06-29-2023 Howard Magazine - Flipbook - Page 16
E AT S
BY KAREN NITKIN For Howard Magazine
Seafood entree at the Offshore restaurant in Columbia. PHOTO BY KARL MERTON FERRON
Make it a date night
The Collective offers dining and music under one roof at Columbia’s Lakefront
Ellicott City entrepreneur and musician Staci Samaras
describes the Columbia lakefront as “the best space in Howard
County, period.”
The plaza, with its famous fountain and People Tree sculpture,
is popular year-round, but especially in the summer months,
when the Columbia Association schedules concerts, movies and
dancing.
So when Clyde’s of Columbia and its attached music venue,
The Soundry abandoned their perches overlooking Lake Kittamaqundi in July 2020, Samaras saw an opportunity. She is now
managing partner of the Offshore restaurant and Encore music
venue, together known as The Collective.
The dark wood and clubby feel of Clyde’s, which had been at
the site since 1975, are gone, replaced with a brighter, nautical-themed look. The seafood-centric menu showcases the
talents of executive chef Stephen Muhlbaier, who had been at
Ellicott City’s HoCo Brew Hive.
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| Summer 2023 | howardmagazine.com
The dark wood that once filled the space is gone. The dining area of the
Offshore restaurant at The Collective features a bright nautical theme.