Located about a 90-minute drive from both Baltimore and Washington, D.C., the Stewart is a first-time Wine Spectator Award of Excellence winner this year. It was opened in 2018 in Easton, Md., by Bluepoint Hospitality Group, owners of fellow Maryland Restaurant Award winners Bas Rouge and the Wardroom.
The Champagne bar and restaurant has a strong focus on single-malt Scotch whisky, offering eight pages of options on the beverage list. Much of the decor is inspired by Scotland, featuring oil paintings of Highland scenes, a wood-burning fire for the colder seasons and tartan details. The bubbly collection is impressive as well, thanks to Bluepoint Hospitality’s beverage director, Natalie Tapken. More than 100 of the 120 labels on the wine list are Champagnes, including picks from top houses, grower producers and landmarked vintage bottlings. Expect stunners like Krug d’Ambonnay 1995 and Dom Pérignon 2000. The remainder of the list is filled with some French reds to round out the selection.
The restaurant complements the Champagne bar theme with plenty of caviar incorporated into menu items, such as chips and dip and the Stewart egg, a twist on deviled eggs topped with smoked salmon and ossetra caviar. Other small plates and entrées crafted by chef de cuisine David Kneller and Bluepoint Hospitality’s executive chef, Harley Peet, include scallop ceviche, lobster ravioli and duck breast with pistachio-hemp dukkah and turmeric-ginger puree.
