Our crab issue is always a unique opportunity to show off our state crustacean. Is there anywhere else in the country where a single creature is so revered, inspiring lavish praise but also argument about how best to prepare it? We endorse the most classic way to enjoy Maryland blue crab—that’s steamed with some variation of the Old Bay spice blend, though we love crab cakes, crab soup, crabby pretzels, et al.

When it comes to pairing the crab with a beverage, it’s tough to beat an ice-cold lager. But we’re going to try to broaden those horizons. Consider these three tasty treats to imbibe at your next crab feast.

Domaine Jean Vullien Roussette Altesse 2020
($20, Forager)

Where the Alps spill over into France on the far eastern border lies a wine-growing region called Savoie. It’s higher in elevation than most wine-growing regions in Europe and enjoys more moderate temperatures than the sometimes scorching Rhône Valley. White wines from this area are crisp and need time to mature. This 2020 vintage is just now hitting its stride, with hints of white flowers, peach, and nectarine, but also honey. It’s broad enough to stand up to spice, but really shines with fattier iterations of crab dip.

Oliver Brewing Co. Blue Crab Pale Ale
($13 six 12-ounce cans, Legends)

As the name suggests, this local beer is good to go with crabs. This Herring Run Park-based brew company has dialed the hops character down to early 1990s levels (is “vintage character” a thing in beer?) and skipped the usual Cascade hops for fruitier, milder Citra. The result is a beer that really excels at gastronomic versatility. It will handle steamed crab spice just fine and will also be quite happy alongside a crab cake or even some- thing as rich as
crab imperial.

St. James Winery Strawberry Citrus Wine
($15, Kysela Pere et Fils)

We’re giving fruit wine a shout-out here, mostly because of the pepper-based spice blends that coat hard shells. Sometimes sweet and fruity is just the ticket for peppery and hot. This Missouri-based fruit wine specialist starts with fermented strawberry wine before adding lime extract to give it a zing on the finish. The result is delicious, sporting authentic strawberry character, lime notes, and quite a bit of sweetness. This is not a food wine, but it tastes like summer. Serve it well-chilled.

In its heyday, The Crackpot, which opened in 1972, reeled in customers with plump crab cakes, spicy hard shells, and an array of fish dishes. But over time, the place lost its luster. The decor—wood paneled walls, carpeted floors, crab-pot lights—hadn’t budged from the previous century. The food was passable, but the place was badly in need of resuscitation. Fifty years later, this is not your parents’ Crackpot anymore.

New owners Binod Uprety, who owns Namaste, a popular Indian/Nepali restaurant in Roland Park, and his business partners Mandira Mainali and chef Ram Thapa, have rejuvenated the Towson restaurant. They took over the spot in 2020 and have transformed the interior into a modern, casual space and curated the menu to focus on The Crackpot’s excellent, gluten-free crab cakes and other items, like baby back ribs and fried shrimp. Steamed crabs are still served when they’re available.

While the storefront in the Ravenwood Shopping Center looks the same, once you step into the dining room, you can spot the differences. A separate bar and eating area are now blended into one room. Twelve TVs ring the perimeter. A wood floor has replaced the carpet, white brick walls brighten the place, and stylish light fixtures hang from the ceiling. But the stuffed fish, including sailfish and swordfish, remain on the walls, reminding patrons that this is a seafood restaurant.

We got down to business, starting with seafood beignets, bulging with chunks of shrimp and lump crab, and a bowl of cream of crab soup, whose density almost triggered an “uh-oh” response. We needn’t have worried about whether it was too floury. The thick soup was flavorful, laden with crab, and not gloppy at all. Other appetizers include crab dip, calamari, and oysters on the half shell.

The old Crackpot offered several crab cake specialties. Now, it focuses on a classic Maryland crab cake—a seven-ounce round of lump that we savored—and blackened or “cruise missile” versions. The latter gets a boost from hot sauce. If you’re feeling especially “crabby,” a 23-ounce orb is also on offer. We also tucked into a seafood pasta with shrimp and crab served Alfredo-style. The linguine glistened with a silky white sauce hinting of Parmesan and plenty of seafood. You can bolster the main dishes with sides like crunchy cole- slaw (a must), fries, mushrooms, broccoli, or creamy spinach.

On our visit, dessert choices were limited to cheesecake, limoncello cake, and a brownie sundae. While not made in house, the citrusy limoncello was refreshing. The staff was cheerful and helpful, adding to our evening.

The updated Crackpot is starting off the next half century with a lot of promise.

An ice-cold American lager beer is the no-brainer beverage choice for crab season, but it certainly isn’t the only one. Check out these three alternatives to add some metaphorical spice to your next Old Bay crabfest!

Union Craft Brewing Thirst Monster Kölsch
($11 six-pack)
If you’re eating crabs, of course beer is the obvious pairing. But not any beer will do. Spice and bitterness don’t play very well together, so tear yourselves away from gonzo hoppy American IPAs for a second and consider this sublime tribute to the crisp and refreshing German-style lager known as Kölsch. The Kölsch style of beer originated in the city of Cologne and is revered for its bright flavor and clean finish. This pale-yellow hued brew is light- to medium- bodied with just enough hops influence to lend some zing to the finish. At 5 percent ABV, you’ll be able to help yourself to a second one without being helped up off the floor, too. In other words, while you’re cracking those crabs, feel free to crack these open, too!

Boyd and Blair BLY Daiquiri
($11 200ml)
Pennsylvania’s Boyd and Blair Distillery has been cranking out some absolutely delicious ready-to-drink cocktails of late. This time, they’ve used their BLY Rum as the base for a daiquiri. As with everything in this lineup, this is a grown-up cocktail that’s sweet without being a sugar bomb, and just the thing to take the heat off your palate as you tuck into a batch of heavies.

Domaine Trinquevedel Tavel Rosé 2020
($22, Prestige L’Adroit)
All that pepper and paprika can wipe out a white wine—this sumptuous pink number from Southern France has the stuffing to stand up. Grenache is a grape that is most famous in the Rhône Valley of France for bold reds like Châteauneuf-du-Pape. In Tavel, it makes a wine bursting with juicy notes of strawberry, raspberry, and a dash of cranberry with a finish that borders on medium bodied. This is lusty rosé for big flavors. Think spicy foods (hello, crab!), rich sauces, even decadent desserts. It’s a perfect palate pleaser for a hot summer’s night.

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.

