Lisa’s Small Plates & Wine Bar

Closed now. Shame since the food was amazing.

This is a really exceptional tapas restaurant with amazing wine selections. The chef owner is a very creative person. This is a blast with a big group sharing different items on the menu and tasting wine. It is located in strip mall along rout 50 on Kent Island so it does not look like much from the outside. This is no doubt one of the top restaurant stops on the Eastern Shore. Check their web site for the entertainment. The owner has an ear for top performers. On one visit the owner sang with the entertainers, that too was entertaining, hope she doesn’t quit the restaurant management job soon.

only thing I can say is I hated it. The food, the concept, the wines, the service, the décor. Sheesh. Don’t invite me back!

Rich and decadent! A great place for a celebration or really any reason. Not for your grandparents, I think the concept is too different for someone over 75. Its like tapas or dim sum, all small plates meant to be shared. But, its intimate for 2 and loads of fun for groups. And worth the drive over the bridge since Small Plates is so different. The Shopping Center its in is a little difficult to get into. So we started with the pear & blue cheese salad, over the top with candied walnuts & cherries. I found it to be sweet & savory at the same time. Wonderful flavor combination. DH loved his Ahi seared tuna, said it was seared to perfection, not over done or dry. We also tried the Shrimp provencal and I really liked that the olives didn’t over power the subtle lavender flavor. We had great wine and dessert, though I can’t remember exactly what, some type of cake with chocolate. It was an indulgence all and all.

I absolutely adored this place! We stopped here on the way back from Ocean City on Sunday night because hubby was craving some Italian, and it led us to this place totally by chance. Lisa’s was a few doors down from the Italian place we picked from the Nav system. I remembered seeing Lisa’s from the road on the way to OC and thought, how crazy that we’re right here. It was the small plates & wine that caught my eye again.
Lisa’s is a restaurant and bar, but they are kept completely separate. You can have lunch and dinner in their restaurant, which is a cute set-​up with white lights and light woods. Say that 5 times fast! When it’s later in the evening, they close the restaurant and keep the bar portion open. I absolutely loved the light pine wood bar — the back splash is beautiful. They have one pool table in the same light wood and blue accents with convenient window seating. The bartenders are extremely friendly and accommodating; they made me feel like a regular while helping me decide what to order. People were playing Keno when we came in and it just felt like we were there hanging out with the neighbors on a late night. Lisa’s had a visiting performer who was spectacular! What a talented guy! He sang everything from Elton John to Foreigner to Staind; it all sounded amazing with his voice. I wish I could remember his name, but I know he’s from Virginia Beach… Christian something, I think.
We celebrated our anniversary over dinner at the Shark in Ocean City, but Lisa’s was far more romantic and memorable. Maybe it was the music, maybe it was the wine, maybe it was the food, but it all made the evening perfect.
I got the Black Bean soup which was cooked with pieces of ham and topped with sour cream, cilantro, chives and avocado — yum! The Pear & Gorgonzola salad was a great mixture of greens, fresh-​sliced pears, crumbled cheese, and dried cherries drizzled with a tasty balsamic dressing. Both were delicious. Hubby got the Daddy Burger which was really wonderful. The bun was lightly toasted on the inside which gave it just enough crunch, the burger patty was well-​seasoned and moist, the warm bacon, melted Cheddar and fixings were all perfect additions to this bar favorite. I selected New American as the style of food, but their menu has over 80 items on it and it has all different categories. Pan-​Asian, Chesapeake, Caribbean, Italian, American, French… I think I read about 8 different cuisine types to include sushi (which is their Sunday night special).
I chose Saint M. Riesling from their by-​the-​glass menu. After drinking all of the good-​sized glass they gave me, I was feeling very nice by the time we got back on the road. The navigation system read that Lisa’s is about 55 minutes away from home, so it’s far, but you can bet I’ll make the trip again just to have the chance of another great experience here. I highly recommend you visit Lisa’s.