Charm City has seen an explosion of newcomers to the restaurant scene, all filling the spaces left empty by predecessors. Perhaps the year’s most surprising vacancy was that of the old Bay Cafe in Canton, but the new residents of the favorite waterfront joint have recreated it, making it one of Baltimore’s hottest al fresco spots this past summer.

Previously a well worn building with sandy shores replicating a beachy tiki bar style joint, the entire expansive indoor and outdoor areas of Boathouse Canton have been transformed into sleek and classy spaces that have quickly made the bar and restaurant the place to go for waterfront dining and outdoor drinking.

Chef Matt Campbell has put together an approachable menu of favorites for lunch and dinner with an impressive selection of salads, burgers and sandwiches as well as steak, crab cakes and pasta. Newly rolled out in September, the brunch menu has tasty renditions of old favorites (sausage gravy and biscuits, benedicts and omelets) as well as creative new dishes like the Chocolate Stuffed French Toast with cornflake-encrusted challah and salted caramel sauce.

The million dollar question is (apparently, since it’s a regular inquiry): Is Boathouse serving Bay Cafe’s cult favorite shrimp salad sandwich?

The answer? Absolutely not.

Ignore the rumors that they kept Bay Cafe’s recipe. There is shrimp salad on the menu and it’s sure to be delicious (it is shrimp salad, after all), but we are here to save you the embarrassment of being “that person” that rants about the shrimp salad not being the same. Trust us - have some of the epically delicious crab nachos, savory and crunchy fried pickles, or the creamy brie appetizer, (or just order Boathouse’s own shrimp salad rendition) and you’ll forget all about that silly, old Bay Cafe sandwich.

Let’s hone in on the important part, though: the drinks. This is not the same ol’ plastic cup cocktail or aluminum bottle Bud joint that it once was. Boathouse is classing things up, hons, with rotating taps, draft wine (in addition to a pretty decent selection of bottled wine), and creative cocktails. On a recent visit, our favorite was by far the Cranberry Ginger Crush (a sweet - but not overly so -concoction with a little zing from the ginger), but pop over during a Ravens game and try the Ravenade, a mix of 3 Olives Purple Vodka (of course!), Sprite and lemon. Rumor has it that fall cocktails are not to be missed when they roll out, with the possibility of a cinnamon apple margarita on the menu.

As for specials, Boathouse has a menu exclusively created for happy hour (for instance, if you want those crab nachos, between 4 and 7 PM , Monday through Friday, is the only time you can get them) and a quality list of daily drink specials you can find here. Check Boathouse out during football on Thursdays and Sundays for $10 Natty Boh buckets (five beers) and frequent food specials as well.

And, as they say, you can’t drink all day if you don’t start in the morning, so wash down that french toast or omelet during brunch with plenty of mimosas or bloody marys at a reasonable $5 a pop.

Finally, though they are known as an outdoor spot, there is a ton of indoor seating in this gigantic space in which every single room faces the water. You’d probably have to pay someone to sit in a seat without a water view, it’s that hard to find a seat without a fantastic vantage in the whole joint. And once it gets really chilly, count on Boathouse to light up their fireplace, one of only a handful of working fireplaces in Baltimore bars.

While Boathouse is already a popular destination for relaxed but stylish dining and drinking, keep an eye on their website for events to really bring in the crowds like tap takeovers, oyster roasts, and yappy hours.

Boathouse Canton, 2809 Boston St., 410-773-9795

Photo via Boathouse Canton