Creative cocktails, satisfying mains and an entourage of fresh takes on foundation cooking offer a dish for every taste at the Wylder Tilghman Island
Written by Kristen Hampshire | Photography by Jill Jasuta
Photo by Kimberly Kong
Photo by Kimberly Kong
Photo by Kimberly Kong
A casual tavern vibe and farm-focused homestyle menu with a twist are in store at Wylder Tilghman Island’s Bar Mumbo this winter, with a fresh menu selection for chill winter dining. Tuck into the waterfront dining room with fireside lounge or slide into the cozy, classic Bar Mumbo Thursday through Sunday, with curated specials like burger nights (Thursdays), prime rib nights (Fridays) and whiskey brunches (Sundays).
Chef Chris Mitchell brings to the table his classical French training, Eastern Shore style, a touch of Asian fusion and dedication to from-scratch cooking. Seafood is sourced from local watermen and produce comes from Eastern Shore farmers. Dressings, sauces and stocks are house made from scratch, with au jus requiring 76 full hours of preparation.
Mitchell, who garnered Dorchester/Talbot Counties’ 2023 Best Chef honor by the readers of Coastal Style, says foundation dishes like a 10-hour braised pot roast, steak and frites and lasagna meet Chesapeake favorites with flair, such as crab and bacon hushpuppies and oyster stew.
Chef Chris Mitchell brings to the table his classical French training, Eastern Shore style, a touch of Asian fusion and dedication to from-scratch cooking.
Pressed to choose a favorite, Mitchell marinates — and since guests share different tastes, he offers some suggestions if you’re new to Bar Mumbo.
Sip. Tip a glass for the Filthy AF Martini with olive brine, blue cheese stuffed olives and either Grey Goose vodka or Hendricks gin. People are asking for a Paper Plane with bourbon, amaro, Aperol and fresh lemon juice. Chef Mitchell will take a Mezcal Negroni with its namesake combined with Campari and sweet vermouth.
Start. Pretzel rolls, along with everything else, are homemade from scratch in the Bar Mumbo kitchen. Kick off a meal with Chesapeake crab dip. Or salad your way to dinner — or as a stand-alone — with a beet & arugula salad or classic Caesar salad with old-fashioned craftsmanship. Mayonnaise is made in-house for the chef-crafted dressing.
Savor. Carnivores delight in the 10-hour braised pot roast that is plated with roasted Yukon gold potatoes, braised vegetables, horseradish cream and tobacco onions. A chef’s fave: Steak & frites with herb butter fries, bearnaise and jus. Seafoodies find comfort in the classic Maryland crab cake dinner — make it a single or a double — paired with mashers, green beans and carrots, or the hoisin glazed salmon served with shrimp potstickers, vegetable fried rice and butter-poached Bok choy.
Sin. Why not? You can’t go wrong with cranberry ginger bundt cake, a coffee-flavored Italian tiramisu or seasonal crème brûlée selections.e
Photo by Kristin Seymour Bram
Photo by Jill Jasuta
TIP A GLASS Filthy AF Martini with olive brine, blue cheese stuffed olives and either Grey Goose vodka or Hendricks gin. Or savor the Bar Mumbo Toasted Pecan Old Fashioned.
Bar Mumbo Toasted Pecan Old Fashioned
Ingredients
½ cup roasted pecans
1 Tbsp brown sugar
3 cups bourbon
1 cherry
1 orange slice
3 dashes of bitters
¼ oz simple syrup
2 oz pecan infusion bourbon
Instructions
Sprinkle pecans with brown sugar and roast for 8-10 minutes. Soak pecans in your chosen bourbon for 3-4 days.
In a rocks glass, muddle cherry and orange with bitters and simple syrup. Put 5-7 ice cubes (or one large cube) in a rocks glass. Pour in pecan infused bourbon. Stir or give one good shake. Sip and enjoy.
