Crabs

[ol_ironstomach]

...and granted me immediate understanding of why all Marylanders (?) I've known have simply scoffed at crabcakes elsewhere in the country.

I suppose I should let turbogrrl tell the story herself, but it's easy to recite. The scene is set in a distant seafood restaurant off toward the west. The server has just begun taking orders, when our heroine notices an item on the menu.

"How 'Maryland' are your 'Maryland-style' crabcakes?"

(pause)

"Where ya from?"

"Maryland."

(thoughtful pause)

"Not Maryland enough."

[Pool Boy]

I still say G&M crabcakes are pretty good. Granted it's been over a year since I had one, so maybe some more current research is in order.

I had lunch with some coworkers in from out of town (west coast) and they were commenting that the crab cakes here were spectacular. One guy was a former eat coaster and he mentioned how bad many west coast variations of crabcakes were out there -- mostly filler and very little crab whereas the opposite is usually true for our local versions.

Interesting I thought.

[Joe H]

I think the important part of the discussion here is that it's not just "mostly filler and very little crab." Rather, where is the lump crab from? The Chesapeake Bay, Indonesia, Mexico? Is the lump crabmeat somewhat sweet? Relatively flavorless? I believe these last several statements are totally meaningless in most other parts of the U. S.

It would be interesting for people who rave about G & M to line up a G & M crab cake along side of one from the Narrows and taste each blindfolded.

[Mark Slater]

I think the important part of the discussion here is that it's not just "mostly filler and very little crab." Rather, where is the lump crab from? The Chesapeake Bay, Indonesia, Mexico? Is the lump crabmeat somewhat sweet? Relatively flavorless? I believe these last several statements are totally meaningless in most other parts of the U. S.

It would be interesting for people who rave about G & M to line up a G & M crab cake along side of one from the Narrows and taste each blindfolded.

All the markets these days that sell lump crab and Jumbo lumb crap are selling Pasteurized crabmeat for some reason. The crab harvests locally have been short in recent years. The new Pasteurized brands say "Vietnamese or Phillipine or Malaysian" Swimming crab. Freshly picked crabmeat has become really hard to find. Can someone name sources for freshly picked crab ( aside from doing yourself) ?

[ohstate]

All the markets these days that sell lump crab and Jumbo lumb crap are selling Pasteurized crabmeat for some reason. The crab harvests locally have been short in recent years. The new Pasteurized brands say "Vietnamese or Phillipine or Malaysian" Swimming crab. Freshly picked crabmeat has become really hard to find. Can someone name sources for freshly picked crab ( aside from doing yourself) ?

We bougth some local freshly picked crab at Capt. Smith's Seafood store in Solomons two weeks ago. My husband makes the best crabcakes in the area, btw. Captain Smith also serves fresh seafood, but we've never eaten there. They have @ 3 tables in the tiny front of the store. They also carry local oysters in season.

Captain Smith's Seafood

13944 Solomons Island Rd.

Solomons, MD

410-326-1134

[synaesthesia]

All the markets these days that sell lump crab and Jumbo lumb crap are selling Pasteurized crabmeat for some reason. The crab harvests locally have been short in recent years. The new Pasteurized brands say "Vietnamese or Phillipine or Malaysian" Swimming crab. Freshly picked crabmeat has become really hard to find. Can someone name sources for freshly picked crab ( aside from doing yourself) ?

Frank's Seafood up in Jessup, amongst other things.

[Dmnkly]

FWIW, the last time I ate at Jerry's (maybe 1.5 years ago?) I asked the server where the crab was coming from and she said Venezuela.

When I was in Faidley's this week, I also saw large styrofoam cartons marked with pictures of crabs and "PRODUCT OF VENEZUELA". Whether that was for the crabcakes or something else, I don't know. But I was under the impression that almost nobody uses local anymore, including the sacred cows. I was talking to Steve down at Mr. Bill's a couple of weeks ago, and he said he rarely gets local himself, not because of availability or cost, but because of quality. He felt the gulf crabs were heavier and tastier. Whether that's objective wisdom or an excuse, I can't say.