CRABS GONE WILD?
According to an annual advisory report published by the Chesapeake Bay Program, Maryland blue crab populations have increased 60 percent over the last year. Despite last year’s heavy spring rains, which can impact water salinity, visibility, and oxygen levels, as well as a slow start to this year’s spring harvesting season, adult females were up 29 percent, adult males up were 38 percent, and juveniles were up 50 percent, though many watermen throughout the state have complained of poor catches. The resurgence could reduce prices throughout the summer. New research from the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science also suggests that blue crab season, which are notoriously fickle year over year, might become longer and more plentiful in future decades due to the milder winters of global warming, though warmer waters could also lead to other new environmental issues for the estuary ecosystem.

GRASS IS GREENER

Despite last year’s record rainfall, the Chesapeake Bay’s underwater grasses proved resilient with nominal losses in 2018. More than 91,000 acres of underwater grasses were recorded baywide, compared to 2017’s 105,000 acres, with an estimate 50,000 acres in Maryland and some waterways still surpassing their restoration goals for aquatic vegetation. These grasses require clear water to survive and provide important habitat for wildlife such as blue crabs, fish, and waterfowl. Last year’s heavy rains carried a deluge of sediment and nutrients from fertilizer, sewage, and pollution into the bay, which impact clarity and oxygen levels. As a result, this summer’s “dead zone,” aka the annual summer area within the bay with little or no oxygen, is also forecast to be one of the largest on record this summer.

SHELL YEAH

Since launching in 2014, the Greater Baltimore Oyster Partnership, a collaboration between the Waterfront Partnership’s Healthy Harbor Initiative, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, and numerous downtown businesses, have announced that they have grown their millionth oyster in the Inner Harbor. With the help of corporate volunteer oyster gardens and restoration projects along the Patapsco River, the initiative aims to increase the health of local waterways, as an adult oyster can filter up to 50 gallons of water each day. And just yesterday, five million spat, or baby oysters, were planted in the Patapsco River, officially meeting the partnership’s goal of doing so by 2020.

WATER WORLD

The Middle Branch of the Patapsco River will soon be getting a facelift with ambitious new plans recently winning approval in a design competition for the multi-year renovation of the South Baltimore waterfront. If finalized, it would include an overhaul of the century-old Hanover Street Bridge into a no-traffic green space, as well as an 11-mile waterfront park that runs along Cherry Hill, Brooklyn, Westport, Riverside, and Port Covington with park trails, boardwalks, boat launches, an amphitheater, and other recreational spaces, while also constructing a new road to the nearby neighborhoods. The plans, submitted by Dutch architecture firm West 8, have been given the green light by Mayor Jack Young and are currently under review by city agencies.

SCI-FI NATURE
Earlier this summer, a carnivorous plant called dwarf sundew was discovered in Maryland for the very first time. One of nearly 20 types of carnivorous plants in the state, the small plant has pink petals and paddle-shaped leaves that form a rosette at the base and are covered in green and red hairs that exude a stick liquid that attracts and then traps insects. It was found on the lower Eastern Shore in Worcester County.

RENEWABLE RULES
Earlier this month, the Maryland Court of Appeals unanimously ruled that the state’s public service commission could trump the power of local government to approve future power plant projects, particularly relating to solar and wind energy. Citing state law that mandates reduced greenhouse gas emissions, the ruling in accordance with state law. Advocates have said that local jurisdictions have hindered development, while critics have cited residents’ concerns over eyesores and agricultural disruptions in rural communities. Legislature passed earlier this year also requires that Maryland get half of its energy from renewable sources by 2030. At last count in 2017, water and solar accounted for 10 percent of Maryland’s total net electricity generation.

Five things to eat, drink, see, hear, and do with your Charm City weekend.

EAT

Aug. 4: Fort McHenry Crab Feast

Fort McHenry National Monument, 2400 E. Fort Ave. 4-8 p.m. $45-725.

There’s still a few weeks of crab season left, and that’s something worth celebrating. Spend Saturday evening at the historic Fort McHenry for this fifth annual crab feast, featuring tons of Maryland blues as well as backyard barbeque fare like pulled pork, corn on the cob, homemade potato chips, and refreshing summer salads. Wash down the Old Bay-encrusted crustaceans with libations from Atlantic Wines and Heavy Seas Brewing Company, and groove along to live music by the Eastport Oyster Boys, a group of Chesapeake Bay troubadours. Whether you’re an out-of-towner or a born-and-bred Baltimorean, get a taste of the city’s most authentic flavors at this outdoor extravaganza.

DRINK

Aug. 3-4: Baltimore Cocktail Week

Locations, times, and prices vary.

In its fourth year, Baltimore Cocktail Week is swapping competition for collaboration with its “Better Together” theme, and nothing brings people together like a round of drinks. The initiative’s five participating bars—Bartender’s Pub, Holy Frijoles, Sticky Rice, The Regal Beagle, and The Red Star in Charles Village—will offer signature cocktails, each with a different liquor as the base. With a focus on wellness, sustainability, and inclusivity, one of the summer’s booziest weeks will be hard to pass up.

SEE

Aug. 4: Puppy Days of Summer

Creative Alliance, 3134 Eastern Ave. 4:30-8 p.m. Free.

Some might call it puppy love, but we call it the cutest event of the summer. Grab your four-legged friends and head to this outdoor block party for an evening of doggie pool parties, pet-and-owner photoshoots, a canine costume contest, and free tennis balls and treats for both the dogs and their owners. Spend some quality time with your favorite pup, get involved with local pet charities, or even adopt a new best friend at this family-friendly event.

HEAR

Aug. 4: The Shopping Mall Ball

Baltimore Soundstage, 124 Market Pl. 8 p.m. $20.

To mark the release of his debut solo album, Soundtrack to a Shopping Mall, Baltimore-based rapper DDm is throwing the party to end all parties. Come decked out in your best ’80s and ’90s-inspired attire (a nod to the decades of DDm’s adolescence) to this can’t-miss show hosted by fellow Baltimore artist, Abdu Ali. Catch special appearances by some of Charm City’s top acts, including Bmore Club star TT the Artist, local rapper Kotic Couture, and DDm’s hip-hop duo Bond St. District, enter the costume contest, and design a one-of-a-kind shopping bag.

DO

Aug. 3: 90s By Nature

Motor House, 120 W. North Ave. 9 p.m.-1 a.m. Free.

