Walk into The Fishmonger’s Daughter in the heart of downtown Catonsville and you’re likely to see several members of the Faidley family doing what they’ve done for five generations: welcoming patrons, doling out platters of ice-cold oysters, posing for photos, and sharing their Maryland pride.

Matriarch Nancy Faidley Devine, her daughter, Damye Hahn, her son-in-law (Damye’s husband), Keith, and grandson, William, stop at every table as they move around the dining room where black-and-white photos capture the family’s storied legacy: There’s Nancy with her father, John; a Chesapeake waterman hauling the day’s catch; and there are many photos of the legendary raw bar in Lexington Market where their story started 140 years ago at Smith & Faidley (and later simply Faidley Seafood). Every inch of the 22,000-square-foot space oozes nostalgia.

Nancy’s grandfather first opened his popular stand on Eutaw Street in 1886 but the stall’s glory days came in the early ’80s when she came up with the concept of creating crab cakes from jumbo lump, then a novel idea given the high cost of the prized meat. (The market stall is wallpapered with awards, including GQ’s coveted Golden Dish for one of the best dishes of the year in 1992.)

Ever since, Nancy has become the belle of the Bay. And now her daughter, Damye, as co-owner of The Fishmonger’s Daughter (Keith and William are the other primary owners), has become something of a torchbearer for the family, whose last name is synonymous with Maryland seafood.

For some 25 years, Hahn had been searching for a restaurant property for the next generation, but nothing felt like the right fit until William and his wife, Julia, discovered that the Plymouth Wallpaper Building, another local landmark, was for sale. Before becoming a wallpaper company in the ’60s, the 1925 building was once occupied by Heidelbach & Company, at the time Baltimore’s only gourmet grocer.

Preserving that tradition and bringing the building back to its glory has been six-and-a-half years in the making. The original steel beams still support the structure; the original heart pine floors have been lovingly restored—some even turned into tables—and the grocer’s shelves have been repurposed into a bar area and small retail space stocked with glug jugs and even crab-themed jewelry. A massive wooden fish fashioned from shingles and copper from a once-adjoining storefront presides over the dining room. And rustic wooden tables and red-and-white-striped linen napkins lend a modern seafood house vibe that is also reflected on the menu.

The aim of the menu, says Hahn, “was to be Maryland-centric,” while also showcasing seafood from the central coast of the United States.

“Faidley’s has always supported the local watermen and the local industries in the Chesapeake Bay region,” says Hahn. “I wanted to make sure that visitors would get a true taste of the best we have to offer.”

Mission accomplished. The menu is a nod to seafood standards that highlight the bounty of the Bay, including Faidley’s famous Maryland crab soup, oysters broiled and raw, and crabby creations of every kind, from soft-shell tempura to crab Imperial. If you want to kick off with crustaceans, the crab dip is loaded with marvelous meat and bolstered by house-made soft pretzel spears for easy scooping.

Other options include a classic Caesar, which imparts bold anchovy flavor, and a plate of fried oysters. The just-shucked bivalves—on a bed of creamed spinach, sprinkled with bacon, doused with beurre blanc—offer briny luxury in every bite.

Ordering a crab cake is mandatory here. Chances are high that Nancy, who churns out some 50 an hour and has made tens of thousands in her culinary career, has had a hand in it—literally. Much like the specimens at Lexington Market, the golden orbs are exactly the size of her hand and accompanied by house-made pickled tomatoes, red potatoes, and slaw.

There’s also shrimp salad made from an heirloom recipe at Mary Mervis, a beloved delicatessen at Lexington Market; Maine lobster piled high on a house-made split-top buttered bun; plus, more composed plates from executive chef Scott Bacon (formerly of Magdalena), like a pan-roasted rockfish with curry corn chowder purée and a creative take on shrimp and grits with delicate white North Carolina grits, dukkah, chile oil, and collard greens, a delicious nod to Bacon’s Maryland roots and South Carolina heritage.

There’s also a whole fried sea bass drizzled with chimichurri. It was a challenge to eat because of the bones but once the tender flesh is pulled from the frame of the fish, there’s a delightful sweetness in every bite.

Speaking of sweets, Hahn revived Hendler’s ice cream, an iconic Baltimore brand born in the basement of a home in East Baltimore. (The pioneering company was the first to use a flash-freezing method and deliver ice cream with a fleet of custom refrigerated trucks.)

The ice cream is made by Josepha Hendler and Lindsay Devon, the great-granddaughters of L. Manuel Hendler, who founded the 121-year-old company. Dips come in a rotation of nostalgic flavors, including coffee, butter pecan, and butter brickle, and arrive in old-timey glass-footed bowls accompanied by a plush house-made sugar cookie.

It’s a fitting ending to a new beginning.

THE FISHMONGER’S DAUGHTER: 720 Frederick Rd., Catonsville. 410 525-7385. HOURS: Sun.-Thurs. 10 a.m.-9 p.m.; Fri.-Sat. 10 a.m.-10 p.m. PRICES: Appetizers: $14-30; entrees and handhelds: $22-57; desserts: $15-18. AMBIANCE: Modern seafood house.

When it opened in 1993, G&M was a humble pizza shop along an industrial stretch of road near BWI airport in Linthicum Heights. Business partners John Zoulis and George Ieromonahos purchased the former pizza shop (named for its previous owners Gerry and Michael) at auction.

“The pizza place sold crab cakes but we tweaked the recipe,” says Zoulis, who also owns Estiatorio Plaka in Greektown. “When we took over G&M, we started testing recipes. We figured out that it’s all about the spices.”

More than three decades later, the blue crab recipe stands the test of time—and G&M has become a premier place to indulge in oversized crab cakes, as well as steaks and chicken Chesapeake.

Through the years, in addition to their regular customers, they’ve had a few VIPs. Director Steven Spielberg, writer Tom Clancy, and Sen. Ben Cardin (who hired G&M to cater a White House party) have all stopped by to get a taste of the Chesapeake-style menu.

The next generation now helps run the place but it can get confusing—ironically, both business partners have a son named Dimitrios and a daughter named Anna. “It’s a Greek thing,” says Zoulis with a laugh.

We chatted with him about three decades of success.

How did you refine your signature crab cake recipe?
The pizza shop sold a crab cake but we weren’t happy with it. We kept asking our customers, how do you like your crab cake and we took their feedback—you have to listen to the customers.

How much crab do you sell a day?
I can’t tell you because we also ship them all over the country, including Alaska and Hawaii, but I can tell you it’s 1,500 pounds of crab a day and 2,000 pounds on a busy weekend. During the holidays, we sell 20,000 pounds weekly of crabmeat. We can’t ship internationally, because the meat could sit in customs for who knows how long, but we have had customers come here from Australia who take them home.

Where do you source the meat?
We are using blue crab. People will tell you they are using blue crab from Maryland, but it’s impossible to get the meat. We have a Maryland-style crab cake but there’s not enough Maryland crabmeat to support our need for jumbo lump. I wish we could get it from Maryland—I try every year. We get ours from the Gulf and Indonesia and Maryland when in season.

Do you come from a restaurant family?
M father, Minas, owned Tom’s Restaurant in New York from Seinfeld. My uncles and cousins took over after my father’s death, and my family still runs it today. In addition to inspiring Seinfeld, it’s mentioned in the song “Tom’s Diner” by Suzanne Vega. When I first came here, I worked at Timbuktu Restaurant & Lounge [in Hanover]. I was born in New York, moved back to Greece, then came to Baltimore for college. I wanted to follow in my father’s footsteps.

What do you think keeps people coming back to G&M?
You cannot become stale—we are always introducing new stuff and trying to stay trendy without losing our consistency. We are known for our portions, our prices, and our consistency of product.

It’s an undeniable truth: in Maryland, we take our crab cakes for granted. Considered as much a part of local summers as Natty Boh and baseball, we simply expect they’ll always be there. And now less than a month before crab season returns to the Chesapeake Bay, the local seafood industry faces uncertainty due to a substantial shortage of workers that pick and process the iconic crustacean.

If you’re wondering, yes, this is déjà vu. For the second time in three years, many of the state’s main crab picking houses—this year six out of nine—did not receive any of the temporary visas required to fill their seasonal workforce, which is made up almost entirely of foreign guest workers, who are predominantly women from Latin America, as it has been since the 1980s.

The dearth is due in part to increased demand, with a rising need for temporary workers among the likes of landscaping companies, hospitality businesses, and other seafood industries, such as along the Gulf Coast. In January, the U.S. Department of Labor received nearly 100,000 H-2B visa applications for their annual nationwide lottery system. This year, 66,000 are currently allocated after final approval from the Department of Homeland Security, with only half being released this spring, when the Chesapeake’s crab season begins on April 1.

Along with Governor Larry Hogan, Maryland senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen have written to federal officials, urging them to release the additional 33,000 visas held over for summer.

“Many of the seafood businesses we represent are family-owned operations that go back multiple generations, often in rural areas of our states,” reads a bipartisan letter to the DHS signed by Cardin, Van Hollen, and five other senators last week. “Despite good faith efforts to find local seasonal workers, our seafood industries rely on H-2B workers for tough jobs such as shucking oysters and processing crabs. These businesses are entirely reliant on the forces of nature that determine, for example, when salmon will run and be ready for harvest. Without H-2B visas, some local businesses will be forced to reduce the size of their American workforces.”

Maryland’s seafood processors suggest that, in the long term, the local industry should be considered for a permanent exemption from the yearly quota. For now, they are requesting the release of the lottery’s additional visas. Dozens, alongside watermen, seafood business owners, and local and state officials, gathered on Monday at the A.E. Phillips & Sons picking room in Dorchester County to call on the Trump administration to act, stressing that the continuation of this workforce instability could have detrimental impacts on the prized local industry, as well as its surrounding communities.

According to a recent survey, Maryland officials estimate the current worker shortage could cause Maryland to lose at least 900 jobs, from watermen to distributors, and upwards of $150 million from the state’s economy. It could also cost watermen more than $12 million and processors more than $37 million in income. Many watermen crab solely for sale to picking houses.

It hits home, too. Some suggest a lack of workers would represent a loss of 65 percent of the crab meat produced in the state, potentially leading to a sharp increase in picked meat prices, as well as a depleted price for steamed crabs (good for consumers, bad for watermen), due to a surplus of hard shells that would have otherwise been bound for the picking houses.