[ghostrider]

As an itinerant tourist, I'm going to advance the proposition that there are some fine, fine crabcakes to be had at Vikki's Fells Point Deli in Broadway Market, & if they aren't among the best in Baltimore I'd like to know why.

I'll qualify this with the note that I never got to Faidley's, that was on the agenda but life intervened.

At Vikki's the cakes are piled up in a glass-fronted deli cooler & deep-fried to order. They are made with a peppery mustard-&-white-bread binder - fiery, but not so much as to overwhelm the flavor of the lovely crab chunks. Crunchy on the outside, steaming hot & spicy on the inside, they were the best I've had in five-plus decades on this planet.

Vikki's also makes a terrific slaw. The minced green pepper makes it something special.

Maybe I got a little carried away by the whole experience - I got the stuff as a carryout & went out to a shady park bench in the late summer sun & watched the Fells Point street life & the Harbor activity as I dined, & I tell ya it was all pretty swell.

[acevedo81]

I have always enjoyed the crab cakes at McCabes (on falls rd in Hampden). Not sure if others have tried but I happen to enjoy them over Faidleys, which tend to taste a bit dry.

[Joe H]

As morbidly ugly as a Chesapeake Bay blue crab is, by comparison, it is absolutely beautiful compared to the disfigured Indonesian crustacean that Phillips lump "crab meat" is extracted from. Wegman's sells this sweet, succulent almost local lump crab meat for about $24 a pound.

[southdenverhoo]

As morbidly ugly as a Chesapeake Bay blue crab is, by comparison, it is absolutely beautiful compared to the disfigured Indonesian crustacean that Phillips lump "crab meat" is extracted from. Wegman's sells this sweet, succulent almost local lump crab meat for about $24 a pound.

Was over on the Virginia Eastern Shore a few weeks back, spoke with a local guy in Onancock VA, whose story is not uncommon there, more at this link: http://www.delmarvanow.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a.../711050308/1002

When my interlocutor needed to get, I think he said, 12 bucks a pound for Chesapeake Bay blue crab, the local restaurants were instead buying Indonesian and, I think he said, Venezuelan crab meat for $8. Couldn't/wouldn't pay the difference for the superior product, didn't think their customers would pay. Sic transit gloria mundi.

It's a shame, but as one of the guys in the link says only 2 joints on the Va. Eastern Shore were selling local crab when HE closed HIS doors for the last time. Obviously not so dire yet in Md, viz my party's lunch the day before.....

PS, had forgotten which place various Rockwellians like the best--meant to check this site for a/this thread the day before the flight, didn't get around to it-- so it was absolutely dumb luck that we chose (out of, as you know, several other options closer to the turn-off, or more advertised on the signage one drives past) The Narrows Restaurant for our on-the-way-over lunch. It just had the vibe I guess.

They had the goods.

[1000yregg]

Interesting breakdown of local B-more crabcakes in this week's city paper- includes discussion of local vs imported crabmeat at some local crabcake places.

Link

[Sthitch]

local seafood behemoth Phillips is set to roll out a brand-new proprietary grade of meat that consists of large lumps that are assembled from smaller lumps using some sort of naturally derived crab glue. This is not a joke.

Ewwww....

[synaesthesia]

Ewwww....

I can just see it now.... one lump crab cakes. Thanks molecular gastronomy!

[Lydia R]

Interesting breakdown of local B-more crabcakes in this week's city paper- includes discussion of local vs imported crabmeat at some local crabcake places.

Link

Thanks for the link. I really enjoyed reading Henry Hong's article on-line and found it's from Baltimore City Paper's 2008 Eat Special Issue.

[Al Dente]

Guinness certifies the world's largest crabcake!

235 Pound Crabcake

[Henry]

Guinness certifies the world's largest crabcake!

235 Pound Crabcake

Hello all just a quick heads up - the Superfresh on 40th St. in Roland Park has an interesting deal on crab meat. First, it's from Venezuela but is NOT swimmer crab, it is actually marked as "Callinectes Sapidus", which is the blue crab we are all familiar with here in Maryland. I bought some and it does indeed look and taste like domestic. More importantly, the price is listed as $28.99 under a "Sale" banner, but the tubs themselves are labeled as $13.99! This is of course absurdly cheap for jumbo lump, particularly meat of such high quality.

