Baia the Beautiful Bay

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The new Baia (formerly The Inlet and Sails in recent years) restaurant in Somers Point  puts a more adventurous twist on Italian cuisine.

By Frank Gabriel

Add Comment | Comments: 0 | Posted Jun. 1, 2011

The waterfront deck at Baia on the bay in Somers Point.

SOMERS POINT — As the waterfront locale  that is Somers Point’s bayfront undergoes the final phases of a massive redo — courtesy of the still work-in-progress Route 52 bridge into Ocean City, our state’s largest publicly funded construction project — a new restaurant has emerged. 

Baia, featuring the coordinated creations of chefs Ed Bonsignore, Jr. and Sean Weinberg, glibly refers to its concept as “twisted Italian cuisine.” 

We visited here twice during their opening month. The first, for weekend-night drinks on the deck and later some apps, revealed a business still understandably working out the kinks of its operation. Despite this, we thoroughly enjoyed several items, including an oversized eggplant rollatine starter larger than many entrees. 

Another clear winner exemplified that “twisted” credo: crispy ricotta stuffed rigatoni. One dozen or so tubes of pasta, stacked vertically to facilitate dipping, arrived on a long, rectangular platter. Alongside, ramekins of smashed tomato sauce and garlic cream rode shotgun. Delightfully chewy, they were like an upscale, healthful version of deep-fried bar favorite mozzarella sticks. 

Returning for a full dinner later that same week, we were pleased both by the evening’s additions and our stellar server. When we requested an item from the “Deck” menu as a starter, she admirably took our case to the kitchen, who made a pleasant accommodation. 

Our reward was that local seasonal delight, soft-shell crab. Baia’s version, typically served as a sandwich, brought a crunchy crustacean rich with fresh crab essence. This item presented a first for us as a diner. We typically abhor capers, in all their forms and variations. So much so that we avoid ordering items that might include these often salt-packed Mediterranean flowering buds. Baia’s take, however, using them sparingly as accent in a tomato-based salsa, was nothing short of brilliant. 

Our other choice was from the standard dinner menu, wild mushroom ravioli. Three palm-sized squares — clearly made fresh in-house — were delicately plated with a garlic/rosemary wine sauce and soft, pillowy mozzarella. The warm, luscious pasta gave way to an earthy filling of fragrant funghi. Like a gourmand’s version of aromatherapy, the combination wafted our way across the table courtesy of a cool night breeze. 

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