In past years, the Trump administration has agreed to release additional visas, including an additional 30,000 last year. In late February, The Wall Street Journal reported that the DHS planned to announce the approval of some 45,000 additional visas last week, with 20,000 available immediately, and the other 25,000 available come June, though no official announcement has been made at this time.

“I would say, as of right now, no decision has been made about the supplemental H-2B cap increase,” said acting secretary of DHS Chad Wolf during a meeting with a Senate Appropriations subcommittee last Tuesday, stating that he is in talks with the DOL to develop a proposal, noting possible provisions to address potential purported abuse in the program. “We hope to announce that very shortly.”

For fans of Maryland crab cakes, the announcement can’t come soon enough.

Prá Soave Classico Otto 2015 
($20, Vinifera Imports)

Contrary to popular belief, not all Italian white wines are crisp and acidic, and this one is proof. Prá is among the top producers of Soave, a popular white made from the Garganega grape in the region known as the Veneto. This example overflows with notes of citrus and peach, with a clean juicy finish and just a hint of minerals. It’s fantastic with the sweet tones of high-quality crabmeat, and just juicy enough to compete with a little Old Bay and tartar or cocktail sauce.

Clemént Rhum Blanc Agricole
($35, Washburn Wine Company)

We aren’t suggesting you take shots of fancy rum with your crab cake, but may we suggest a mojito? Mint grows like a weed right now, and lime plays well with crabs. In this case, we’d elevate the cocktail by using a rhum agricole, made from estate-grown cane sugar rather than the leftovers of refined sugar production, like most rums. It adds an undertone akin to white corn. Textbook mojito: Muddle mint leaves with lime and sugar. Fill glass two-thirds with crushed ice. Add rum. Place juiced lime shells in glass. Top with club soda or seltzer.

Paulaner Hefe-Weizen

($10 six-pack, Republic National Distributing Company)

Luckily for beer drinkers, the crab cake is pretty accommodating when it comes to pairings. While we do love a local brew, there’s a certain appeal in going with an iconic Old World brewery like Munich’s Paulaner. We like their wheat beer with crab cakes because the extra body handles condiments well, there is no aggressive hop profile to overpower the delicate crab flavor, and the citrus tones inherent in wheat beer pair beautifully with that squeeze of fresh lemon you’ve just sprinkled on your cake.

Below is but a small smattering of spots where we love to eat crabs—from your typical Maryland-style crabhouses (Jimmy Cantler’s Riverside Inn) to more upscale establishments with classic cakes (Linwoods). Don’t get steamed (pun intended) if your favorite joint isn’t listed on these pages. This is Maryland, hon. It’s hard to make it through a menu that doesn’t have some manifestation of crab. 

Can’t get enough crabs? Be sure to check out our Crab Basics and Home Plates.

Steamed Crabs: Carry Out | Steamed Crabs: Eat In | Crab Cakes | Soft-Shells | Do-It-Yourself

STEAMED CRABS: Carry Out

When you want to eat in the comfort of your own home but don’t want to steam them yourself, head to one of these spots for ready-to-go steamed crabs.

CJ’S Crabhouse and Grill

10117 Reisterstown Rd., Owings Mills
410-363-6694

CJ’S is a no-frills neighborhood crabhouse where everyone knows your name. Owned by brothers Terry, Gary, and Jeffrey Sanders (whose parents, the late Charlie and Jean Sanders, started the business 38 years ago), this is the place to go if you want to spot a Raven (we’re told former coach Jim Caldwell ate here when he lived in town) or just experience a family-friendly vibe whether carrying out or eating in. (It’s only crab, folks!) While ordering a bushel to go, throw in a quart of Maryland crab soup, authentic New England clam chowder, or steamed shrimp with onions to quell your craving.

Conrad’s Crabs & Seafood Market

1720 E. Joppa Road, Parkville
410-882-1515

Quality crabs and a top-secret blend of spiced seasoning is the name of the game at Conrad’s, a favorite spot for take-out enthusiasts. (Gertrude’s chef John Shields shops here.) Owner and self-professed “baybilly” Tony Conrad, who has crab in his genes (his great-grandfather was a waterman and his great, great-grandmother owned an Eastern Shore seafood spot in the 1800s), spends most mornings aboard his beloved boat The Hannah Marie, in pursuit of the big boys. The proof is in the product: While most outfits sort their crabs only once, Conrad’s sorts twice, which means he sells the freshest, most colossal crabs in town.

The Crackpot Seafood Restaurant

8102 Loch Raven Blvd., Towson
410-828-1095

At The Crackpot, it’s all about superlatives—it has the longest bar in Baltimore, and sells a 20-ounce crab cake touted as the largest in town. The restaurant, which opened in 1972, was also one of the first in the Baltimore region to sell crabs year-round, importing them from Louisiana before doing so became a “thing.” Today, the Crackpot still uses the same spice mix, and still proudly sells fat, sweet Louisiana crabs for eating in or taking out from January through December.

Gibby’s Seafood & Gourmet Market

2322 York Road, Timonium
410-561-5225

Gibby’s has closed the restaurant that used to be connected with it, but sells all the same food, just for carrying out instead of eating in. Given the market’s incredibly brisk business—it sells between 200 and 300 bushels a day (depending on size, that’s between 1,000 and 2,400 crabs)—it’s amazing that there are any savory swimmers left in the Chesapeake. Gibby’s is a great one-stop shop for a crab feast, and unlike other outlets, it rarely seems to run out of crabs even when supplies are short. Buy the zesty Maryland crab soup as a starter, the tomato-cucumber salad with red onions as a side, and the creamy rice pudding for dessert.

Ocean Pride Seafood

1534 York Road, Lutherville-Timonium
410-321-7744

Brothers Rick and Randy Bielski worked at Ocean Pride when they were kids, churning the proprietary spice blend for the crabs in a cement mixer located in the restaurant’s basement. About 11 years ago, their childhood dreams came true when they purchased the carryout store and restaurant, expanding the bar and concentrating on crabs. The crab seasoning, no longer made in a cement mixer, still contains the same 26 ingredients, including rock salt, mustard seed, and black pepper, delivering just the right heat as a complementary counterpoint.

Pappas Seafood Co.

1801 Taylor Ave., Parkville
410-665-4000

An entire floor of the family-owned Pappas Seafood Co. is devoted to steaming crabs from our Atlantic waters (including the Chesapeake Bay and Wye and Chester rivers). The store has been at the same location since 1953, and still uses the special spice blend on its steamed crabs, but this seafood stalwart has also changed with the times—about six years ago, Pappas added a website and began selling crabs and crab cakes in all 50 states, plus Puerto Rico. Naturally, Maryland retirees—from Florida and California—form the strongest fan base.

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STEAMED CRABS: Eat In

When you don’t want to deal with a tsunami of shells, these crabhouses are happy to make your mess their business.

Canton Dockside

3301 Boston St.
410-276-8900

Whether you sit indoors or out, you’ll get the classic crab experience at Canton Dockside. All the elements are there: brown paper-lined tables, mallets, knives, and crabs the size of your forearm. (Some have been known to measure almost six inches.) The waterside restaurant, which also does a brisk carry-out business, sources its crabs from Louisiana and Texas year-round, and sells Maryland crabs when they’re available. We love the rock salt in the seasoning that lends a grainy texture and a sensory-inducing lip-tingle, best quenched by a cold brew.

Costas Inn

4100 Northpoint Blvd.
410-477-1975

The family-owned Costas Inn began as a small Sparrows Point tavern in 1971, and grew to a full restaurant, seating 200. Unlike many haunts that are first come, first served, diners are allowed to specify size and reserve their crabs when they make reservations. The crabs, all male, are always domestic, and from the Old Line State whenever possible. The spice blend, unchanged since 1971, is sold at the restaurant and through the online store, which can cater to all your crab needs with ready-made crab cakes (Today’s Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb professed their love of these lumps on air), crabmeat, and T-shirts.

Jimmy Cantler’s Riverside Inn

458 Forest Beach Rd., Annapolis
410-757-1311

You gotta love a crab joint that’s easier to find by boat than by car. No matter how you get there, Cantler’s is worth the trek. The restaurant, with indoor and outdoor seating, has a full menu, but chances are you’ll choose to sit out on the wooden deck overlooking scenic Mill Creek, as you extract sweet crabmeat from a bright red pile of steamed sweeties. In summertime, you might even see the crabbers dropping off their haul. Yes, it’s touristy, but it’s also a Maryland-must experience.

L.P. Steamers

1100 E. Fort Ave.
410-576-9294

Housed in a Formstone corner building in Locust Point, L.P. Steamers has a no-fuss Baltimore charm that attracts locals and tourists alike. You can get them ready-to-go or settle at a table with brown paper, beer in a plastic cup, macaroni salad, disposable cutlery, and classic steamed crustaceans. Owner Bud Gardner, who opened the restaurant 17 years ago, serves number-one males (a number assigned to the heaviest Jimmies), and he does something different than other outlets—he sells them by weight, not by size, because, as it turns out, you can’t judge a crab by it’s hard-shell cover.

Mr. Bill’s Terrace Inn Crab House and Sports Bar

200 Eastern Blvd., Essex
410-687-5994

There’s nothing hoity toity about Mr. Bill’s Terrace and its cafeteria-like television-filled rooms. But the stupendous steamed-to-order crabs and friendly atmosphere have charmed some of the best-known taste buds in Charm City, earning testimonials from the likes of Dutch Ruppersberger, the late Art Donovan, and other Baltimore bigwigs. Yes, the lines can be long, but there’s comfort in knowing the famous have to wait, too. (Reservations are only for tables of 10 or more.) You’re sure to be famished once you finally get a table, so try the spicy Maryland crab soup and gooey crab dip while you’re waiting for the steam to work its magic on your main meal.

The Sue Island Grill & Crab House

900 Baltimore Yacht Club Rd., Essex
410-574-0009

The Sue Island Grill & Crab House, connected to the Sue Island Marina, boasts a sand beach with Adirondack chairs, a bustling tiki bar, live music, and fantastic sunset views over Sue Creek. Customers arrive by car, by boat, even by Jet Ski. The casual menu includes hamburgers, steamed shrimp, crab cakes and, of course, steamed crabs, from Maryland when possible and from the Carolinas or Louisiana in the off season. In summer, they’re served with Eastern Shore corn and fresh, meaty Maryland tomatoes for the quintessential hometown summer spread.