Grab your slouchiest jean jacket, tie a flannel around your waist, and head to Station North to relive the ’90s at this all-night dance party. Maryland b-boy DJ FLEG will join Baltimore-based DJ and producer Loc Spice to combine the decade’s best tunes with modern electronic beats for a nostalgic night full of moves like the running man, the sprinkler, and maybe even the electric slide. If you can’t make it this weekend, your ’90s-kid spirit won’t go to waste—Motor House will hold dance parties dedicated to this iconic era on the first Friday of the month through December.

My car was so steamy I feared the cops might flag me down. This was my first thought as I pulled out of Conrad’s Crabs & Seafood Market in Parkville with two dozen blue crabs, a tin of crab dip, deviled eggs, pints of cucumber tomato salad, two dozen steamed shrimp, and other foods to form a delicious crab feast. A graduate degree in journalism, and a childhood spent in Philadelphia, had not prepared me for the life of a crab wrangler. And, yet, here I was—with Old Bay in Smell-O-Vision in my sedan.

Our crab cover shoot wasn’t until the next day, so I rearranged my refrigerator jettisoning expired condiments I never needed in the first place (banana ketchup, really?), moved a shelf and hauled the steaming box of crabs and other items into cold storage.

The next day, my car still smelling of seafood seasoning, I piled everything back into the trunk, and drove the steamy subjects and accouterments to photographer Kate Grewal’s bungalow in Towson.

Kate, creative director Amanda White-Iseli, and food and prop stylist Giulietta Pinna, carried props, including ceramic bowls, table ware, decorative craft paper, a variety of utensils, serving bowls, and other items from the trunk of her tiny car to Kate’s dining-room-cum-studio. “Why is it that food stylists always drive the smallest cars?” mused Amanda.

In the four hours that followed, with crabs splayed on top of blue seamless paper taped to Kate’s floor, Giulietta got down on hands and knees to glam up her subjects on set—hand-selecting the biggest boys, wiping away crab spice with a Q-Tip, and positioning the pile just so to create our mouth-watering cover image.

Also on hand was our designated “hand model” Catina Smith, a cook at Magdalena and Kate’s good friend. Giulietta and I got in on the act, spread out across the floor pretending to crab cracks, wield mallets, and squeeze lemons. As we contorted or bodies into Twister-like positions, we agreed that it’s true what they say about modeling—it’s harder than it looks, especially when you have to lay on a floor.

Meanwhile, I also shucked ears of corn on Kate’s lawn and browned corn fritters and lobster mac-and-cheese with a blow torch. Kate served us fruit and granola when she wasn’t shooting. Amanda gave artistic direction. (“That crab is bothering me off to the side,” she said. “It looks like it wants to join the whole pile.”) Within hours, team had shot the cover, a crab feast spread and a variety of sides for our page highlighting ways to make your accompaniments special.

While I try not to eat the props on most shoots, I’m a sucker for sides. I taste-tested the lobster mac and cheese from Stone Mill Bakery, moved onto the cucumber salad from Conrad’s, the corn fritters from Gourmet Again, and the potato salad from Graul’s.

By the afternoon, the shoot was done and what was many months in the planning had finally come to fruition. The feeling of seeing the magazine print, published, and soon online was almost as satisfying as the food from the feast. Almost.

EC STRONG
This past Sunday, an estimated 8.4 inches of rain fell in less than three hours in Ellicott City, causing another devastating flood less than two years after another catastrophic storm left a path of local destruction in July 2016—then considered a one-in-a-thousand-year event. This time, the waters gutted businesses, submerged cars, and in some cases rose as high as the first-floor ceilings. One Maryland National Guardsman, Sgt. Eddison A. Hermond, lost his life while trying to rescue a local shopkeeper. Buildings are still being assessed for structural damage, but many residents and business owners have vowed to rebuild, as they did after the last storm. Fundraisers and donation drives are now being organized to help the town in its recovery. Located in a valley at the confluence of three substantial streams feeding into the Patapsco River, experts are now assessing the impact of development and climate change on this already flood-prone geography.

GOOD CATCH
In early May, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources released the results of the 2018 winter survey, which shows that the blue crab’s population remains stable. The overall population is down, with increased mortality for adult females due in part by a cold winter but remains near its long-term average. Meanwhile, the number of juveniles has increased by 34 percent. The study suggests that these numbers may lead to a slow start for the harvest in the spring and early summer months, followed by improvements later in the season.

SLIM PICKINGS
At the same time, the Maryland seafood industry has felt the ripple effects of the Trump administration’s immigration stance, with nearly half of the Eastern Shore’s crab-picking houses left with no workers to pick the meat. Since the 1980s, the seasonal workforce has largely consisted of Latin American women who arrive by the hundreds on guest work visas. This year, for the first time, those H-2B visas were awarded by lottery, compared to the traditional first-come, first-served basis, with federal labor officials receiving some 81,000 applications nationwide while only 33,000 were approved. In Maryland, at least 200 applications were denied. With the local crab season nearly two months underway, it is unclear what impact this could have on prices. Some within the industry fear a sharp increase in picked meat prices, due to a decreased supply from the worker shortage, doubled with a decrease price for steamed crabs because of surplus of hard shells that would have otherwise been picked. According to Rep. Andy Harris, the Trump administration has agreed to approve more visas, but no update has been given at this time. Gov. Larry Hogan has requested the federal government take immediate action to increase the cap.

HAPPY SWIMMING
In late May, the Waterfront Partnership’s Healthy Harbor Initiative announced dramatic progress documented in an annual report on the Baltimore Harbor, making the nonprofit’s goal of a swimmable, fishable harbor by 2020 all the more realistic. Thirty-two out of 49 monitoring stations showed substantial improvement, including every stream, with parts of the Jones Falls now considered safe for swimming. They hope that a new $430 million infrastructure upgrade to reduce sewer overflows by 80 percent will also have a dramatic impact by its completion in 2020. An overhaul of the storm water system is also in the works, with an expected completion by 2021. In 2017, 150 tons less trash was collected in the harbor, and bacteria scores have shown signs of improvement as well.

AQUATIC TLC
On Thursday, the National Aquarium opened its new Animal Care and Rescue Center on East Fayette Street in Jonestown. Previously located in an anonymous Fells Point warehouse, the $20 million state-of-the-art facility will now be open for limited tours to the public. Starting this summer, visitors will be allowed a behind-the-scenes look at the aquarium’s 50,000-square-foot space that will provide animal care and veterinary services for up to 5,000 creatures, ranging from fish and sea turtles to stingrays and seals. New features include individually temperature-controlled tanks, specialized lighting that mimics natural sunrises and sunsets, and the ability to produce some 15,000 gallons of saltwater. The space will also be used to fabricate the aquarium’s intricate animal habitats.

