wine program, which features 20 wines by the glass, oceans of vintage champagne and plenty of the Austrian, French and German whites that marry so well with this cooking. Bas Rouge offers two wine pairings, including the chance to upgrade. Wines for three courses are $75 or $125. Wines for four courses cost $100 or $150.
The most elegant dessert is a dark chocolate pecan tart set in a buttery shell, flanked with vanilla ice cream and a glossy pool of caramel sauce. The confection is European in its restraint; the portion is perfect for one and plays up contrasting textures over sweetness. (The chewy nougatine beneath the velvety ice cream proves a lovely support.)
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The final touches will be familiar to fine-dining subscribers. Little sweets, including delicate macarons, accompany the bill, and any leftovers are presented at the door, where the staff also assist you with your coats.
An even greater luxury is reserved for your ears. Bas Rouge is the uncommon restaurant where sound checks hover in the “conversation is easy” range. Truly all the senses are rewarded at this, Easton’s most civilized dining destination.
Bas Rouge
19 Federal St., Easton, Md. 410-822-1637. basrougeeaston.com. Open: Indoor dining 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5:30 to 9 p.m. Thursday and Friday, and 5 to 9 p.m. Saturday. Prices: Three-course dinner $100, four-course dinner $125. Sound check: 66 decibels/Conversation is easy. Accessibility: Wheelchair users can call ahead and request a ramp at the main door or enter the restaurant through the bar door, to the right of the main entrance; restrooms are spacious and include hand rails. Pandemic protocols: Staff members all wear masks. Vaccinations are strongly encouraged but not mandated.
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