JUMP TO: Steamed Crabs: Carry Out | Steamed Crabs: Eat In | Crab Cakes | Soft-Shells | Do-It-Yourself

CRAB CAKES

When you want crab, but aren’t interested in eating as a full-contact sport, crab cakes at one of these establishments are always an option.

Cunningham’s

1 Olympic Pl., Towson
410-339-7730

This spot has been open only since November, but it has already found a niche serving American favorites made with local ingredients and jolts of flavor. Given that everyone and their uncle has a new riff on the cake, Cunningham’s keeps it fairly classic with a broiled eight-ounce patty, served two to a plate, made with a dash of Old Bay, lemon zest, and Dijon mustard. Ever-changing seasonal sides (the tangy mustard seed mashed potato and steamed asparagus with shallots, served in spring were divine) float our boat.

Faidley Seafood

203 North Paca St.
410-727-4898

If we could only pick one place that sets the crab-cake gold standard, we’d choose Faidley Seafood stall in Lexington Market, open since 1886. Faidley’s owner Nancy Devine says her jumbo-lump crab cakes, sold since the 1980s, are seven ounces because “that’s the size of my hand.” And her hands are plenty full. Using jumbo-lump meat from the Atlantic (and Maryland meat whenever possible), and flash-frying them to yield a golden crust and creamy interior, on a busy day, working with a single helper, Devine makes and sells more than 1,000 cakes. Some have even shipped as far as Alaska and Hawaii. (And pre-9/11, even shipped to Europe frequently.)

G & M Restaurant and Lounge

804 Hammonds Ferry Rd., Linthicum Heights
410-636-1777

The jumbo lumps are what sets the eight-ounce crab cakes at G & M apart. A bit of spice, hardly any filler and 15 minutes in the oven, highlight the sweetness of the seafood. The restaurant got its start as a pizza shop in 1974, switching to seafood in the ’90s. Since then, the crab cakes, served in sandwiches and on platters and shipped nationwide, have been winning plaudits for their sublime simplicity.

Koco’s Pub

4301 Harford Rd.
410-426-3519

Tiny, family-run Koco’s Pub is famous for its enormous 11-ounce crab cake, made with jumbo and, well, ginormous lumps and served as an incredibly satisfying sandwich or on a platter with salty fries and slaw. With seating of just 60 in the dining room and about 50 in the bar, the lines get long, and for good reason. Don’t let the down-home, simple vibe deceive you—when the wait is over, your patience will be amply rewarded.

Linwoods

25 Crossroads Dr., Owings Mills
410-356-3030

The crab cakes at suburban stalwart Linwoods begin—and end—with fresh jumbo-lump meat. Yes, there’s a squeeze of lemon, a drizzle of Tabasco, a drop of Worcestershire sauce, and a smidge of Old Bay. But why mess with Mother Nature’s just-plucked-from-the-waters plump lumps? The only adornment comes in summer-evocative sides: soft corn pudding, spinach salad studded with radishes and heirloom tomatoes, and a mound of crisp potato shreds. With a plate of these (one as an appetizer, two as an entree), summer doesn’t get any better.

Thames Street Oyster House

1728 Thames St.
443-449-7726

The 10-ounce crab cakes at Thames Street are an old-school interpretation of the Eastern Shore crab cake. These beauties start with blue crabs pulled from the Atlantic waters. While many cake creators tout the size of their lumps, these are made with all the fine flesh the crab has to offer—lump meat, of course, but the claw and backfin as well. Spices and filler are kept to a minimum. The cakes are pan-fried and then served in a cast-iron pan, with scrumptious seasonal sides such as roasted cauliflower and lima beans baked with brown sugar.

JUMP TO: Steamed Crabs: Carry Out | Steamed Crabs: Eat In | Crab Cakes | Soft-Shells | Do-It-Yourself

SOFT-SHELL CRABS

Captain James Landing

2127 Boston St.
410-327-8600

The key to the tasty soft-shell crabs at Captain James is their 24-hour bath in buttermilk and Old Bay to tenderize and add flavor. The crabs, generally available in late spring, are then dipped in seasoned flour, pan-fried, and served with a white wine and chicken-stock pan sauce. Crabs come from as far away as South Carolina and as near as the waters you can see when you’re served.

Cinghiale

822 Lancaster St.
410-547-8282

There’s no way that Cinghiale, a Cindy Wolf-Tony Foreman restaurant, is going to take the traditional pan-fry and slap-on-a-bun approach to soft-shells. For an original interpretation, the enoteca offers seasonal variations, but one we’re fond of is a peppery salad with red watercress, pickled ramps, and spicy vinaigrette, topped with a deep-fried soft-shell crab. Chef Julian Marucci uses East Coast crabs, and favors the smaller ones, which are sweeter, softer, and fry up with crisper crust.

Miss Shirley’s Café

750 E. Pratt St.
410-528-5373

Leave it to Miss Shirley’s Café to deliver original takes on soft-shell crabs. The Grumpy Shirley-Feller is a Maryland soft-shell in cornmeal crust, surrounded by grits, onion jam, bacon, a pickled relish, and a special chicken-sausage gravy. The Surfin’ the Bay Club places the same crisp-coated crab on sourdough toast as part of a sandwich that’s stuffed with blackened shrimp salad, jalapeño-smoked bacon, avocado, tomato, and an Old Bay remoulade.

The Oceanaire Seafood Room

801 Aliceanna St.
443-872-0000

On the ever-changing seasonal menu at The Oceanaire, executive chef Joe Pastore likes to get creative with crabs. Though he hails from Pittsburgh, this chef is a quick study in soft-shells. In this swanky seafood house with white-coated waiters, you’ll find a deconstructed BLT—blue crab, lettuce, and heirloom tomatoes tossed in bacon vinaigrette—geared to the more adventurous on one visit, a tempura treatment on another, or possibly a more traditional version on yet another pass. To sum up: Two claws up.

The Oregon Grille

1201 Shawan Rd., Cockeysville
410-771-0505

If you’re craving crabs and white-tablecloth service, The Oregon Grille is always a great choice for superior service, horse-country ambiance, and an extensive wine list to wash it all down. (FYI, chardonnay cuts the richness of crab.) This dish—dusted in cornmeal, sauteed, and served over spaghetti squash swimming in beurre blanc and whole-grain mustard-seed sauce—is a winning combination of flavors.

Ouzo Bay

1000 Lancaster St.
443-708-5818

The soft-shell crabs served at the Greek restaurant Ouzo Bay start with crabs dusted in seasoned flour and pan-fried. Platters include two crabs, along with mustard aioli and two sides. It’s all about letting simple ingredients shine, and delivering a modern twist on an ancient cuisine. (On a recent visit, we couldn’t resist posting these tasty “bay-bies” on Facebook.)

JUMP TO: Steamed Crabs: Carry Out | Steamed Crabs: Eat In | Crab Cakes | Soft-Shells | Do-It-Yourself

DO-IT-YOURSELF

As long as they’re fresh (and local), you don’t need to be a graduate of the CIA to cook crab. Here are some great places for the key ingredient to your home-cooked meal.

LIVE CRABS

Gibby’s Seafood and Gourmet Market
2322 York Rd., Timonium 
410-561-5225

J.M. Clayton Company
108 Commerce St., Cambridge 
410-228-1661

Mo’s Seafood
219 S. President St. 
410-837-8600

Ocean Pride
1534 York Rd., Lutherville-Timonium 
410-321-7744

Parkville Crabs
7800 Harford Rd., Parkville 
410-668-0020

CRABMEAT

Bill’s Seafood & Catering
9016 Belair Rd., Nottingham
410-256-9520

Gourmet Again
3713 Old Court Rd., Pikesville
410-484-9393

Faidley Seafood
203 N. Paca St.,
410-727-4898

S. DiPaula & Sons Seafood
7613 Philadelphia Rd., Rosedale
410-866-8100

Eddie’s of Roland Park
5113 Roland Ave.
410-323-3656

SOFT-SHELLS

Captain Jim’s Crabs
818 Bowley’s Quarters Rd., Middle River
410-335-2221

Crab Depot
5717 Gov. Ritchie Highway, Brooklyn Park
410-789-6722

Gibby’s Seafood and Gourmet Market
2322 York Rd., Timonium
410-561-5225

Sea King Seafood Markets
3417 Plum Tree Dr., Ellicott City
410-465-9663

Waterman’s Pride
7692 Belair Rd.
410-665-5555

Nothing gets Marylanders more riled up than a discussion about their beloved crab cakes. (We all agree it’s difficult to find a good one outside the state’s boundaries. See Victor Paul Alvarez’s essay on the topic.) But who has the best in town? Is it G&M vs. Faidley; Pappas vs. Koco’s? Not so fast. There are other places vying to be recognized, too. To keep the dialogue going, we sampled dozens of crab cakes to find our top 25 choices. We looked at size, price, and the ambiance of the restaurant. And we’re happy to report that they’re all winners. There are plenty of great patties out there for everyone to try. All you need to do is figure out what side dishes you want. We asked several local chefs to share their favorite accompaniments. Grilled watermelon? Kettle chips, anyone? Let the debate continue.

Bluestone Restaurant

11 W. Aylesbury Rd., Lutherville-Timonium, 410-561-1100
In keeping with the restaurant’s upscale vibe, the dinner-hour crab cakes aren’t served with coleslaw or even fries. The pair of five-ounce crab cakes ($29) comes with roasted fingerling potatoes and broccolini sautéed in garlic and oil. The cakes, packed with lumps and a hint of Old Bay, are broiled to a nice brown crust. There’s also the option of a fried cake combined with shrimp salad in a seafood club. At lunch, the crab-cake sandwich offers an optional side of fries. We think the best strategy is to embrace the fingerlings and hit the bar with its vaulted ceiling and nightly specials at happy hour, when the people-watching at this popular watering hole for professional suburbanites is at its best.

Bo Brooks Restaurant

2780 Lighthouse Point, 410-558-0202
The popular crab-and-seafood-centric destination sits tucked off Canton’s marinas, offering some of the best sunset views of the Inner Harbor from its glass-enclosed main dining room, outdoor porch——and, yes, floating deck. Perhaps best known for their hard-shell crabs, the restaurant offers 5.5-ounce, jumbo-lump crab cakes ($29 entree includes a twice-baked potato and seasonal vegetable) that make a visit to the Baltimore institution worthwhile anytime. The patties are perfectly seasoned, without too much breading, full of white lump crab, and broiled to a golden-brown finish. We started with a spicy cup of Maryland crab soup, though cream of crab soup is an option, too, as well as appetizers like crab pretzels, crab guacamole, crab deviled eggs, and Chesapeake toast——mini house-made backfin lump crab cakes served atop baguette slices with chipotle aioli. The restaurant accepts walk-ins, but make reservations on weekend nights or expect a long wait for a table.