SHELL GAME
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources and local scientists are working to bring freshwater mussels back to the state’s rivers and streams where the bivalves were once prolific along local waterways. These tiny filter-feeders have all but disappeared, due to pollution, runoff, dams, and the loss of host fish, but efforts are underway to propagate 10,000 baby Eastern Elliptio mussels to be planted in the Patapsco River. Once established, they can live for up to 20 or 30 years. As oysters are being used to help restore the Chesapeake Bay, scientists hope these native mussels will help clean the rebounding river, which runs from central Maryland to Baltimore before flowing into the estuary. Similarly, volunteers from The Great Baltimore Oyster Partnership planted more than 200,000 oysters this month along a protected reef near Fort Carroll on the Patapsco, part of its ongoing mission to plant 5 million oysters on by the year 2020.

FINDING FLIPPER
With increased sightings taking place along local waterways, researchers have confirmed that dolphins are now appearing in the Chesapeake Bay by the hundreds. While such reports are not new for the estuary, with records dating back to the 1800s, it is leading to increased efforts to track the sea mammals and study the role of improved water quality and rebounding fisheries. Last June, researchers launched the Chesapeake Dolphin Watch website for citizens to submit their sightings. They plan to release a mobile app version of the website in the future.

FORWARD THINKING
The Friends School of Baltimore has announced plans to start using 100 percent renewable energy starting by July 1, 2018. Using CleanChoice Energy, the Quaker school will now receive electricity from regional wind and solar farms, with the move being inspired in part by the upper school’s student-faculty Green Club. Committed to environmental stewardship, Friends was named an official Maryland Green School in 2017.

Crab feasts are generally pretty low-maintenance affairs, but require a few essentials: a stack of newspaper, steamed hardshells, maybe a couple of plastic knives, and, of course, ice cold beer.

Now consumers will have a new option to pull out of the cooler when they sit down for this beloved Baltimore ritual. For the first time in more than 30 years, National Bohemian is releasing a new beer, a seasonal lager dubbed Crab Shack Shandy that will be available now through the end of summer.

“If you think about the beer market 30 years ago, if you were a Boh guy, you were just a Boh guys,” says Natty Boh brand manager Chris Molloy. “People didn’t dabble much. But now consumers have thousands of flavor options and we wanted something new that also felt authentic. This was already a no brainer.”

Molloy said the company was inspired by its customers, who were already making homemade Natty Boh shandies (beer and lemonade) during the hot, summer months and, of course, cracking the beer during family crab feasts.

“For some people, beer reminds them of college,” Molloy says. “But with Natty Boh, it’s more of an emotional connection. We wanted this new product to feel reminiscent of time spent with family and friends, on the water, or at a ballgame.”

Crab Shack Shandy is a 4.2 percent ABV lager that pours a golden-straw color and is infused with notes of citrus and a hint of lemon and orange zest.

“A question I’ve gotten a lot is whether it has crab spice in it,” Molloy says. “But this beer is designed to pair well with crabs, not taste like them. This is really citrus forward with the nice, dry finish of a Natty Boh. And just like the original, it’s nice and sessionable, so you can have a few of them.”

The new release will be available in 16-ounce can six packs ($8.99) and 12-ounce can 12 packs ($14.99) in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Virginia, and Washington D.C. Molloy said to look out for the beer anywhere Natty Boh is already sold.

Though peak crab season isn’t for another few months, the brand decided to get ahead of the region’s “unpredictable” weather so that it could be available on the unseasonably warm days of spring.

Crab Shack Shandy is being brewed in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, but Molloy is hopeful to partner with local breweries to do some experimental small-batch brewing, as well as area crab houses for tastings. Though there is no official release party, he is confident that “many unofficial release parties will happen all over town.”

As for the brand returning to Camden Yards this season?

“Of course, we’d hope so, but that’s not something we can really control,” Molloy says. “I know that many of the big bars right around the stadium will carry it, though.”

Molloy, a former Natty Boh mascot who has a Boh tattoo on his chest, says the brand is—quite literally—near and dear to his heart.

“Natty Boh has been part of the rich history and DNA of this community since 1885,” he says. “As soon as a consumer sees the Boh icon, there’s an instant smile that comes to their face. I hope that will still be true with this fresh new take.”

Let’s be honest—as much as we want to work toward our bikini bodies this season, summer is meant for eating. Of course, lots of that eating will take place at home (crab feast anyone?), but it’s time to get out of your kitchen and give your Weber a rest with the help of these food-driven festivals across the state.

Global Gourmands

MARYLAND LATINO FESTIVAL
8/5-6: Maryland State Fairgrounds, 2200 York Road, Timonium. 11 a.m.-11 p.m. $30. Dig into the spicy flavors of Latin cuisine with live music and dancing to boot.

MUSLIM FOOD FESTIVAL
8/12: Islamic Society of Baltimore, 6631 Johnnycake Road, Windsor Mill. Noon-10 p.m. $5-10. Indulge in roasted lamb, curries, falafel, and homemade fruit pops at the fifth annual fete. 

FEAST OF ST. GABRIELE
8/19-20: Little Italy. Sat. 12-8 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Prepare to carbo-load (and cannoli overload) with Italian classics and vats of vino during this beloved Little Italy street festival. 

AUGUSTOBERFEST
8/26-27: 14 N. Potomac St., Hagerstown. Sat. 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m., Sun. 11:30 a.m.-6 p.m. $5. Head to the hills to celebrate German heritage and culture with steins of bier, brats, and pretzels to support scholarships for exchange students.

Local Pride (& Produce!)

MARYLAND STATE BARBECUE BASH
8/11-12: Bond & Thomas Sts., Bel Air. Fri. 4-10 p.m., Sat. 12-10 p.m. Free. More than 50 BBQ masters compete for the state championship title (and a spot at the world finals in Tennessee).

PEACH FESTIVAL
8/12-13: Weber’s Farm, 2526 Proctor Lane, Parkville. 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Free. Bite into just-ripe peaches and take home baked goods during this county festival.

HEIRLOOM TOMATO FESTIVAL
8/19: Carroll County Ag Center, 706 Agricultural Center Dr., Westminster. 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Free. Celebrate the juicy goodness that is the end-of-summer tomato with tastings and seed exchanges during this summer tradition. 