On another note, someone from the Eastern commented on my article at citypaper.com indicating that where she lives, they tend to add a little baking powder to their crab cakes to puff them up a bit. I prefer dense cakes, but I plan on trying her way this week.

-Henry

[dc-eats]

After visiting Cantler's the past few seasons for blue crab, I'm thinking of trying a new restaurant this year. I've tried Quarterdeck in Arlington but was disappointed by the patio. Any suggestions?

Thanks!

[deangold]

After visiting Cantler's the past few seasons for blue crab, I'm thinking of trying a new restaurant this year. I've tried Quarterdeck in Arlington but was disappointed by the patio. Any suggestions?

Thanks!

I prefer Harris Cram House to Cantler's. Its on Kent Island or Kent Narrows. I have enjoyed nothing else except for the crabs. Beer is served in plastic cups as are the adequet bloody marys.

[crazeegirl]

Recently I tried both Harris Crab House and Crab Deck on Kent Narrows. I preferred Crab Deck because they had bigger/plumper crabs and the outside sitting area is actually leveled on top of the water...whereas, the outdoors at Harris' is rooftop. Either way, I couldn't complain...the weather was gorgeous both days. I've only tried steamed crabs, coleslaw, french fries and corn. Coleslaw at Harris's was not to my liking...way tooo much mustard!

I haven't been for couple years, but Obryki's in Baltimore, albeit not served with Old Bay seasoning, is good.

[ohstate]

St. Mary's county has a few on the Patuxent River and other locations. I was told that the Sea Breeze in Mechanicsville (MD) has new owers who have fixed the place up and added an outdoor bar. In a fine local tradition, it is apparently owned by the cousin of a woman who works with a friend of mine. I hope to try it out later this summer and will report back. Next door is Sand Gates, another crab/seafood house. Both were hit by hurricane Isabel and have had to bounce back after that.

The Drift Inn is near there as well: http://forums.somd.com/restaurants/98372-drift-inn.html

Another couple of crab places, located further south in St. Mary's are Schiebels and Courtneys:

http://forums.somd.com/restaurants/73557-s...-courtneys.html

http://scheibles.homestead.com/Scheibles.html

Courtneys is reputed to be very "local/rustic", so you might adjust your expectations.

http://somd.com/Detailed/3738.php

I don't go out for crabs very often, I must admit. We usually catch our own and eat at home. (Or buy a bushel from the guy on the side of the road). Right now, there's a guy setting his line in our creek.

St. Mary's Seafood restaurant listings: http://somd.com/dining/seafood/stmarys/index.php

[deangold]

coleslaw, french fries and corn

That stuff just takes up stomach space best reserved for more crabs and bloody may's. Did you know that a bloody mary has 3 of the 5 essential food groups covered? Salt, booze and hot sauce! Chocolate and dead pig are the other two!

[ohstate]

That stuff just takes up stomach space best reserved for more crabs and bloody may's. Did you know that a bloody mary has 3 of the 5 essential food groups covered? Salt, booze and hot sauce! Chocolate and dead pig are the other two!

Maybe sprinkle a little crumbled crispy bacon on top of that bloody mary?

[ol_ironstomach]

Out here at Suicide Bridge, word is that the crabs are running at the mouth of the Choptank, and they're still a week or two from molting. Jumbo hardshells are $64/doz today.

And the cream of crab soup rocks. Hot, creamy, and thick with long sweet pieces of meat. Gotta run...our crab balls just arrived.

[The Doctor]

Is there any truth to the rumor I heard that no places are serving true Maryland crab right now? In other words, there's a shortage of supply of local crabs?

I tried googling for the scoop, but the only thing I found was this website, which says they don't have any seafood right now: http://www.marylanddelivered.com/seafood.htm

[ohstate]

Is there any truth to the rumor I heard that no places are serving true Maryland crab right now? In other words, there's a shortage of supply of local crabs?