Boatyard Bar and Grill

400 Fourth St., Annapolis, 410-216-6206
This Eastport neighborhood gathering spot feels like a congenial yacht club in a preppy New England coastal village. The airy interior with white-beamed ceilings painted in summer-house blue is decorated with a clutter of memorabilia from faded photos of sailboat races and bait-shop bumper stickers to taxidermied specimens of prized catches. It’s no wonder the crab cake can’t go wrong here. Two broiled cakes, crisp around the edges, come with a choice of two sides (though it’s unlikely you’ll want to give up the smashed red potatoes that are included) as the crab-cake dinner. The six-ounce cakes ($29.99) are low on filler and seasoned with an Old Bay bite and a sprinkling of parsley. Washed down with a local draft——think Dogfish Head IPA——there’s nothing better after an afternoon on the water.

The Bowman Restaurant

9306 Harford Rd., Parkville. 410-665-8600
Though we’ve had bigger crab cakes at fancier establishments, Bowman provided us with one of our favorite meals. It began with a lovely seat by the window in the restaurant’s front dining room, which looks out over window boxes. The crab-cake platter (single $17, double $29) comes broiled or fried (we chose broiled) with a choice of two sides. We appreciated the diversity of the offerings, which ranged from the standard (fries, coleslaw) to the healthy-ish (pickled beets, vegetable du jour, steamed asparagus) to the all-American (Red Bliss mashed potatoes, baked potato, applesauce). The five-ounce cake was a little dry but contained plenty of good jumbo-lump meat bound together by a house mixture that includes Worcestershire sauce, Old Bay, and Dijon mustard. Finish with a house-made dessert like the cool, creamy peanut-butter pie, and don’t be shy about adding a dollop of local Prigel Family Creamery ice cream as well.

By the Docks Restaurant & Lounge

3321 Eastern Blvd., Middle River, 410-686-1188
The mega crab cakes ($17.50 for a single crab-cake platter; $27 for two crab cakes at dinner), weighing in at eight or nine ounces, are a meal unto themselves, especially when combined with a scoop of mustard-infused potato salad (or your choice of two sides, including applesauce, pickled beets, and rice pilaf). The cake is coated with a glaze, a sheen resulting when an eggy binder meets broiler flame. Located two doors from Bengies Drive-In Theatre, By the Docks has a calm décor with antique-blue wainscoting and white tablecloths surrounded by banquet-style, cushioned chairs. There’s a replica of a lighthouse in the dining room, too. It’s a place where the sea——and all things seafood, especially the crab cakes——are front and center.

The Corner Stable

Two locations, including 9942 York Rd., Cockeysville, 410-666-8722
Walking into The Corner Stable, located on a busy intersection in Cockeysville, feels like a respite. Patrons immediately feel at home amid the dark woods and wagon-wheel chandeliers at the restaurant, which has been going strong since 1972. Of course, there’s an apparent horseracing theme with jockey uniforms and Pimlico photos lining the walls. While the ribs get all the credit, another reason to come here is the crab-cake dinner with two sides for $21.49 ($14.99 with fries on Wednesdays). There is a vast selection of comfort-food sides to choose from, including applesauce, coleslaw, baked beans, fries, and stewed tomatoes. We opted for macaroni and cheese and tender green beans. But the real showstopper is the cake itself——eight ounces of huge jumbo lump that’s broiled and crisp on the outside and creamy and eggy in the center, just how your Baltimore grandma would make it.

The Crackpot Restaurant

8102 Loch Raven Blvd., Towson, 410-828-1095
The crabhouse is looking a little frayed around the edges these days, but you can still count on getting a great crab cake as well as other offerings here. The cream-of-crab soup is milky and crabby; the clams casino is plump and juicy. And the all-jumbo-lump crab cake (six ounces, $16.95) lives up to expectations. We like the Maryland version with just a smidge of Old Bay, but if you’re adventurous, the restaurant also makes crab cakes in a variety of flavors——from Mexican and Hawaiian to Caribbean Jerk and Italian. We’re traditionalists: We only veer from the original when getting a crab fluff ($17.95)——and we highly recommend it. It’s a crab cake that’s been battered and deep fried. Double the pleasure!

Edgewater Restaurant

148 Mayo Rd., Edgewater, 410-956-3202
There’s no water, and the Anne Arundel County restaurant certainly isn’t edgy, but it serves one of the finest crab cakes in the area. The other food is good, too, and is what you would expect from a family-run place that opened in 1948. The gray-shingled, ranch-style house is small with two dining rooms and a bar area with booths, but the service is big-hearted with cheerful waitresses who make you glad you stopped by. The broiled jumbo-lump crab cake ($18.95 at lunch) is a beauty. Our server told us it was seven ounces in size, adding, “but it’s probably bigger.” We think she’s right. The platter comes with a side dish and one trip to the salad bar. The fixings are bare bones, but fresh and crunchy: iceberg lettuce, sliced cukes, grape tomatoes, mushrooms, and a few other selections. The potato salad is worth the trip alone. We picked steamed green beans to accompany our crab cake, but there were other choices, including stewed tomatoes with lima beans, and a vegetable du jour. And that’s exactly what we like about the menu: old-fashioned food that never goes out of style.

Faidley Seafood

Lexington Market, 203 N. Paca St.,
410-727-4898
For many Baltimoreans, the name Faidley is synonymous with crab cakes——as it should be. The 6.5-ounce lump crab cake is everything we want the dish to be: golden, moist, and packed with sweet nuggets of crab. You find yourself eating the whole thing, even though you know you’re getting full. The side dishes don’t come in second place here. They’re freshly made and delicious. We couldn’t decide if we had a favorite among the ones we tried: coleslaw, macaroni salad, cucumber salad, carrot salad, and delectable deviled eggs. They’re that good. The ambiance of the bustling, historic market helps, too. You’ll find yourself standing shoulder to shoulder with all ages, including visitors, regular shoppers, and workers. If you need to re-up your city credentials, this is the place to go.

G&M Restaurant & Lounge

804 N. Hammonds Ferry Rd.,
Linthicum Heights, 410-636-1777
To some, G&M is the quintessence of the Baltimore crab-cake experience. On a weekend night, the bar is packed and a crowd of folks hovers around the entrance, clutching pagers and waiting for the lights to flash and signal their table is ready. Servers scurry through the expansive dining room balancing heavy trays. More often than not, the cargo is exclusively crab cakes: plates bearing eight-ounce cakes ($17.95), browned from the broiler and ivory inside with plenty of lumps and minimal filler. They come with a choice of sides (onion rings, coleslaw, pickled beets, and more) plus a prosaic iceberg salad. A trip to G&M is well worth it——partly for the crab cake and partly for the bragging rights.

Gertrude’s

The Baltimore Museum of Art,
10 Art Museum Dr., 410-889-3399
On the smaller side, yes, but Gertrude’s crab cakes are as artful as the restaurant’s museum setting. The six-ounce cake, accompanied by crunchy apple-fennel slaw (or other sides of your choice; our second fave is the sesame noodles), comes in two versions. There’s Gertie’s ($22), a feisty cake with a spicy bite named for chef/owner John Shields’s grandmother, or a crab cake of the day (market price)——the Chesapeake when we visited, an unadorned patty with a buttery sauce. Go on a Tuesday when a handful of Gertrude’s specials are $12 (including Gertie’s cake), and a selection of wines is priced at $20 a bottle.

Gianni’s Italian Bistro

3720 Washington Blvd., Halethorpe,
410-242-4555
Whether you eat on the dining-room side of Gianni’s or in the more casual Mallet section across the hall with its white-paper-covered tables prepped for steamed crabs, you’ll still get the same fabulous, hefty crab cake (10 ounces, $15.99). There’s a slight breading aftertaste, but the plump lumps dictate the great flavor. The platter comes with coleslaw and fries, but you can trade them for another side dish. We opted for the wonderful grilled asparagus, drizzled with olive oil and generously sprinkled with grated Romano cheese. But perhaps its most noteworthy offering is the Mallet soup: It’s half Maryland crab and half cream of crab. It could have been a recipe for disaster, but that was hardly the case. It all worked together beautifully.

Gunning’s Seafood Restaurant

7304 Parkway Dr., Hanover, 410-712-9404
Despite its Anne Arundel County corporate-park setting, Gunning’s never abandoned its city roots. The food harks to the restaurant’s early days in South Baltimore and is still produced by another generation of the Gunning family today. You need only taste the seven-ounce crab cake ($15.99, lunch) to know they get it right. It’s filled with lump, has a touch of Old Bay, and reveals a pleasant gooey texture. You can get it broiled or fried. The coleslaw tastes like it was just made, though we had to pay another $1.99 to add it to the platter instead of fries or chips. But it’s worth every bite. And who can resist “World Famous Pepper Rings.” We can’t. These fried orbs, similar to onion rings, get a dusting of powdered sugar for a “wow” effect.

Jimmy’s Famous Seafood

6526 Holabird Ave., 410-633-4040
Jimmy’s hasn’t changed its crab-cake recipe since it opened in 1974, and why should it? You don’t mess with perfection. The cake is an eight-ounce powerhouse, broiled (or fried) golden brown and held together by, well, we’re not quite sure. Our eye could detect no breading in between the thick slivers of silky crab. The single platter, which is a steal at $14.95, also comes with fries (or another side) and a lemon half swaddled in yellow cheesecloth with a green ribbon closure ——a practical and refined touch, which leads us to our only quibble with Jimmy’s: The crab cake isn’t the only thing that hasn’t changed since the beginning. Though there is charm to be found in its old-Baltimore décor (low-ceilings, dark wood, framed sports autographs in the bar), some of the aesthetics (brown tablecloths, really?) could use an update. Other than that, Jimmy’s epitomizes the maxim: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

Koco’s Pub

4301 Harford Rd., 410-426-3519
Do not underestimate this tiny bar that flashes a brash yellow exterior in Lauraville. There’s some serious crab-cake making going on inside. People talk in reverential terms about the restaurant’s cake ($23.99), a truly impressive 11-ounce whopper that is, in our opinion, everything our native food should be——a patty filled with blue-crab lumps molded together with minimal filler and a smidge of Old Bay. Reservations are advised if you want to sit in the bare-bones dining room that flows into the bar, where it’s also difficult to snag a stool. We dropped by unannounced one evening and managed to scoop up one spot at the bar. The other patrons couldn’t have been friendlier, helping us find another seat when our crab-cake platters arrived. Stick with a familiar side of coleslaw or get a Caesar salad as an accompaniment. You’ll leave with leftovers and much happiness.