NATIONAL HARD CRAB DERBY
8/22-23: Somers Cove Marina, 715 Broadway, Crisfield. Thu. 6-10 p.m., Fri. 9 a.m.-10 p.m., Sat. 7:30 a.m.-10 p.m., Sun. 8 a.m.-4 p.m. & 7-9 p.m. Free-$17. The 70th annual crab derby includes piles of piping-hot steamed crabs, a parade, a boat-docking contest, and fireworks.

Renowned Restaurants

BALTIMORE COUNTY RESTAURANT WEEK
8/4-19: Locations & times vary. $15-35. For two weeks, dine out with discounted lunches and dinners at the county’s top eateries—places like Linwoods, Ruth’s Chris, and The Milton Inn.

BEST OF BALTIMORE PARTY
8/17: Hippodrome Theater at the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center, 12 N. Eutaw St. 5:30-11 p.m. $90-150. Celebrate Baltimore’s 110th anniversary and feast on dozens of eats from the city’s “Best Restaurants.”

Bay Watch 

Spring has brought with it a flurry of good news about the bay. First, using sonar technology, scientists from the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center found that the Choptank River has more river herring in it than previously suspected. Then, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources found that reproductively viable female crabs are at their most plentiful since 1990 and that the amount of underwater grass in Maryland’s portion of the bay reached a record high of 59,277 acres in 2016. Furthermore, in late April, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation seeded 3 million baby oysters in the Patapsco River, hoping to return oyster shoals to the urban waterway. All of these rehabilitative milestones indicate that federally overseen pollution control programs are stabilizing the bay after decades of environmental decline. And though it briefly looked like funding for those measures would be threatened by the Trump administration’s proposed EPA budget cuts, Congress decided to maintain program funding for the coming fiscal year. 

Following such a streak, the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science issued a report this week awarding the bay one of its highest-ever health grades. Though on its face an unimpressive C, the grade represents drastic improvement since the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science began evaluating the bay in 1986 and a 1-point improvement over last year’s score. As with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation scorecard—another important third-party bay evaluation—the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science grades the bay in several categories and then aggregates those scores into an overall mark. 

“I really believe we’re at a tipping point,” Nicholas DiPasquale, director of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Chesapeake Bay Program office in Annapolis, told The Sun. “Once you reach a point where you’ve overcome the inertia of the system, these indicators start building on each other.”

A third regional water quality scorecard, this one measuring the health of Baltimore’s Inner Harbor and its tributaries, will be released on Monday by Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore. 

On Your Bike 

National Bike to Work Day is next Friday, May 19, and the Central Maryland Metropolitan Council has collected a handy list of nearly 40 official events on its website. The events range from bike safety checks to commuting convoys led by experienced cyclers and designed to introduce newbies to the ins and outs of bike commuting. Though Baltimore City is hosting the greatest number of events, Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Howard, Carroll, and Harford counties are represented, too. Bike to Work Day grew out of National Bike Month, which began in 1956. It promotes the benefits of cycling, which include physical fitness and reduced vehicle emissions and air pollution. 

In The Air 

Speaking of reduced vehicle emissions, The Sun has a good rundown of where the Baltimore region stands in terms of air quality. In short, the Maryland Clean Air report found that, overall, air quality was better in Baltimore in 2016 than it had been in previous years, but that ozone levels ticked up. Ozone is ground level smog created when particles from vehicle and power plant emissions interact with sunlight. It can be harmful to humans—particularly the very young, very old, and very sick—and is the cause of the Code Orange and Code Red air quality alerts that are sometimes issued. 

“We’re making clean air progress with strong partnerships and steady investments, but more is needed regionally and nationally to sustain our pace and protect our health,” Maryland Department of the Environment Secretary Ben Grumbles said in a statement. “Marylanders’ hearts, lungs and waterways will benefit from smart actions at home and in upwind states to keep improving our air quality.”

Birdcam Season Soars 

And now, as they say, for something completely different. Naturalists from all over the world delight each year in the Chesapeake Bay’s springtime birdcams—and this year is no different. The Chesapeake Conservancy hosts live streams of three of the most popular:

The peregrine falcon cam atop 100 Light Street in Baltimore City, which is capturing the growth of four furry fluffballs.

The great blue heron rookery on the Eastern Shore

And the osprey cam on Kent Island 

There is also another osprey cam, this one following a nest with three eggs at Severna Park High School

Follow along as the birds raise their families and the chicks eventually fly the nest. Happy spring and happy birding! 

The Avett Brothers
June 3-4. Pier Six Pavilion, 731 Eastern Ave. 8:30 p.m. $38-55. 410-783-4189. With the warm sun on your face and cool breeze in your hair, there’s no better way to settle into summer than with a little live music on the Inner Harbor. The Avett Brothers are a perfect band for the season, with their Southern folk rock as pure and American as a cold beer in hand on a hot June night. Dig on fan favorites like “I and Love and You” and “Head Full of Doubt,” as well as new songs like “Ain’t No Man” from their brand-new album, True Sadness.—LW

Design for Mobile Living
June 1-Nov. 27. The Baltimore Museum of Art, 10 Art Museum Drive. Wed.-Fri. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sat.-Sun. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Free. 443-573-1700. Step into the art and culture of Eastern Africa’s nomadic societies. In this exploratory exhibition, admire jewelry, accessories, and gear from the 19th and 20th centuries, and discover the ways in which artwork can be lightweight, functional, portable, and adorned.

Taste of Three Cities
June 4. Patterson Park, 2806 Eastern Ave. 11 a.m.-9 p.m. $16.74-69.24. 410-276-3676. Calling all foodies. Once again, Patterson Park will transform into a food-truck playground with the region’s top 40 four-wheelers offering culinary indulgences that range from lobster rolls and barbecue to grilled cheese and cupcakes. Spend your summer Saturday touring their treats, voting for your favorites, cooling off with wine and beer, and listening to live music. Proceeds will benefit Meals on Wheels, a nonprofit that delivers food to people in need, and the (RED) Campaign, whose global efforts are fighting to end AIDS.

Hairspray: In Concert
June 3-5. Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, 1212 Cathedral St. Fri. 8 p.m., Sat. 3 & 8 p.m., Sun. 3 p.m. $43-109. 410-783-8000. We have Diner, we have Avalon, we have parts of Sleepless in Seattle, but few films are more iconic for Charm City than John Waters’s Hairspray. Back by popular demand, the famous musical will take over the Meyerhoff stage for the first time since 2013. Relive the favorites in this semistaged concert production, featuring Waters himself as narrator alongside members of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.

