Whether you’re looking for affordable lunch specials or seeking the ideal restaurant for celebrating a special event like an anniversary or birthday, The Shark on the Harbor is the perfect place. Located on Sunset Avenue in West Ocean City, The Shark serves impeccable entrées in a sophisticated atmosphere overlooking the commercial fishing harbor. Using organic ingredients and supporting local farmers and fishermen, Executive Chef Travis Wright and Chef de Cuisine Nathan Britko are committed to sustaining the local environment.  Read on for an in-depth look at The Shark’s exquisite menu, along with descriptions of how the restaurant is environmentally friendly.
    I had the pleasure of dining at The Shark this week with my dazzling friend, Amy Unger (Atlantic General Hospital). We started our three-course meal with the daily appetizer special—Fried Green Tomatoes topped with Crab Salad. The Shark uses organic produce from Quindocqua farms in Marion Station, Maryland, and from a farmer in Berlin, Maryland. The restaurant also maintains its own herb garden. Using organic produce sets the menu apart from other restaurants. The taste of the seasonal fried green tomatoes is exceptional, especially when paired with heaps of creamy crab salad. The Shark also obtains the bulk of its seafood—including tuna, Mako, clams, flounder, lobster, scallops, rockfish, gray tilefish, and mahi-mahi—from the docks in the commercial harbor. Amy and I also ordered the Mako Bites appetizer, which consists of fresh Mako shark seared in zesty blackening seasoning. The dish is topped with raspberry aioli and served with a cool, crisp cucumber and mango salad, which refreshingly complements the hot mako bites.
    As Amy and I happily finished our first course, the chef kindly sent us a plate of Fried Wonton bites with a pickled cilantro boisson cream. “My taste buds are very happy right now,” exclaimed Amy. Other delectable starter plates at The Shark include Bruschetta, Gingered Calamari, and Shrimp & Lobster Dip. One of my favorite appetizers is the Hummus Sampler—chipotle, spinach & artichoke, and roasted red pepper & sun-dried tomato hummus with multigrain baguette, celery sticks, and baby carrots. The Shark’s Wasabi Tuna is a delectable dish consisting of sashimi-grade tuna seared in stimulating black seasonings and accompanied by wasabi and pineapple meringue and a tempura pineapple ring. Sushi lovers should also try Big Ben Roll, which is a tempura battered fried sushi roll with barbequed eel, crabstick, cream cheese, avocado, and cucumber.
    For our main course, Amy ordered the Granny Smith’s Bleu Cheese Topped Filet, and I ordered the daily special—a Flat Iron Steak basted in chipotle, pineapple, and guacamole. Both of our dishes are served with a side of Lobster Mashed Potatoes. Amy’s entrée is a grilled tenderloin filet topped with a walnut & bleu cheese paté and caramelized Granny Smith apples and onions. I’ve ordered this dish many times in the past, and it’s undoubtedly my favorite item on the incredible menu. Perfection. My flat iron steak was prepared exactly to my liking, and I was quite excited about the lobster mashed potatoes, too. All of the steaks served at The Shark are all natural Certified Angus Beef. Raised at Chesapeake Farms in Worcester County, the cattle have a strict vegetarian diet of all natural feed and forages.
    The house specialty at The Shark is Fresh Mako Shark Steak, served broiled or blackened. The broiled version is encrusted in herb and garnished with fresh tomato relish and parmesan cheese, and served atop a bed of potato and ricotta gnocchi and tossed in a creamy sun-dried tomato and roasted red pepper pesto sauce. The blackened version is served with a bed of pickled cucumber and mango salad and a side of tomato and basil infused rice, and finished with raspberry aioli.
    Another popular entrée at The Shark is the Herb Encrusted Pork Chops, broiled to order in house herb encrustment and finished with Granny Smith apple and molasses cream sauce. Keeping up with the environmentally responsible theme, The Shark’s Duroc pork is fed a rich diet of natural grains and feeds with no added growth hormones or antibiotics.  Similarly, The Shark’s organic chickens are raised at select family farms on the Pennsylvania countryside and enjoy an all-vegetable diet free of hormones. The Chicken Chesapeake is a breast stuffed with lump crab and shrimp mousse, organic baby spinach, and tomato pesto in a sherry cream sauce.
    Vegetarians will find several tempting offers at The Shark. A true presentational marvel, the Eggplant Tower is pleasing to the eyes and the taste buds. Breaded eggplant slices are layered with sautéed jumbo shrimp, crab, oven roasted tomatoes, roasted red peppers, and shitake mushrooms tossed in a sun-dried tomato and roasted red pepper pesto sauce. The Vegetarian Tower is similar to the Eggplant Tower, minus the seafood. Tempura Tuna is a sashimi-grade entrée served over pineapple-miso salsa with Vietnamese chili aioli and seaweed salad.
    Crispy Roasted Duck, Seared Duck, Harbor Crab Cakes, and Blackened Scallops Alfredo top off the entrée selections at The Shark. Lighter fare options include Certified Angus Burger, Mini Burgers, Crab Cake Sandwich, Cuban Sandwich, Roasted Turkey Sandwich, and South Beach Pita Flat Bread—a delicious concoction of grilled organic chicken, homemade Chimichurri sauce, oven-roasted tomatoes, grilled onions, roasted red peppers, chopped artichokes, and a blend of cheeses on wheat pita. This irresistible creation is another one of my favorite treats at The Shark.
    Shrimp Bisque is a heartwarming option on the Soup & Salad menu at The Shark, and you may also order Steamer Bags of clams, mussels, or shrimp. Or, try the Harbor Steam Pot—mussels, crawfish, clams, and shrimp steamed in white wine, garlic, fresh herb, and butter broth, and topped with Old Bay seasoning.
    For dessert, Amy ordered the Banana Bread Pudding—served warm and topped with ice cream—and I ordered the Apple Pecan Spice cake of the day. Martha Redding is the Pastry Chef at The Shark. Chesapeake Farms—the only dairy farm in Worcester County—supplies The Shark with its cheese and ice cream. Other tempting desserts on the menu are The Ultimate Brownie, Crème Brulé, Cheesecake, Cookie and Milk, Sundaes, and Turtle Tart.
    The Shark offers $5.99 lunch specials every day. Try the Harbor Plate for an affordable lunch entrée. Happy Hour takes place each day from 3-7 p.m., and Tuesdays bring $2 drink specials and food discounts to the bar and restaurant.  On the second Wednesday of each month, stop by The Shark to sample its “green” drink menu. Offering exquisite food, a sophisticated atmosphere, and environmentally responsible menu choices, The Shark is the premiere restaurant for indulging in a dining experience that makes you feel good.