Michael’s Café

2119 York Rd., Timonium, 410-252-2022
The restaurant, which started out as small neighborhood bar, has become a mainstay along the York Road corridor, drawing locals and visitors with its well-prepared cuisine. The “colossal crab-cake platter” ($31) reflects that. The cake, weighing in at 10 ounces (also available in a five-ounce version by itself or with a six-ounce filet for $38.50), comes with two sides——we went with fries and coleslaw, though mashed potatoes, a vegetable du jour, and even a green salad are options. The broiled cakes, with a creamy binder and plenty of lump meat, are also available by mail order. But we like to savor ours in the serene sage-colored dining room, or in Michael’s famously convivial bar, piping hot with a chilly cocktail at the end of a long week.

Miss Shirley’s Cafe

Several locations, including 750 E. Pratt St., 410-528-5373
Despite the breadth of Miss Shirley’s menu, the restaurant surprisingly lacks a traditional crab-cake platter. No matter, the crab-cake sandwich ($21.99, market price) does quite nicely. Served on an extraneous roll, the six-ounce ball of broiled crabmeat contains little binding and is accented with a smear of Old Bay rémoulade (basically, Old Bay mayo), which gives the proceedings a much-appreciated kick. Red and yellow tomato slices, a sheaf of lettuce, and a pickle spear add visual interest and some vitamins but are superfluous. Although, if you want your crab cake with extra bells and whistles, Miss Shirley’s has several other creative crab menu items to tempt you, including the decadent brunch dish of crab cake and fried-green-tomato eggs Benedict and the less flashy jumbo-lump crab-cake bites appetizer, which features that spicy Old Bay rémoulade.

The Oceanaire Seafood Room

801 Aliceanna St., 443-872-0000
Chain restaurants often get a bad rap, and sometimes with good reason. But The Oceanaire in Harbor East doesn’t need to worry. The restaurant has impeccable seafood from around the world and an extensive wine list. Its interior resembles a high-end ocean liner and has the prices to match. Typically, the crab-cake platter comes with two five-ounce cakes with a mustard-mayonnaise sauce and no sides for $34.95. We recommend going during happy hour (weekdays from 5-7 p.m.) when you can get three mini crab-cake sliders with the same sauce for just $7. The cakes are expertly broiled with a slight char and lump crab that breaks apart with a touch of the fork. The sauce is tangy, but not overpowering. We suggest a side of truffle fries or the spicy red-chili calamari. Champagne taste on a Natty Boh budget.

Pappas Restaurant & Sports Bar

1725 Taylor Ave., Parkville, 410-661-4357
This ball of crabmeat has been around since 1972. Take a bite, and you’ll see why. While it may not be the biggest patty on the block——at eight ounces——it packs a wallop of flavor and is chock full of big lumps and barely-there breading. The original recipe is still a secret guarded by the Pappas family. We liked that our patient waitress didn’t mind us splitting a double crab-cake platter ($26.99, includes two sides——fries and coleslaw for us). She even had the kitchen place the cakes on separate plates. That’s the kind of place this is——plenty of Baltimore hospitality in a ’50s-era dining room. If you really want to indulge your inner crab-loving self, order the stuffed mushroom caps to start your meal. The mushrooms are filled with lump crab, topped with a rich crab imperial, and baked to a golden hue. Now that’s how we like to eat our vegetables.

Patrick’s Restaurant

550 Cranbrook Rd., Cockeysville, 410-683-0604
Our waitress was thrilled we ordered the fries with our crab-cake platter ($18.50, one patty with two sides, lunch). “We make them fresh with each order,” she told us proudly. Indeed, these slender spuds were quite good, served hot with soft centers and lightly crispy exteriors. And they went perfectly with the softball-sized crab cake (eight ounces)——
essentially a mound of lumps the size of olives formed with a bit of creamy binder. A dish of coleslaw was a crunchy asset, too. We also liked the Maryland crab soup with its rich tomatoey broth and fresh vegetables. The cup portion would be considered a bowl in some places.
Ask for Hildy, the sweet server who will call you, “Honey,” for an extra treat.

Phillips Seafood

Several locations, including 601 E. Pratt St., 410-685-6600
There are lots of seating options at Phillips. You can dine on the “crab deck,” literally on the Inner Harbor water, inside the spacious dining rooms, at the bar or bar lounge, or, as we did, on the sun-drenched patio——all the better for tourist-watching. Wherever you sit, you can’t go wrong with Phillips’s crab cakes (two four-ounce cakes for $29; two six-ounce cakes for $34)——just the kind of deep-golden-brown patties stuffed with chunks of white crabmeat that you’d expect from a 99-year-old Maryland establishment. Bonus: Phillips serves a zippy chipotle rémoulade with its crab cakes——a welcome change from traditional tartar sauce. Our platter also arrived with roasted red potatoes and a sautéed mix of zucchini, yellow squash, red peppers, and onions. While we’ll go back another time for our server’s favorite appetizer (crab-stuffed mushrooms), we recommend the calamari to start——lightly breaded and fried and served with a pineapple-sweet-chili sauce. As we said, lots of good options.

Pierpoint Restaurant

1822 Aliceanna St., 410-675-2080
The Fells Point restaurant is hard to miss. Not only does it stand out among the brick row homes on Aliceanna Street with its bright-yellow-and-lime-green exterior, it’s a local go-to spot for the upscale Maryland cuisine it’s been serving for nearly 25 years. The most popular item on the menu may be its four-ounce crab cake, prepared either smoked or traditional (we got one of each) and served with slaw, fries, and tartar sauce ($31 the night we went). The unique smoked crab cake has a distinctive taste, reminiscent of bacon and not far off from chipotle. We prefer the traditional one, a broiled ball of lump crab with little filler and tons of flavor. But the real heroes are the sides——tender, mini-Brussels sprouts in a tangy mayonnaise-based sauce; crisp, peppery shoestring fries; and a tartar sauce laced with capers and roasted red peppers——that tie it all together.

Sip & Bite Restaurant

2200 Boston St., 410-675-7077
The modest, row-house restaurant has made an appearance in Guy Fieri’s Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives and attracts a clientele that includes Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps, blue-collar workers, and upscale Cantonites. The trustworthy, diner-style menu with Greek specialties is the draw. But its other claim to fame is the crab cake, an eight-ounce grilled wonder ($17.95, two patties, two sides) that is smooshed like a fat pancake but resonates with crabby lumpiness flaked with parsley and a whisper of Old Bay. Instead of traditional sides like slaw and fries, we went rogue with pickled beets (which are making a comeback) and a macaroni salad that tasted like lazy-day summer picnics.

Tark’s Grill

2360 W. Joppa Rd., Lutherville-Timonium, 410-583-8275
The Maryland crab soup sets the stage for the main event with a vegetable-laden broth heavy with shredded crab. Then, refresh your palate with Lindsay’s Chicago chopped salad (a shredded mélange of romaine and iceberg and other goodies) before delving into the tennis-ball-sized crab cakes (five ounces each), offering a traditional sweet-meat flavor. The entree platter features two jumbo-lump-filled cakes and two sides ($35, market price). We loved the restaurant’s crisp onion rings that are the size of cuff bracelets and the giant stalk of steamed broccoli. But the patty is also good as a sandwich ($20, market price) on a brioche roll with lettuce and tomato and slice of pickle on the side. The coleslaw is worthy as a side. You don’t even have to decide which sauce you want with your crab cake. Both versions come with tartar and cocktail dips.

Thames Street Oyster House

1728 Thames St., 443-449-7726
The quaint Fells Point row house does, indeed, play up bivalves as well as other seafood on its menu. We had some luscious oysters from several locations, including Choptank Sweets from our waters and Katama Bays from Massachusetts. And the lobster mac and cheese is heavenly. So, it’s no surprise that you’ll also find a crab cake ($26) tucked among the offerings. This nine-ounce big boy differentiates itself from the rest of the pack by being served in a cast-iron skillet for dinner. It’s a great presentation——and an impressive patty with an underlying mustardy zing. Even the non-traditional rémoulade sauce works. The sides change with the seasons. In the cooler months, you might have butternut squash and chard. As the weather warms, a savory corn pudding and grilled local asparagus are supporting players. It’s quite a performance.

A Guatemalan chef at a Greek restaurant in Philadelphia made the best crab cake I ever ate outside of Maryland. It was lovingly prepared and packed with lump crab. The cake had another thing going for it: It was not described as a Maryland crab cake. It favored Panko over milk-soaked bread cubes and came with a rémoulade spiked with whole-grain mustard. Adding the word “Maryland” to its description may have moved more cakes with the tourists. But it would have been a lie.

It is a lie I have believed before.

It’s been 10 years since I left my hometown of Baltimore for a newspaper job in Providence, RI. I’ve traded steamed crabs for grilled lobster, Ocean City for Cape Cod. Like many writers, I found side work in restaurants and bars. Growing up on good homemade meals served me well. I have the cooking chops (you’ll have to trust me) and the writing ability (I hope you agree) to document my search for a good cake.

I didn’t think it would be difficult to find a decent Maryland crab cake in a region known for seafood. I’ve had alleged Maryland crab cakes up and down the East Coast. Not one measured up to the fat, lumpy beauties found in the Land of Pleasant Living. Is it that hard to make a decent crab cake?

No.

A Maryland crab cake—like a Philly cheese steak, a New York pizza, or a Maine lobster roll—is a simple thing. You could make a superb cheese steak tonight with three common ingredients—thinly sliced rib-eye, a crusty sub roll, and Cheez Whiz (yup). Oh, and love. You need love.