Beyoncé
June 10. M&T Bank Stadium, 1101 Russell St. 7:30 p.m. $45-305. 410-261-7283. Beyoncé is the queen bee of pop culture, with five platinum records, 20 Grammys, and her own HBO documentary, plus flawless fashion, kickass choreography, and once-in-a-lifetime concert tours. (Not to mention her much talked about marriage to hip-hop royalty, Jay Z.) Over the years, she has brought us such seminal smash-hits as “Say My Name,” “Drunk in Love,” and “Single Ladies,” and this past winter she released her first new single in three years, “Formation,” which instantly skyrocketed to the top of the charts. It also sparked BeyHive hysteria for her latest album, Lemonade, which set the internet on fire when it suddenly dropped this spring. For one Friday night, see what all the buzz is about as the living legend brings down the house on our very own Ravens turf.—LW

Tour Dem Parks, Hon!
June 12. Howard Peters Rawlings Conservatory & Botanic Gardens, 3100 Swann Drive. 7:30 a.m.-2 p.m. $20-48. For one Sunday in June, put your rubber to the road as hundreds of bicyclists take a trip through Baltimore’s beloved parks. Whether you opt for a difficult trek or family-friendly cruise, you can swing through the likes of Druid Hill, Clifton, and Patternson parks, followed by a picnic lunch, live music, and lovable rescue puppies, all to benefit Baltimore’s beautiful outdoor spaces.

HonFest
June 11-12. The Avenue in Hampden, 36th Street. Sat. 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Sun. 12-6 p.m. Free. Get your hairspray, boas, and high heels ready for the 23rd annual HonFest. At this weekend-long festival in Hampden, honor the historic working women of Bawlmer in true eclectic Charm City fashion. Join thousands of attendees for three stages of live music, plus food, crafts, and, of course, a contest for the Best Hon.

Baltimore Wine Fest
June 18. Canton Waterfront Park, 3001 Boston St. 12-7 p.m. Free-$85. 410-409-7123. For the second time, Canton’s waterfront will turn into a vino lover’s paradise with more than 100 wines from all over the world, gourmet local eats, and live music. Grab a glass, sip some samples, then stumble home.

Chesapeake Crab & Beer Festival
June 25. Rash Field, 201 Key Hwy. 11 a.m.-9 p.m. $29-89. 410-396-7931. As Marylanders, we all know there is nothing better than a June afternoon with a bushel of crabs. Now in its third year, this annual tradition has upped the ante, becoming the largest crab feast in Baltimore with more than 22,000 people, 30,000 crabs, and 50 beers, plus wines, spirits, live music, and arts and crafts. With enough brown picnic-table paper to stretch across the harbor and back, this festival is ready to dig in, rain or shine.

The first day of crab-picking season at the J.M. Clayton Seafood Company in Cambridge this year was the morning after your tax returns were due. That’s April 16, a little later than usual, thanks to a long winter’s freeze.

The crack of the first claw at Clayton marked the start of eight months of processing crabmeat on the Choptank River, a season that almost exactly parallels baseball season. And, just like the national pastime, the big prizes come in September and October, the month of the greatest blue-crab harvests in the Chesapeake Bay.

Autumn—far removed from the imaginations of those who equate steamed hard crabs with Fourth of July cookouts and vacations downy ocean—“is when the crabs are migrating,” says William “Bill” Brooks, whose great-grandfather, John Morgan Clayton, known to all as “Captain Johnnie,” founded the company. September and October, says Brooks, 62, “is when the crabs are moving.” The same can be said for five generations of the Clayton family and many thousands of employees over the years, who, since the late 19th century, have moved ton upon ton of oysters and crabs from Maryland waters to kitchen and picnic tables.

Now in its 125th year, J.M. Clayton Seafood was founded on Hoopers Island the same year a Baltimore shipyard produced the first steel tanker ship in the United States and is believed to be the oldest working crab-processing plant in the world. Clayton’s crabmeat is coveted by high-end restaurants, including Wit & Wisdom and Gertrude’s. It is marketed under the name Epicure, the name of Captain Johnnie’s boat. “J.M. Clayton is vital to the survival of the state’s crabbing industry,” says Steve Vilnit, former director of fisheries marketing at the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. The man behind the state’s True Blue program—which urges restaurants using Maryland crabmeat to label their cakes as local—Vilnit is a great booster of all the Free State’s 22 crab processors. “These picking houses allow watermen to harvest and sell their product throughout the season,” he says. “Without them, the history and tradition of crabbing would not survive.”

On Cambridge Creek, once busy with picking houses and now a cove of condos, the tradition is held together by a trotline of gentlemen’s agreements reaching back to the start of the company. J.M. Clayton works with 30 to 40 watermen, some of them the grandsons of men who dealt directly with Captain Johnnie.

Now at the helm of J.M. Clayton are three of Captain Johnnie’s great-grandsons. They are the sons of John Clayton Brooks: Jack, Bill, and Joe. Jack Brooks, 63, the current president, took over in 1989. Brother Joe “can do it all,” and Bill works the books, directs the wholesale market, and proudly describes his title as “family member.”

“I’m a seat-of-the-pants businessman,” says Bill Brooks of the unpredictable crab industry. “Every day we wake up and react to what comes our way.”

Jack’s son, Clay—age 36, fifth generation, and the guy who oversees operations—possesses a very valuable skill: He can speak a very passable Spanish to the mostly Mexican workforce of 60 or so and gets more proficient at the language by the day.

“J.M. Clayton is vital to the survival of the state’s crabbing industry.”

A few summers ago, Joe Brooks gave a tour of the plant to a writer from a Chesapeake Bay boating magazine. The story famously quoted Joe saying, “We always tell [the watermen], ‘We will buy all of your crabs.’”

“All” at Clayton ranged as high as 483,000 pounds of crabmeat in the bountiful 1980s, and dipped as low as 200,000 during a bad spell in the 1990s. In the past five years, the trend has fluctuated between 234,000 and 350,000 pounds per season. Explaining the handshake deal with watermen, Bill Brooks says, “We don’t want them looking for hot markets and then just selling us what they cannot sell other places. They have a market for all their crabs here every day they fish, and we expect them to sell us all of their catch.”

Though Clayton handles both oysters and crabs before shipping them out again for sale, it is the meat locked inside the hard shell of callinectes sapidus—most especially the sweet and delicate backfin of the beautiful swimmer —for which it is known.