Wylder Pot Roast with Tobacco Onions
Ingredients:
For the Braise
2 oz sunflower oil
2 lbs chuck roast
2 large yellow onions
3 carrots
1 head of celery
1 lb peeled garlic cloves
4.4 oz tomato paste
1 bottle cabernet sauvignon
1 qt veal stock
1 bunch of thyme
1 bunch rosemary
3 bay leaves
15 whole black peppercorns
1 anise star
Sea salt
For the Vegetables
Handful of French green beans, blanched
Baby carrots, peeled and blanched
Fingerling potatoes, boiled and smashed slightly
Garlic herb butter
For the Tobacco Onions
One onion, finely shaved
Buttermilk and Royal Oak Smoke hot sauce
Chicken breader
For the Tiger Sauce
1 cup sour cream
½ cup horseradish, prepared
¼ cup cracked black pepper
1 Tbsp sea salt
Procedure:
For the Braise. Peel and rough chop the braising vegetables. Preheat the oven to 350°. Heat a large cast iron skillet or braising dish and add the sunflower oil. Season and sear the chuck roast for about 2-3 minutes on each side until nicely browned. Remove the meat and sear the vegetables and garlic until lightly browned, one at a time to avoid crowding, and remove from the pan. Add the tomato paste and stir for one minute. Deglaze the pan with the bottle of red wine and reduce by half. Add the vegetables, meat, veal stock and remaining spices and herbs. Bring to a simmer on the stove, and then move to the oven for 8-10 hours until the meat is tender. When the braise is finished, remove the meat carefully, strain the liquid and reduce by half. Season the jus to taste. Allow the meat to cool before portioning.
For the Vegetables. Heat the blanched vegetables in garlic herb butter, and sear the slightly smashed potatoes in sunflower oil until golden brown on each side.
For the Tobacco Onions. Soak the shaved onions in buttermilk and hot sauce. Drain well and bread with chicken breader. Be sure to coat each onion piece carefully or they will clump together when fried. Fry in hot oil in an iron skillet or in a deep fryer.
To Assemble. Place the crispy potatoes in the bowl, then the green beans and carrots. Lay the braised meat across the green beans and finish with the reduced jus. Top with the tobacco onions and serve with the tiger sauce on the side.
Emily's Tiramisu
Ingredients:
For the Sponge Cake
1 cup all-purpose flour
7/8 cup granulated sugar
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
½ tsp cream of tartar
6 eggs, separated
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 Tbsp water
2 tsp honey
½ tsp vanilla paste
For the Cream
6 egg yolks
¾ cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup milk
1¼ cup heavy cream
16 oz mascarpone, room temperature
½ tsp vanilla paste
¼ cup confectioners sugar
For the Syrup
½ cup sugar
1 cup Kahlua
1 cup dark spiced rum
1 cup chocolate, melted
2 Tbsp espresso powder
Tiramisu Procedure:
For the Sponge Cake. Preheat the oven to 350º. Grease two loaf pans with a little butter and dust with cocoa powder. Whip the egg whites and cream of tartar to stiff peaks. Add 1/3 of the sugar and beat again until smooth. In a separate bowl, whip together the egg yolks, remaining sugar, baking powder and honey. Add the vegetable oil and salt and beat until fluffy. Fold the all-purpose flour into egg yolk mixture, then gently fold the stiff egg whites into the yolk mixture. Separate into the two loaf pans and bake for 20-30 minutes, until light golden on the edges and hot in the center.
For the Cream. Bring a pot of water to a boil for a double boiler. Whisk together the egg yolks and granulated sugar until fluffy and cook over the boiling water until the mixture has thickened slightly and the whisk leaves one second trails. Add the milk and continue to stir and cook until the milk steams for 2 minutes. Scrape the edges often! This should result in a pale yellow fluffy, airy cream. Let this mixture cool completely. While cooling, whip the heavy cream, vanilla and confectioners sugar until it forms stiff peaks. In a second bowl, whip together the cooled egg yolk mixture and the room temperature mascarpone. Then fold in the whipped cream.
For the Syrup. Combine all ingredients and mix well until the sugar dissolves.
Assembly. Cut the cooled cakes into 1-inch slices. Dip the slices into the chocolate-espresso-liquor syrup. Make sure they are fully soaked. One at a time, make a flat layer on the bottom of a cake pan. Top with a thick layer of the cream. Repeat until you have formed your layers and run out of cake. Allow to rest in the fridge for at least one hour. Even better the next day! Dust with cocoa powder, scoop and enjoy! CS
1 comment
Please add me to your mailing list. This is a “must visit” location this winter.