That love is the missing ingredient in every bad crab cake I’ve ever had. (That and crabmeat, which is woefully absent in most so-called Maryland crab cakes.) A decent crab cake is a simple mixture of good crab, scarce binders, and a little seasoning. You want lumps—visible lumps—not the uniformity of a hockey puck. The meat should be treated with care. Don’t break it up. Don’t fuss with it.

None of the chefs I know dispute those basic rules. So why have I suffered through thin, hateful-looking cakes filled with bell peppers, carrots, and soggy Ritz crackers? Why have I wept over “Old Bay-infused aioli” garnishes on fancy menus and imitation crab abuse at dives? And frozen cakes from the supermarket? I have always been hopeful before disappointment set in.

I am not alone. I asked a fellow Baltimorean in exile, my friend Eric Mithen, if he’d ever found a good cake outside of Baltimore. Eric is a foodie, a writer, and a fine cook. We suffer together.

“I had ‘Maryland-style’ crab cakes in Dallas once,” he said. “There was nothing cake about them. It was like two dollops of hot mayonnaise with sparse bits of crab meat.”

Lump crabmeat is expensive. I get that. But I’d rather eat a decent crab dip or soup made with claw meat than choke down a bargain crab cake from a frugal gourmet. I am reminded of a Parks and Recreation TV episode in which carnivore Ron Swanson orders a steak at a diner and gets a thin, brown slab of sadness instead. “This isn’t a steak. Why would you call it that on your menu?” he responds.

Exactly. Listing a Maryland crab cake on a menu is making a promise. A good cook doesn’t break promises. Until these outsider cooks get religion on what truly makes for a Maryland crab cake, I suggest you order the local dish. You can always order a crab cake back home, where “Maryland is for crabs” is a promise not broken.

Miss Glo’s Crab Cakes

My mother makes the best crab cakes I’ve ever had.

She’d say I’m a better cook, but that’s what moms say. Despite my years in professional kitchens, I’ve never been able to top her. Glo adapted this recipe from one she found in Mrs. Kitching’s Smith Island Cookbook. She serves them with crackers. That’s it.

God bless you if you reach for extra Worcestershire or a little Tabasco.

Ingredients

• 1 pound backfin crabmeat
• 3 tablespoons self-rising flour
• 4 shakes Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon parsley flakes
• 1 tablespoon prepared mustard
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil

Directions, in her words:

• “Sort through crabmeat to clean out any shells. Add all other ingredients, except the oil. Mix well, being careful to keep the crabmeat whole.”
• “Shape into medium-sized cakes. Heat the oil. ”
• Fry on both sides until golden brown. Remove and place on paper towels.”

Nancy Faidley-Devine, co-owner of Faidley Seafood in Lexington Market—well-known for its award-winning crab cake—gives us the scoop on cocktail vs. tartar, broiled vs. fried, and more.

Q: What are the essential ingredients for a crab cake?
A: There are three types of crabmeat to consider: jumbo lump (large pieces that come from the hind legs), backfin (smaller pieces from the crab’s body), and regular (shreds from the claws and elsewhere). Faidley Seafood makes cakes from all three, but “jumbo lump’s the filet mignon,” Faidley-Devine says. Crushed saltine crackers and a brief rest help the baseball-sized cakes absorb the seasoned mayonnaise she calls her “sauce” and develop a light texture. Backfin and regular crab cakes are bound with bread crumbs, which result in denser, flatter cakes. Home recipes usually call for eggs, but Faidley eliminated them after the company started shipping crab cakes across the country. Most important? “The technique,” says Faidley-Devine. “Make small batches and don’t break up the lumps.”

Q: Should crab cakes contain Old Bay Seasoning?
A:”It’s not essential, but I sprinkle a little on the crabmeat. I don’t put it in the sauce. It’s got salt in it, so watch your other ingredients.”

Q: Which is better with a crab cake: tartar sauce or cocktail sauce?
A: “This is a personal preference, but I don’t like cocktail sauce. Crab has such a delicate flavor, I think the horseradish in cocktail sauce—ours is hot and spicy—overpowers it. Tartar sauce is more popular with the locals in Baltimore. Out-of-towners sometimes seem to think that all seafood needs cocktail sauce.”

Q: What’s the best kind of bread for a crab cake sandwich?
A: “Two-thirds of our customers prefer to eat their crab cakes with a fork, maybe with some saltines on the side. You might see big, hungry workmen who put them on any kind of bread they can find.”

Q: Which is more authentic, broiled or fried?
A: “Crab cakes are formed in a round shape that’s made to be fried. I drop them in 425-degree oil for two to three minutes till they’re warm inside and the outside is sealed with a beautiful crunch. If you’re going to broil crabmeat, you don’t need the binder—just put it under the broiler in a dish.”

Q: What are the best side dishes to have with a crab cake?
A: “Coleslaw and french fries are the best sellers, but we also make pickled cucumber salad, pickled beets, macaroni salad, marinated vegetables, and sweet carrot salad with pineapple and raisins.”

Q: We know ice-cold beer goes well with steamed crabs, but what should you drink with crab cakes?
A: “We offer white Zinfandel and Moscato wines that go really well, along with beer. People who don’t want alcohol seem to like the half-and-half iced tea and lemonade [known as an Arnold Palmer].” 

Picking the best crab cakes in Baltimore is a lot like picking your favorite coffee place. The choices are overwhelming—and loyalties are fierce. So it seemed downright brazen to even attempt to name our top patties. But that’s exactly what we did.

We toured white-tablecloth restaurants, bare-table taverns, and old-time watering holes in our search, and weren’t disappointed. We think you’ll find our list is filled with respected standbys and surprising discoveries.

We found that simplicity is the key to a great crab cake. Cooks may vary the amount of each ingredient, but, essentially, we’re talking about crab, mayo, and cracker crumbs with maybe some parsley, mustard, and a few other ingredients thrown in, and, of course, crab seasoning. Sadly, a lot of the crabmeat comes from afar these days, but we still embrace it as our own—and, thankfully, keep our Maryland food tradition going strong.

WHAT A TREAT
These cakes know you don’t mess with a classic.

Captain Trey’s
“Very little filler”
The bright and airy Captain Trey’s—simple, scoured, and unpretentious—has the feel of a place you’d find in a seaside town instead of on busy York Road. And the crab cake—available cooked on site or ready to pop into your own 500-degree oven (smash it down with your palm first, we were carefully instructed)—will make you feel like you’re on the coast. Available in backfin, (4.5 ounces, $6.95) or the jumbo-lump version (5.5 ounces, $9.95), they’re no frill and very little filler. 10625 York Rd., Cockeysville, 410-666-4646.

Crackpot Seafood Restaurant
“Fistful of jumbo lump”
This longtime crab house delivers a 6-ounce fistful of jumbo lump crab with little filler and fresh, chopped parsley in the mix. Believe us, one cake will satisfy you—and we’re not even talking about the restaurant’s 20-ounce whopper of a crab cake. A regular two-cake platter ($25.95) includes two sides. We’re traditionalists and couldn’t resist the fat fries and crunchy coleslaw. 8102 Loch Raven Blvd., Towson, 410-828-1095.

Edgewater Restaurant
“Amazing crab cake”
Rarely does something live up to its hype the way Edgewater’s amazing crab cake does. It’s enormous at 7 ounces ($14). The lumps have a hugeness that is characteristic of imported crabmeat, yet they are flavorful and tender. The scant, exceedingly creamy filler somehow corrals them into a solid cake, broiled to an impossibly even brown, and with excellent flavor despite a lack of any detectable seasoning. Just, wow. 148 Mayo Rd., Edgewater, 410-956-3202.

Faidley Seafood
“Pure tradition”
A Faidley crab cake is much more than a crab cake. The jumbo lump version ($12.95) is 6.5 ounces of pure tradition. Best eaten standing up at one of the customers-only tables in the confines of the Faidley stall, the crab cake helps establish a benchmark. You may prefer your cake less creamy, or lighter on the saltine-cracker filler, but this cake, concocted by Nancy Faidley-Devine in 1987, with its touch of Old Bay and mayonnaise-based binder, is legend. In keeping with the democratic atmosphere of the market, Faidley also offers a 4-ounce, claw-meat cake for $4.95. 203 N. Paca St., Lexington Market, 410-727-4898.

Friendly Farm Restaurant
“Worth the drive”
Bigger than a man’s fist, lumpier than an old pillow, these crab cakes are worth the drive to Baltimore County’s bucolic pastures. The cakes ($19.95 for one, $29.95 for two) are advertised as 5 ounces, but they’re really 6 ounces, our waitress said. We believe her. Pleasantly spiced with crab seasoning, they are moist, yet solidly packed. The bonus is that the family-style restaurant’s entrees include a wealth of side dishes from cottage cheese and hand-cut fries to sugar biscuits and coleslaw. Ice cream is included, too. 17434 Foreston Rd., Upperco, 410-239-7400.

G & M
“Chunks of lump meat”
The most striking feature of G & M’s famous crab cake is not its massive girth, but the size of the chunks of lump meat that comprise it. Broiled to a gorgeous golden brown, the crab cake is constructed with just the right amount of filling, which meshes into the meat. Occasionally, we’ve heard grumblings that G & M’s cake is on the dry side, but we think its magnificence is in its purity. Crab is its dominant flavor, as well it should be. The platter comes with one ($16.95) or two ($24.50) cakes, but if there’s a man, woman, or child on earth who can down two of these babies, we’ve yet to meet them. 804 N. Hammonds Ferry Rd., Linthicum Heights, 410-636-1777.

Gertrude’s
“Sourced from the Chesapeake”
At Gertrude’s, the overall crab cake experience gets high ratings. First, there’s the setting: What’s not to like about the elegant dining room nestled in the Baltimore Museum of Art? And the sides: Try the sesame noodles and coleslaw made with apples and crunchy slivers of fennel. But even out of context, a cake here holds its own. In addition to Gertie’s traditional crab cake—named for chef John Shields’s grandmother—there is Clayton’s Cambridge crab cake ($22) on the menu. Sourced from the Chesapeake (a find these days), the 6-ounce cake is lush with tear-shaped lumps, somewhat charred from the broiler, and laced with a minimal binder. Try it with the basil tartar sauce. 10 Art Museum Dr., 410-889-3399.