Ask Bill Brooks to take a taste test by giving him visually identical crab cakes—perfectly rounded, with only enough filler to bind, golden brown, either fried or broiled—with everything the same except the source of the meat. Have one made from crab spawned in the waters of the Chesapeake, known by the Algonquians as Chesepiooc, a word akin to village “by a big river.” Make the other from an Asian crab, the portunus pelagicus, a blue crab native to the Pacific and Indian oceans with a bright black-speckled shell. Then ask him if he can discern the difference. “Asian crabmeat is denser, sort of pearly and has a definite aftertaste because of chemicals they use to preserve it for shipping,” says Brooks. “Ours has that yellow tinge of crab fat. That’s the cream—cream rises to the top.”

Captain Johnnie, a native of Accomack County, VA, started the company that bears his name in 1890 along a wooden pier on Hoopers Island. Business was good for the next 30 years. After the advent of telephones, trucking, and trains, Captain Johnnie realized that things could be even better if he had greater access to major markets such as Wilington, DE, the Midwest, and, with its plentiful rail connections, Baltimore. So in 1921, he packed up the whole kit-and-caboodle—including his workers and their families—and moved the operation some 30 miles north to Cambridge.

Among those who uprooted their lives to follow the work was Fronie Dorothy Jones. “That was my mother,” says 81-year-old Nicie (pronounced Nice-y) Jones, a recently retired Clayton picker. As a child, Nicie recalls, “I went out to pick crabs early in the morning, go to school, and then come home and crack more claws in the afternoon. I loved it, loved all the carrying on with my mama and the women I knew in the picking room. Oh honey,” she says, summing up her long life of work, “it was lovely down at that crabhouse.”

Both of Nicie’s parents worked at Clayton’s. Her mother picked there for eight decades before her death in 1992, starting as a child on Hoopers Island and staying at it—paid by the pound, what was called “piece work” in factory parlance—until she was nearly 90. In her prime, Nicie could pick about 40 pounds of crabmeat in a day and says her mother was even faster. The hours were long, the pay was modest, the season only lasted a half to three-quarters of the year, and workers’ hands took a gouging. Just like today. “People worked until they couldn’t work anymore,” says Brooks.

“Oh, honey, ” says Nicie Jones, “it was lovely down at that crabhouse.”

If the crabbing season follows the baseball season, its pickers are as competitive as the athletes who play ball. Each picker is given a number and their totals are put up on a white board as the day goes by. The number is also printed on each can of Clayton’s retail crabmeat for reference when complaints (“I found a shell”) or compliments (“best I’ve ever had”) come in.

Fronie was number 10 and Nicie labored under the number 12. “We have retired both of those numbers,” says Brooks.

“I wasn’t the best, but I was right there with ’em,” says Nicie, noting that the men steamed the crabs and the women picked them. “My mama was the best. She didn’t do too much talking, didn’t take many breaks. She just worked.” How fast was Nicie—who swayed rhythmically as she worked, as though singing a hymn—in her prime? “Oh my goodness,” she says. “When I started to rocking, look out!” For almost all of Nicie’s career, the other women at the picking tables were virtually all African-Americans from the Eastern Shore. The last African-American in the picking room today is Cornelius Johnson, a man on the other side of 80. Cornelius retired from regular picking a while back but comes in now and again to crack claws and keep busy.

By the 1970s, with workers leaving for jobs at a new industrial park in Cambridge, the challenge of finding Americans to work the crabhouse became so difficult that John Clayton Brooks and a couple of buddies invented and patented the “Quik Pik,’” a mechanical crab-picking machine. Although it was never as good as the human hand when it came to unlocking top-shelf lump meat from the baffles of a blue crab, it could pick 100 pounds in an hour. And while those machines are no longer in use, the company still uses mechanical pickers today.

The first year Clayton brought seasonal laborers from Mexico to keep the business alive was 1997. Without the federally approved “guest worker” system, which allows foreigners to work in the U.S. on a temporary basis, the Clayton firm would be packing it in instead of shipping it out. There are other signs that the crabbing industry is far more precarious than it was in peak times from the Depression through WWII, when Clayton employed more than twice as many pickers as it does today. Brooks observes that the average age of watermen is older than ever and their children are less likely to follow the family tradition.

Pollution from a range of sources, loss of habitat like vital bay grasses, over-fishing, and disease have all contributed to the decline of the Chesapeake Bay blue crab.

But that thing that wants to pinch the hell out of your finger if you get too close is a hardy scavenger, and Brooks has kept an old scrapbook of newspaper clippings from the 1950s through the 1970s that his great uncle cut out as a bellwether—it reported that things were dire for the crabbing industry.

Bill takes it all in stride.

Will there be Maryland steamed crabs on your grandchildren’s picnic table on some far off Memorial Day? “Absolutely,” he says. “Nobody wants to be the guy who catches the last crab.”

With summer in full force, and so many culinary treasures in the bay, there’s no time like the present to sing the praises of our blues (crabs, that is). Whether coddled into cakes, picked over paper, or transformed into savory salads, these sidestepping sweeties fill us with local pride in all their glorious incarnations. But much as crabs can lead to innumerable pleasures on the plate, there’s a lot to know about cooking, cleaning, and consuming them. Our Dummy’s Guide is a primer for rookies and a refresher course for those who already know a Jimmy from a Sook. (Hint: One has lovely lady lumps.) That being said, it’s time to educate. Silence in the classroom, kids. Let’s get crackin’.

Can’t get enough crabs? Be sure to check out our 2014 Crab Buyer’s Guide and Home Plates.

MALE VS. FEMALE

Much myth surrounds the taste differences between the sexes, but, truth be told, other than the fact that the ladies are lighter than the gents, experts say there’s no distinction in flavor.

Illustrations by Rebecca Bradley

A “Jimmy” or male crab has blue claws and an inverted t-shaped apron (or abdomen) as his distinguishing feature. Increased crabbing restrictions for the fairer species have kept the Jimmy in more constant rotation. Males have flakier meat

The sexually mature female crab or “Sook” (known to waterman as a “Sally” in its immature phase) is the best-groomed swimmer in the bay, with red tips on her talons and a trademark bell-shaped apron. Females tend to have denser meat. 

LOCAL VS. GLOBAL

With slim pickins, due to overharvesting and extreme winters, purveyors have had to go global in sourcing their meat from Southeast Asia and South America, as well as Texas, Louisiana, and North Carolina. While all the crabs caught are the same species, the difference is the way in which the crustaceans are cooked. “The crabs from our waters are steam-cooked,” says Andy Hoffman, owner of Pikesville’s Gourmet Again. “Crab that is steamed-cooked doesn’t lose the mustard. Most of the crabmeat south of North Carolina and on the Gulf of Mexico gets boiled.” Crabmeat sourced from South America lacks the rich flavor that is particular to Maryland crabs. “Flavor is lost in boiling,” Hoffman says. And crabs from Southeast Asia get pasteurized and taste metallic, “like a tin can.” 

