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The recently reopened historic Market House at the City Dock in Annapolis, Maryland was the perfect place to grab a quick bite this week with Mayor Josh Cohen.  It’s also his new favorite lunch spot in town, so his choice for a healthy restaurant review this month was an easy one.

With a steady stream of local workers, neighbors, boaters and tourists, Market House felt like a friendly gathering place.  I was surprised to bump in to old friends and lobbyist colleagues, and I recognized some of the local business owners and workers from around town.  Still, I was most surprised and impressed to find a heck of a lot more healthy Skinny Picks at the place than ever expected.

Mayor Cohen is a regular customer.  So what’s his go-to meal at the Market House?  He knew immediately.

The Mayor’s “Skinny” Pick:

• Chick & Ruth’s Crabcake Slider with lettuce and tomato
• b.b. Bistro’s 100% All-Fruit Blueberry/Banana Smoothie

One slider with a small Maryland Crabcake provides great portion control for lunch.  And the All-Fruit Smoothie with no sugar is a healthy side dish.

Easy Skinny Life SUGGESTIONS:

• The bread isn’t whole-grain or I’d give it a perfect star, but the slider roll is small and portioned well.
• Go easy on the mayo-based tartar sauce, Mr. Mayor!
• Instead of the smoothie, try a side salad or fruit for variety from local growers at Maryland Table or from b.b. Bistro

What was my Skinny Pick?

Skinny Pick:

• b.b. Bistro’s Vegetable Wrap which contained Spinach, Tomato, Cucumber, Carrot,  Provolone Cheese, Housemade Hummus in a whole-wheat wrap.
• One Banana and one Apple

The whole-grain wrap provided an excellent main carb, and the cheese and hummus were my protein source.  Fresh crunchy vegetables, along with a side of fruit provided a filling, nutritious meal which held me over until dinner.  I’m not certain what spices were in the hummus spread, but it really made the entire wrap pop with flavor!

Skinny Pick Runner Up:

• Pit Boys Oyster & Raw Bar’s steamed mussels or raw oysters
• Maryland Table’s locally grown Side Salad

Get your raw bar fix by ordering the pure protein power of fresh or steamed seafood with no salt added.  Add the side salad for filling and nutritious fiber with its low carb vegetables, while supporting our local farmers.

 Another Skinny Pick Runner Up:

•  Wok Your Way’s whole-grain brown rice, lightly sautéed in
  a dash of oil, with two servings of fresh vegetables and either shrimp or tofu.

Brown rice is the main carb, with shrimp or tofu as the meal’s protein, and the chopped vegetables provide the filling fiber to get you through the rest of the day.  The owner is terrific and very health conscious.  She suggested ordering the steamed fried rice with as little oil as possible.  Vegetarians have their choice of tofu or bean curd.

Other Observations:  During lunch, we chatted with every vendor and all were equally proud and eager to promote their food and products.  The historic Market House is a true gem in the heart of the City of Annapolis, so make certain to stop by once a week to support the local, hard-working business owners.  Since I found so many Skinny Picks, I will definitely be back to pick up lunch or dinner and sit by the dock!

Easy Skinny Life Groceries Offered by Maryland Table:  Maryland Table offers a good selection of locally grown lean meat, dairy, cheeses and produce to take home to cook in your own kitchen.   Take advantage of it.  One of my friends bought some lean pork from Maryland Table and declared it the freshest, best tasting pork she had ever consumed.   That certainly got this Skinny Foodie’s attention!

Talk to co-owner Kyle Stewart while you are there.  When he’s not producing Annapolis Sound in his spare time, he’s sounding out great advice on supporting local growers and suppliers.

Here’s the Full List of Market House Vendors:

Maryland Table:  Owners of A Cook’s Cafe in Parole offer fresh farm produce, meats and dairy to take home, along with prepared foods to eat on site with local ingredients.

b.b. Bistro:  West Annapolis eatery offers sandwiches, whole-wheat wraps, soups and salads made with local ingredients.

Chick & Ruth’s Delly: Main Street deli creates sandwiches, sliders, its famous crab cakes and milk shakes.

Pit Boys Oyster & Raw Bar:   Oysters and other seafood from local
watermen.

Wok Your Way:   Custom-prepared steam fried rice, including
whole-grain brown rice, along with fresh chopped vegetables, shrimp, chicken, tofu or bean curd.

Firenzes Coffee & Gelato:  Hot coffees and frozen gelato.

Jerrie’s on the Shore:  Curly fries, wings, hot dogs and shaved ice.  (Skinny Note:  I haven’t had perfect curly fries since Pete’s Place closed down on Main Street long ago, so this will be tempting to taste one time).

Myra’s Popcorn Kitchen:  Homemade gourmet popcorn, caramel apples, cotton candy and glazed nuts by Myra herself!

Market House in located in downtown Annapolis, Maryland.