Gunning’s Seafood Restaurant
“Broiled expertly”
Eating a Gunning’s crab cake ($13.99) is essentially like having steamed crabs only without the hassle. The ruddy hue of the delicate, parsley-flecked bread binder evinces a healthy dose of Old Bay-style crab spice. It provides assertive, familiar flavor to a mixture of large and smaller-sized lumps, which are shaped into a ball (7 ounces) and broiled expertly to a medium-dense consistency. 7304 Parkway Dr., Hanover, 410-712-9404.

Pappas
“A winner”
Say “crab cake” in Baltimore and someone will inevitably reply “Pappas.” Now we know why. This 6-ounce mound of crab, lightly crisped on the outside and moist on the inside, with jumbo lumps stole our hearts. Forget the lackluster tartar sauce. This gem doesn’t need any adornment. We grabbed one at lunchtime for $12.95, which included two sides. We opted for coleslaw and salad (mostly iceberg, but fresh and crisp). This one is a winner for hometowners and out-of-towners alike. 1725 Taylor Ave., Parkville, 410-661-4357.

Pierpoint
“Smoked in fruitwood”
The lump meat in Nancy Longo’s signature 5-ounce cake ($15 for the appetizer version when we visited; it’s seasonally priced) has been smoked in fruitwood for a subtle flavor that in no way detracts from, well, its crabbiness. A binder of buttery crackers is mixed with enough shredded claw meat to hold the whole thing together. It’s broiled to a crunch and served on a classy rectangular plate with a crispy corn pancake on the side. 1822 Aliceanna St., 410-675-2080.

Snyder’s Willow Grove
“Truly remarkable”
The squat, hefty cake (6 ounces, $13.95) made with large, delicate lumps of crab is lightly seasoned and adorned with a few specks of parsley. The umber-tinged binder leads one to expect a big hit of mustard, and it delivers, but in an unexpected way—though the condiment does lend a subtle edge, the depth of the crab mustard makes Snyder’s recipe truly remarkable. 841 N. Hammonds Ferry Rd., Linthicum Heights,  410-789-1149.

WHAT A PLACE
These crab patties always rise to the occasion.

Bluestone Restaurant
“Packed with flavor”
On the advice of a reader, we stopped by Bluestone to try out the crab cake. She was right. This is a 4-ounce crab cake that would make any Marylander proud. Small but packed with flavor, it features jumbo lump with a minimally mayonnaisey binder. The  platter ($15) came with a tangy cocktail sauce (you can also get tartar sauce) and a side dish. We chose coleslaw. It was fresh and crunchy, though a bit liquidy for our taste. 11 W. Aylesbury Rd., Timonium, 410-561-1100.

The Bowman Restaurant & Pub
“Golden-brown balls”
If it’s good enough for Baltimore County’s finest, this popular, longstanding eatery is just fine for the rest of us, too. We don’t know if the police officers seated near us had crab cakes that day, but they should have. These plump, golden-brown balls ($12, sandwich) were packed with nuggets of lump crab and stayed moist inside despite the gentle broiling. Choose a pickle-laced tartar or traditional cocktail sauce. Rippled chips come with the sandwich. Platters (one cake, $16, or two, $26) boast a baked potato. You can have the cakes shipped to your house or elsewhere, too. 9306 Harford Rd., Parkville, 410-665-8600.

Captain Larry’s
“Classic effect”
Captain Larry’s opts to let the crabmeat do the talking in their cake ($13.75, seasonally priced)—little if any seasoning is added to a loose, slightly eggy binder that sets to a deep brown on the exterior, but remains nearly liquid within, resulting in the classic “lumps tumbling-out” effect triggered by the first bite. We appreciate the simplicity, but maybe the flavor is a little too low-key; a touch of spice would be welcome. 601 E. Fort Ave, 410-727-4799.

Duda’s Tavern
“Whiffs of Old Bay”
Duda’s is rightfully venerated for turning out quality food with minimal fuss. Its crab cake (6.5 ounces, $14.99) is no exception—ours was a golden-fried orb of large lumps and a judicious amount of fairly dense, bread-based binder that gave the cake consistent texture and density, with whiffs of Old Bay and a strong parsley flavor. 1600 Thames St., 410-276-9719.

Fresh Fresh Seafood
“All lump”
Owner Darlene Parker, who runs the tiny restaurant with her husband, Ricky, couldn’t be a more gracious greeter as you enter the storefront space. The casual atmosphere—you gotta love the sea mural on the wall—makes this a great place to tuck into one of the most interestingly-shaped cakes around. The 6-ouncer ($14.99) is all lump but it’s flat and spread out like a burger. Slightly dry from grilling, it’s still a satisfying find, especially with Parker’s mothering.  507 York Rd., Towson, 410-821-3474.

Henninger’s Tavern
“Staunchly traditional”
It warms our hearts when a good old-fashioned, pan-fried crab cake (3.5 ounces) emerges from a restaurant kitchen. Henninger’s adds sophistication with a zippy basil sauce and a gorgeous chive and cabbage slaw. But the cake ($13) itself is staunchly traditional with modestly sized yet high-quality lumps and soft, slightly gummy filling with very little spice other than fennel seed. 1812 Bank St., 410-342-2172.

Koco’s Pub
“Larger than a hockey puck”
Koco’s Pub could easily be mistaken for a simple neighborhood watering hole—were it not for the consistent and unremitting praise for its crab cake. The goods are as described: larger than a hockey puck, plumper than a baby’s fist, the 11-ounce patty is broiled to a slight crunch ($22.95 for eat in). The thick lumps of meat (imperial!) with minimal breading and Old Bay-tinged mayonnaise can be torn apart to become finger food. And though the meat, we’re told, is imported, we were thrilled to find a shard of shell. This is the real deal. Overly sweet coleslaw and prosaic fries are an afterthought. 4301 Harford Rd., Baltimore, 410-426-3519.

L.P. Steamers
“Go for the broiled”
L.P. Steamers remains a stubborn Baltimore classic in a swiftly transforming neighborhood. Inner Harbor tourists still show up to hammer shells on brown paper while the more fastidious go for the crab cake, a diminutive 4-ounce specimen—fried or broiled—served with zero flourish on a plastic plate ($11.95 each, $15.95 for a platter with fries and slaw or macaroni salad). There’s a hint of bread crumbs and flecks of parsley between the small lumps. Go for the broiled version; the fried version has a crispy casing with the taste of grease that could use refreshing—similar to the fries on the side. The highlight is homemade coleslaw: simple, crunchy, and not too sweet. 1100 E. Fort Ave., 410-576-9294.

Mama’s on the Half Shell
“6-ounce beaut”
Listed under “Connelly’s favorites” on the menu, this platter with one or two crab cakes is a pleaser. We opted for the single ($15.99) and are glad we did. This 6-ounce beaut is a heavy round of crab packed with lumps. A touch of Old Bay and no filler give it an edge. The restaurant also serves one of the best tartar sauces we sampled—spicy, oniony, soothing. You also get two sides. Shoestring fries were crisp and hot, but we can’t say enough about the big pile of creamy coleslaw with fresh cabbage and carrot, flavored with caraway. 2901 O’Donnell St., 410-276-3160.

Michael’s Cafe
“Plump, delicious cake”
The plump, delicous cake at this convivial bar and sports-themed restaurant is bound with egg and bread with a hint of Old Bay. Available in two sizes, 5 ounce ($13.50) and 10 ounce ($26), both are served as a platter with a choice of two sides. You can also order them to carryout, or to be shipped far and wide. 2119 York Rd., Timonium, 410-252-2022.

The Oceanaire Seafood Room
“Elegant setting for a cake”
The non-local seafood restaurant certainly “gets” Baltimore by placing a can of Old Bay on the table. It pairs nicely with its hearty crab cake with mustard mayo. Oceanaire is pricey, but you can get an appetizer of one crab cake ($16.95) and order some sides—we chose a immense round of hash browns and tender green beans—for a complete meal. If you’re feeling really native (and rich), get the two-crab-cake entree for $31.95. Still, it’s an elegant setting to savor a cake. 801 Aliceanna St., 410-872-0000.

The Reef Grille (formerly Rib ‘n Reef)
“Filled with jumbo lump”
There’s an 8-ounce behemoth or a 5-ounce monster ($14.90, lunch platter). Either way, you get a big hunk of crab cake. This ball is filled with jumbo lump, and a smooth, creamy binder keeps it moist and firm. There were a couple of shells, but they didn’t detract from a Baltimore cake to be proud of. A platter comes with rice pilaf and a vegetable of the day. We swapped out the veggie for coleslaw. This crunchy, cabbagey mélange is maybe our favorite version ever. 22 W. Padonia Rd., Timonium, 410-560-0906.

Regi’s
“Classic Maryland cake”
The 6-ounce, cylindrical crab cake at Regi’s doesn’t have the creamy interior of a classic Maryland cake, but that may be to your liking. There’s more flaky crab, less mush. It’s bound with panko (Japanese-style bread crumbs) that may create a firmer consistency than traditional saltines. The cake, golden brown from the broiler, is available as a sandwich ($15.95) with fries or slaw (pick the crunchy cabbage, trust us) or doubled up as an entree. 1002 Light St., 410-539-7344.

Sip & Bite
“Exceptional value”
A recent remodel included a change to Sip & Bite’s crab cake. Fortunately, it was for the better, with a few jumbo lumps now gracing the smaller lump meat and slightly sweet bread filling. Available grilled or deep fried, the moist cakes (6 ounces) possess a slight mayo tang, good crab flavor, and a nice accent of parsley and paprika. Even with a slight price bump (now $8.95), it’s an exceptional value. 2200 Boston St., 410-675-7077.

Tark’s Grill
“Marvelous flavor”
Finally, this space in Green Spring Station has a winning restaurant. The interior is American classic friendly, while the outdoor patio is relaxed and inviting. It’s no surprise that the food matches the welcoming vibe. We are especially impressed with its beautiful lump crab cake. There was no apparent filler, and it had the most pleasant undertone of Old Bay. The lunch sandwich ($16.95) comes with a choice of one side (we got the creamy coleslaw) and your pick of bread. Thank you, but we eschewed it for crackers so as to not disturb the cake’s marvelous flavor.  2360 W. Joppa Rd., Lutherville, 410-583-TARK.

WHAT A SURPRISE
You’ll find delish cakes in unexpected places.

