Saturday, March 19, 2005

We miss Marmadukes (and homeless in Annapolis)

A great article from the Washington Post here about Eastport, MD and the demise of Marmadukes, replaced by a Ruth Chris steakhouse in 1998. I lived in Annapolis on College Avenue across from St. John college, a block from the U.S. Naval Academy for nearly a year and have hazy memories of Duke's Dark & Stormy cocktails - often imitated never duplicated. When I first arrived in Annapolis the spring of 19997 it was off of a yacht delivery up from the USVI. I was paid my delivery fee, the captain took us out to dinner at the Middletown Tavern and there I was, no job, no car, no place to live. I spent the first week looking for work an apartment and, when it came time to sleep, crashing in the cockpits of various sailboats in the local marinas. It was still early in the season so their owners were not around, particularly during the week. I packed up at first light, used a passcode to let myself into the marina showers to clean up, stashed my bag and hit the pavement. It's the sort of life you can lead in your 20's without too much consequence. I eventually ended up sharing an apartment with a buddy from the islands (unstable, drunk Captain Dave), landed jobs waiting tables at Pussers Bar and Restaurant and crewing on daycharters for the beautiful Schooner Woodwind. Annapolis is a hell of a place and when I lived there I fully participated. I left the following fall after the Boat Show on a yacht bound for Bermuda and the Caribbean islands.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Dukes ruled!! So great to come across this. Many, many fond memories...

Anonymous said...

Don't know about the rest of this but you're right about one thing - this place had the best dark n stormys around.

Anonymous said...

not sure why it has not been duplicated. Davis' Pub is ok but lacks something. Marmaduke's was the best. I always thought someone would figure out their formula and do get something going again.

Medicare Man said...

Boat House took the marmadukes concept and added a Margeritaville South Florida feel.
Great drinks good food. Great crab balls.

Thomas N. Carter said...

I really miss Marmaduke's. Everybody loved it.

Captain Neem-O said...

Upstairs at dukes, man at piano asks for requests. I requested Chopin Pollonaise Number 5. He turns to a guy at a table and says "why don't you take this one?" The music professor from Harvard banged on that tinny old piano for 20 minutes producing one of the most spectacular performances I have seen in my life. He got a standing O and we bought a round for the room. I will carry that piece of Marmadukes with me forever.

Anonymous said...

Dick Gessner was his name. He did mostly showtunes. My girlfriend at the time too me there weekly.

artisticlee said...

I was once a cook at Marmaduke's Pub when Bill Himmes(sp) owned it. A lady we called Mom ran the Kitchen and I helped. Good memories there. did a lot of growing in that little Pub. I'm surprised it's gone.
It was a sailor's pit stop for sure...bunch of pirate wanna bees. Sail boat races on all the TVs...almost as bad as watching golf only wetter... hee hee hee .......... I help the pianist, Dick Gessner, do a little remodel in his house out a\t Sherwood Forest . Man I was young then....I'm 62 now....holy poopers.

Unknown said...

Played a lot of shuffleboard in that bar