Hans Schadler and Steve Perkins
Today’s diners long for meaningful connections, woven through narratives that come to life in the food. Waypoint Seafood & Grill is an upscale restaurant that celebrates Chesapeake ingredients grown at local farms and pulled from regional waters. The popular Oysters the Waypoint Way dish articulates their story beautifully.
“Of all the dishes, none other represents the region, or is as popular with guests, as this dish,” says Executive Chef Hans Schadler, who works alongside Executive Chef Steve Perkins.
“There’s a story in every ingredient—from the locally harvested oysters from the Chesapeake Bay to the Surry, Virginia, family tradition of smoking the ham that tops each shell.”
For this appetizer, they source Tommy Leggett’s farm-raised oysters from the nearby York River, and Edwards Virginia Smokehouse Ham. The oyster is topped with the ham, spinach, Chesapeake Bay crab, cheddar and Béarnaise before going under the broiler.
“The most entertaining part? At least one day a week, guests find themselves sitting at the bar enjoying this dish with the very waterman who harvested the oysters,” says Schadler. “Tommy Leggett delivers each shell fresh, and lingers each week to chat with guests and talk about the oyster farming world.”