Aldo’s
“All-lump patties”
An Italian restaurant with stately, Doric columns, starched white cloths, and formal, black-clad servers hardly seems like a place to go for crab cakes. Oh, to the contrary. This is definitely a place to savor our Maryland fare, especially if you’re trying to impress someone. But you’d better have some money in the bank. The two-cake dish is market priced, and we shelled out $38 for the beautiful, all-lump patties with just the right amount of seasoning. Remoulade sauce is drizzled on each cake, but it’s only enough to make it look pretty. Our dish came with steamed asparagus and a dreamy, creamy side dish of lobster saffron mashed potatoes. 306 S. High St., 410-727-0700.

An Poitin Stil
“Impressive mound of lump”
You wouldn’t expect a stellar crab cake from a restaurant that counts off the days till St. Patrick’s Day. But, it turns out, the Stil delivers an impressive mound of lump ($15.95 for a single). And that’s no blarney. The crab-cake platter comes with sides—too garlicky mashed potatoes and steamed asparagus, the night we were there. Add a salad (Caesar or garden) to your dinner for $1.99, and you’ve got quite a nice meal. 2323 York Rd., Timonium, 410-560-7900.

Box Hill Pizzeria
“Crab cake to reckon with”
In addition to its excellent pizzas, subs, and Italian specialties, this Harford County favorite delivers a crab cake to reckon with. The 8-ounce sphere of lump crab with coleslaw, fries, and garlic bread ($13.99, other combos available) is a farmhand’s bounty. There’s nothing fancy here, from the serve-yourself sodas to the plastic tableware, but the cake is worth the trip. The pizza shop ships them, too. 2915 Emmorton Rd., Abingdon, 410-569-1788.

The Corner Stable
“Solid crab”
We know. The Stable equals ribs—juicy, fall-off-the-bones meat in a rich, smokey sauce. Wet naps are de rigeuer. But the restaurant also has one of the best genteel crab cakes in town. Who would have thunk it? The plump disk of lumps has nary a telltale sign of filler. It was solid crab, making it a bit drier than some. Still, this cake works. At lunch, the crab cake sandwich is $18.99 with fries. 9942 York Rd., Cockeysville, 410-666-8722.

Jack’s Bistro
“A swirl of horseradish”
Thank heaven Jack’s Bistro doesn’t try and funk up its crab cake with chocolate—like its innovative mac ‘n’ cheese. In this case, chef Ted Stelzenmuller leaves well enough alone, and puts out a traditional cake: 7 ounces of lump meat, a swirl of Dijon-laced horseradish on the side ($18.75). The cake falls apart gently, though a recent sample would have benefited from a minute or two more under the broiler. But never mind. It’s gussied up with a scoop of purple mashed Okinawa potatoes and a smattering of watercress salad. 3123 Elliott St., 410-878-6542.

The Landing Strip
“Colossal crab cake”
At a tavern where you’re more likely to see patrons chowing down on burgers and cheese steaks, the colossal crab cake ($16.95, platter)—”We don’t measure them. We just make them big,” a server told us—is worth a trip to this local hangout, probably better known for the plane replica on its rooftop and the model planes dangling from its ceiling. Whether you eat in or carryout, the crab cake platter comes with a big, fresh salad or two veggies; dinner rolls, chips and saltines, and cocktail sauce—lots of food for your buck. 3030 Eastern Blvd., Middle River, 410-574-3388.

Luca’s Cafe
“Love the cooking technique”
The crab cake at Luca’s can be ordered solo between two thick slices of toast with Old Bay-dusted fries on the side ($16) or duet on a plate with mashed potatoes and the vegetable of the day ($27). There’s a slight cracker-meal binder and minimal Old Bay seasoning in the 4.5-ounce orb—and we love the cooking technique: slightly sautéed and finished in a 500-degree oven for a nice crispy exterior. Alas, the blue-crab jumbo lumps, we’re told, come from Venezuela. 1230 E. Fort Ave., 443-708-5694.

Meli Patisserie & Bistro
“Pleasant filler”
Meli’s slick sense of style is evident in a pretty starter of three nicely browned mini-cakes ($14) comprised of smallish lumps and pleasant filler, subtly updated with a sweetly smoky paprika aioli and petite greens. Their smallness perhaps leave them vulnerable to the drying effects of the broiler, but they nonetheless pack a striking, crabby flavor. 1636 Thames St., 410-534-6354.

Olive Grove Restaurant & Lounge
“Softball-size cake”
By the time Olive Grove’s crab cake arrives at your table, you may already be stuffed. Be forewarned: Don’t fill up on the restaurant’s delicious Italian salad and warm breadsticks, glazed with butter and garlic. The crab cake ($14.99 with one side and the aforementioned starters) is the real star. Broiled golden brown, the softball-sized cake has lots of filler, but it meshes nicely with the meat to create an almost sweet flavor. It might not be for everyone, but it’s clearly loved by many: Olive Grove ships thousands a year throughout the country.  705 N. Hammonds Ferry Rd., Linthicum Heights, 410-636-1385.

TIDBITS
Local celebs dish on our regional delicacy.

We asked some of Charm City’s familiar faces to weigh in on crab cakes, including where to find the perfect patty and the secret to making them in their own kitchens. 

Katie O’Malley, Maryland’s First Lady
“When we are able to venture back to Baltimore, we love to get crab cakes from Bo Brooks, and since familiarizing ourselves with our new neighborhood, we have come to love crab cakes from Cantler’s in Annapolis. Our favorite recipe truly comes straight from the home—Government House chef Medford Canby makes the absolute best crab cakes in the state. He has been making his recipe for 25 years and is truly Maryland’s best-kept secret ingredient!”

Laura Lippman, Award-Winning Author
“I’ve never found a better crab cake than the all-lump at Faidley. It’s my gold standard. In fact, I think it used to be served on a gold doily. The Evening Sun used to have a tradition of going to Lexington Market on Christmas Eve, and I remember [former Sun reporter] Joan Jacobson getting the crab cake—no bread, no sides—served on a gold-foil doily. At home, I make crab cakes from a recipe that my mother found in an old Evening Sun cookbook. My mother wrote it out for me by hand, and the first time I pulled it out of the recipe box, I called her and said, ‘Hey, you forgot the measurements for some of the ingredients!’ She said no, that was the way it was written, and you just had to guess. The bottom line is that a really good crab cake barely holds together, because there’s hardly any breading. I won’t eat a crab cake outside Maryland. Well, maybe the Delaware beaches.”

David Pittenger, Executive Director, The National Aquarium in Baltimore
“My favorite crab cakes are at The Dock of the Bay Restaurant. [As much as I enjoy crabs], I do want to remind Marylanders, however, that the Chesapeake Bay’s crab harvests continue to be at dangerously low levels. We need to get serious about improving bay habitat and water quality.”

Doreen Bolger, Director of the Baltimore Museum of Art
“I am a great fan of the Clayton crab cake at Gertrude’s at the BMA. This Eastern Shore recipe was developed by the J.M. Clayton Seafood Co. in Cambridge, MD. It starts with Maryland crab, and it is very simple—a little mayo, egg, and saltine cracker as a binder—plus slight touches of lemon and mustard for flavor. The crab cake breaks apart easily, and the taste of the crabmeat itself is so fresh and sweet. I like mine broiled a golden brown and served up with mango chutney aioli on the side.”

Nancy Grasmick, Maryland State Superintendent of Schools
“I have two restaurants that are tied for first place for my favorite crab cakes. One is a small, modest restaurant in Anne Arundel County, the Edgewater Restaurant. The man who owns it cooks everything individually for every table, and the crab cakes are just fabulous with the perfect blend of lump crabmeat, hardly any filler, and just the perfect blend of seasoning. The other place is Timbuktu, also in Anne Arundel County. They have a delicious crab cake that is huge and is a signature dish for the restaurant. Because I grew up in Baltimore, I am devoted to crabs and am a typical Marylander in that I can eat over a dozen hard crabs. I am also terribly amused when I travel and see what is supposedly a Maryland crab cake on the menu.”

Denise Koch, WJZ-TV Anchor
“The secret ingredient for my crab cakes is the McCormick crab-cake seasoning you buy at the supermarket. You simply use it, add crabmeat and some mayonnaise, and they are delicious. I own no McCormick stock, and I don’t take bribes. It’s simply my opinion. In fact, I regularly ship Hellmann’s mayonnaise and McCormick crab-cake seasoning to my West Coast relatives because you can’t get it in California. If I’m not making them at home, I buy them at Faidley at Lexington Market. They are the absolute best! I’ve also been shipping Faidley’s crab cakes to family across the nation for years. I love their crab cakes. If I’m downtown, I just eat them standing up in the middle of all the Lexington Market fun and then get some hot peanuts on my way out.”

Dorothy Hamill, Olympic Gold Medalist
“The key to making a good Maryland crab cake is the freshness and the quality of the crabmeat. I make my own, but I also enjoy the crab cakes at Elkridge Country Club and The Maryland Club.”

Linwood Dame, chef/owner, Linwoods
“I keep it simple with lump crabmeat, homemade mayonnaise, some Panko bread crumbs, lemon, and Old Bay. I let them sit overnight and broil them. Whenever I travel and I see Maryland crab cakes on the menu, I order them just for fun. I usually end up asking, ‘Where’s the crabmeat?’ because there is so much filler in them. Most of my crabmeat comes from Venezuela in big lumps, but Maryland crabmeat—which can be hard to get—is the sweetest of them all.”

Brian Roberts, Orioles second baseman
“My favorite place to get a crab cake is at Mama’s on the Half Shell in Canton.”

John Shields, chef/owner, Gertrude’s, and host of PBS’s Coastal Cooking
“I have been cultivating a relationship with a company in business for generations called J.M. Clayton Co. on the Eastern Shore so that I can get Maryland crabmeat year-round for my restaurant. I make one of their family recipes, and one of the philosophies of the Eastern Shore crab cake is that this crabmeat is so good you don’t want to do much with it to mess it up. . . . Because I work so much here, I very rarely get to go out. I like the crabs at [Parkville’s] Perring Place, where they’ve had the same prep cook for 35 years.”

Stiles Colwill, interior designer
“Eating crabs is a religion for me. When I make crab cakes at home, using Crosse & Blackwell (Seafood) Cocktail Sauce is key . . . and it’s still available at local stores. When eating out, I go to Captain Harvey’s or Obrycki’s for crabs or crab cakes and, when out-of-town guests come in for the weekend, we order extra hard shells, take out the leftovers, and, on Sunday, we stand in the swimming pool, hammers, newspapers and beer on the side, and eat crabs standing in the pool.”