I tried googling for the scoop, but the only thing I found was this website, which says they don't have any seafood right now: http://www.marylanddelivered.com/seafood.htm

There is a ban in Maryland for harvesting female crabs for recreational crabbers (as of June 1). There is a new regulation to reduce the number of females a commercial crabber can take. Most crab meat that is already picked comes from the female crabs. Most crab houses serve male crabs (Jimmy's). I don't know if Virginia has a ban as well, but I recall that MD and VA were working together on the ban. So, I think you should be able to find local crab houses serving MD jimmy crabs.

Summary of proposal:

http://www.dnr.state.md.us/fisheries/crab/...abChanges08.pdf

Emergency Proposal:

http://www.dnr.state.md.us/fisheries/regul...egulations.html

Crabbing regulations for 2008:

http://www.dnr.state.md.us/fisheries/crab/...rabsummary.html

[csirwillis]

If you want good crabs.. go to Prices Seafood in Havre de Grace MD in Harford county (where I grew up). Its a crab shack but a family run place thats small and crabs are delivered daily from local fisherman.

[TinDC]

We went to Mike's today and they told us the crabs were from Texas. We got jumbos, though, and they were huge and meaty.

[The Doctor]

Thanks, ohstate, for a thorough explanation. I guess I was referring more to the picked meat, ie, the type you'd get in a crabcake. I don't even think I could tell the difference between local and non anyways!

[ohstate]

We're baiting the traps tomorrow to see what we can catch. Our friend pulled 22 large jimmys from his creek last Tuesday, but we've heard its rather hit or miss right now.

[ohstate]

For those looking for local crabs:

North Beach Friday Night Farmers' Market

Date: 7/11/2008

Time: 6 PM

Duration: 03:00

Starting this week, we'll have crabs! Now you can get live Chesapeake Bay blue crabs direct from a member of the Maryland Waterman's Assocation at the North Beach Friday Night Farmers' Market. We offer a wonderful selection of fresh farm products and natural, home-made foods. Be here at 6:00pm because we sell out very quickly. The open-air market is located at 5th Street between Bay & Chesapeake Avenues, in North Beach, Maryland.

(Note, this is the first I've heard of the Friday night market, so I don't know what else they have). Edit: I found a local news story about the market listing some of the vendors:

http://www.somdnews.com/stories/06132008/r...515_32140.shtml

[Joe H]

Joe, it's not a "seafood restaurant," it's a crab house.

It's a treasure because it's a real crab house -- fat, heavy crabs liberally seasoned with JO and dumped piping hot on your table, served with lots of very cold beer. You're right, anything off the menu sucks. But that's not what it's about. I completely disagree that a good crab house needs a good soup, a good crab cake, or least of all good onion rings.

The old Angelina's (which got raves from you) had what was arguably Maryland's best crab cake, but the rest of the menu was barely edible. Canned veggies? Yep. Fries and onion rings from freezer bag to fryer to table? Yep. They did one thing very well, and sucked at everything else.

Yet that was far less defensible than what Sue Island offers. Angelina's pretended to be a full restaurant. The Sue Island menu is basically there for non-crab eaters who end up accompanying a group. One could easily argue that it would be nice if they did a better job accommodating those unfortunate folks, whose lives are already sadly empty without the further insult of bagged chicken fingers, frozen pizza or greasy onion rings. But that doesn't affect the real mission of the place, which is great crabs and cold beer outdoors by the water. And they do a perfect job of that.

Angelina's had one dish better than their crab cakes: their crab imperial. To this day it is the best crab dish I have ever had anywhere. Honestly, driving from Silver Spring and then later from Reston, I only ever got two things at Angelina's: crab cakes and crab imperial. I'm not sure when it was sold but on a visit a couple of years ago I was shocked at how far downhill it had fallen.

The irony of the Narrows on Kent Island (who I believe now have the best crab cakes and cream of crab soup) is that it doesn't serve crabs. For myself, I may have just been spoiled by the "old" Bo Brooks on Harford road. I really liked that place.

[ol_ironstomach]

We don't have a separate News & Media section for Baltimore, so this seems like the best place to link to WMAR's story last week that after 66 years, the original Obrycki's crab house will be closing its doors at the end of 2011.