Secluded from the crowds in Ocean City, the Restaurant at Lighthouse Sound provides a clubhouse atmosphere that is open to the public every day. No membership fee required. Ideally situated on St. Martins Neck Road, just between the two Route 90 Bridges that connect Ocean City to the rest of the world, the Restaurant at Lighthouse Sound is the perfect spot for celebrations. Holidays, weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, and special occasions are worthy of a specialty meal at Lighthouse Sound.
    New this year, the Restaurant at Lighthouse Sound features a “Two Can Dine for $59” special, which is unlimited. You can apply the special to the entire menu, every night of the week. The discount includes soup or salad, an entrée, one side item, dessert, and a house bottle of wine. “Two Can Dine” can be upgraded for a small additional charge (approximately $8) for Filet, NY Strip, and select Seafood entrées. The “Two Can Dine” deal is incredible, offering three hearty courses of top-quality recipes, plus a bottle of wine, at prices everyone can afford. “The manager, Darren McDonald, and I wanted our menu to offer simple dishes at affordable prices,” explains the head chef, Chef Tracy, who hails from the Lighthouse Sound’s sister restaurant, Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse.
    “We present the freshest food possible. All of our ingredients are rich and very fresh,” Chef Tracy continues. “All of the seafood on your plate was living in the ocean 48 hours ago.” Salad dressings are homemade. Pasta, steaks, and desserts are made to order at Lighthouse Sound. Each steak is hand cut on the premises. Chef Tracy adds to the comfortable ambiance at Lighthouse Sound, where he personally greets each table and expertly describes the daily menu.
    The establishment, which overlooks Ocean City’s skyline, presents its Summer Concert on the Green series throughout the summer, including grandiose outdoor performances by The Electric Company, Lauren Glick, The Chris Sacks Band, and Full Circle. You won’t see the Restaurant at Lighthouse Sound advertising in OC, but rest assured, the classy destination is open to the public.
    When you walk into the extravagant lobby at Lighthouse Sound, you’ll see a pro shop on your right, followed by a huge fine dining room, featuring white table cloths, a cathedral ceiling with exposed wooden beams, chandeliers, and a two-sided stone hearth fireplace that dominates the room. The expansive dining room boasts a rustic elegance that no other place in Ocean City offers. In a separate room, a lounge features an additional fireplace, distinguished sofas and oversized chairs, more dining tables, and a dark oak bar. The lounge is the perfect spot to watch your favorite sports action on flat screen televisions. Watch for awesome football specials in the fall. Every Tuesday night is Ladies Night, with half-priced drinks and appetizers after 5:00.
    I had the distinct pleasure of a double date at the Restaurant at Lighthouse Sound, where my three friends and I were seated next to a wall of windows overlooking the extravagant stone patio with fire pits, rolling green hills, and winding stairways and a gazebo. Our professional server, Derek, recommended two bottles of the 2010 Snap Dragon Cabernet Sauvignon. “We’ve received many compliments on this wine, and several customers have ordered cases of it,” he advises.
    Chef Tracy started our meal with samples of the Caesar Salad, Spinach Salad, and Light House Salad—mesculin greens, cherry tomatoes, toasted walnuts, mandarin oranges, and honey poppy seed dressing. Then, Chef Tracy graced our table with samples of hot soup: French Onion, Maryland Crab, and Cream of Asparagus. My favorite soup is the French Onion, which is loaded with melted cheese. My date, Joey, favored the Maryland Crab Soup, which has a bold bite.
    Next, Chef Tracy presented us with an array of appetizers. We enjoyed the Seared Tuna—Ahi tuna lightly blackened and sliced thin, served over mixed greens with a lime ginger sauce—and Grand Marnier Scallops, which are tender and sautéed with spinach and cherry tomatoes. My friend, Heather, and I both loved the Artichoke & Spinach Dip—sautéed artichoke hearts and baby spinach blended with cream and select cheeses, served with crackers. We topped off our appetizers course with Smoked Crab Bruschetta—a traditional tomato & basil Bruschetta topped with lump crab and a sweet drizzle of balsamic reduction.
    For our main course, Chef Tracy prepared the NY Strip—a boneless, mildly blackened 14-ounce, certified Angus Strip that is hand cut on the premises and topped with jumbo lump crab imperial. He also presented the Restaurant at Lighthouse Sound’s mainstay recipe—jumbo lump Crab Cakes blended with a roasted corn and tomato relish and served with baked risotto. My favorite entrée is the Blackened & Sweet Seafood Salad, which is overloaded with blackened tuna, shrimp, and scallops and paired with caramelized strawberries and pineapple over a bed of spinach drizzled with Balsamic glaze. If you’ve ever eaten crème brulee, you’ll appreciate the delicious sugar-coated fruit that tastes like candy on this meaty salad. We also delighted in Chef Tracy’s generous portion of Atlantic Rockfish topped with a Caribbean salsa in a Chipotle drizzle.  Risotto and Parmesan Potatoes Au Gratin accompanied each entrée.
    Other must-try entrées on the menu that you can consider for the “Two Can Dine” special are Bleu Cheese Encrusted Filet, Mediterranean Pork Chop, Seafood Primavera, Veal Piccata, Shrimp Scampi, Stuffed Chicken, and Blackened Tuna. Salmon Oscar is fresh-caught Atlantic salmon topped with jumbo lump crabmeat, asparagus, and lemon dill hollandaise sauce. I highly recommend the Scallops Casino—scallops broiled with Casino butter, Applewood smoked bacon, and a blend of Italian cheeses.
    We finished our meal with an outrageous spread of desserts, including Key Lime Pie, Chocolate Brownie Sundae, Vanilla Crème Brulee, and White Chocolate Bread Pudding (my favorite).
    Sunny Sunday at Lighthouse Sound is a weekly feast from 9 AM to 2 PM, including Eggs Benedict, Steak & Eggs, Quiche, French Toast, Omeletes, Waffles, and much more. Complement your brunch with a $3 Mimosa or $4 Bloody Mary. Lunch is available every day, offering a variety of Soups, Salads, and Grilled and Signature Sandwiches.
    For more information about the Restaurant at Lighthouse Sound, call 410-352-5250 or visit www.lighthousesound.com.  Stop by the restaurant any day of the week, and keep the establishment in mind the next time you plan a party, banquet, or celebration.