CRAB VOCAB

Apron: The abdomen of a crab.

Callinectes sapidus: The Latin name for the blue crab. Translation: “beautiful savory swimmer.”

Crab pot:An enclosed framework of wire with four openings. When crabs enter to eat the bait, they are trapped; used for bay crabbing.

Molt: As invertebrates, crabs lack a spinal column. For the crab to grow larger, it molts, or sheds its shell periodically. A molting crab is said to be a “soft-shell.”

Mustard: Yellowy substance found inside a cooked crab. The mustard is an organ that helps the crab filter impurities in its blood.

Picking: The art of eating a steamed crab by teasing the meat out of those hard-to-reach appendages.

She-crab: An immature female crab, also known as a “Sally.”

Sponge: The orange eggs of a female crab that spread across the abdomen; the average sponge contains about two million eggs.

Trotline: A long fishing line to which bait is attached at a series of intervals. Commonly used in the Chesapeake Bay region.

WATER LOG: A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A CRABBER

If you think your desk job is hard, try the labor-intensive work of commercial crabbers, many of whom go on little sleep during the season (running roughly May through October). “People complain about the price of crab,” says lifelong crabber Bruce Shroyer, above, who sells supplies out of his Crabbing Barn in North East, MD, “but they have no idea what it takes to get the crab there in the first place.” To maximize fishing time, the professionals live by the clock, which starts ticking one hour before sunrise (the earliest time a licensed crabber can lay lines or place pots). Below is a typical day in the life of a waterman, though during soft-shell season, crabbers stay up around-the-clock to check their peeler pots.

2 a.m.: Stock boat with anchors, buoys, and 100 pounds of bait. Pre-bait 6,000 feet of trotline with bull lips, Razor clams, chicken necks, salted eel, and other crab munchies.

3:30 a.m.: Head to favorite spot on the Chesapeake and its tributaries.

4 a.m.: Lay trotlines (considered illegal for the bay) in the river where large populations of crabs can be found. Note to self: Crabs bite best during the first four hours of the morning when they are hungriest.

5 to 6 a.m.: Soak crab pots for bay crabbing. (Remember, 300 pots per day is the legal limit.) Let soak two to three days.

6 a.m. to noon: Check on previously placed pots and/or run trotlines. Haul catch with help of stainless-steel dipper. Sift, sorting by size and sex. Use tongs. Wear gloves. Watch fingers!

Noon: Crack open a can of baked beans for some quick refueling, but no sitting on the job.

12:10 to 3 p.m.: Hold bladder, if possible, and continue to catch as catch can. Rebait trotlines at end of day. Store in brine for tomorrow’s catch.

3 until ?: Sell 10-bushel haul to area bars and seafood purveyors. Tomorrow is another day. Keep on crabbing!

Crab season is here and nothing says summer in Charm City like these fun crab-themed items. They’re not just for feasts—you can impress your guests with these home goods any time. Mix in other accent pieces to give your space a makeover the Maryland way.

Clockwise, from top: 

Bowl ($42) at Pamella & Rose.
Crab box ($17.50) at Simply Noted.
Ceramic trivet ($20/each) at The Store Ltd. 
Handmade painting by Kacey Stafford ($65) at Becket Hitch. 
Key chain ($28.50) at Becket Hitch. 
Picture frame ($56) at The Pleasure of Your Company.
Bottle opener ($34) at Pamella & Rose.
Green-striped crab pillow ($45) at Su Casa.
Chesapeake Bay towel ($20) at Curiosity.

While the harsh winter may have put a hurt on the crab harvesting this year, you can still enjoy an abundance of Maryland crabs when sporting an exclusive, handmade, 100-percent imported-silk Vineyard Vines for McCormick & Company custom tie. 

Crab and Old Bay tie ($75) at McCormick World of Flavors, 301 Light Street, 443-853-1355. 

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.

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

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.

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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.)

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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.”

We have the scars to prove it. For weeks, we’ve been cracking our way through dozens—and dozens—of steamed crabs, nicking our fingers on the sharp-edged shells and enduring the salty sting of Old Bay. But the battle scars were well worth it. Along the way, we got to savor our Maryland delicacy—spice-covered, hot-from-the-steamer crabs—from some of the Baltimore area’s best spots.

Tried-and-true crustacean landmarks like Costas Inn, Mr. Bill’s Terrace Inn, and Jimmy Cantler’s Riverside Inn are still living up to their reputations. But we also found some new places, too, like The Mallet in Fallston and S&J Crab Ranch in Towson. We were hoping to check out the outdoor deck at Phillips Seafood in the Inner Harbor and Mo’s Seafood in Towson, but they weren’t serving crabs at press time. We’ll report back on those later.

We also checked in with some local celebs to find out where they get their crabs. And we talked to Tony Conrad of Conrad’s Crabs & Seafood Market in Parkville. This local waterman takes pride in serving his fresh catch of crabs and fish at his store.

So get out your mallets (and maybe a Band-Aid or two), we think you’ll find some great places to try on our list.

Bo Brooks

2701 Boston St., 410-558-0202.It may be the hopping tiki bar parked at the entrance, but we can’t help feeling like a trip to Bo Brooks is a bit of a party. The staff is cheerful and helpful, and one’s cares are steamed away along with your crab order. And such crabs—we’ve never felt short-changed when digging into an order of jumbos here. We’re fans of their house blend of seasonings, too, which is heavy on the pepper, and salty enough to have us reaching for the beer pretty often. Luckily, Bo Brooks features Baltimore’s own Heavy Seas “Loose Cannon” IPA on tap, a bit of local support we applaud. If weather permits, dining on the outdoor deck offers a beautiful view of the harbor, and there’s plenty on the menu for non-crab people (i.e., “out of town guests”) and youngsters in your party alike.

Canton Dockside

3301 Boston St., 410-276-8900. The Gulf crabs we had on our visit were noteworthy for their heft. The claws were thick, and meat burst from the cracked body segments like a magician’s paper bouquet—clean, white, and sweet. The place is large and colorful, with globe lights (a reminder of its fancier days as Pearls restaurant) suspended from the ceiling of the spacious, carpeted dining area. Murals of local landmarks such as the Canton neighborhood, with its winking Natty Boh sign, and the Annapolis State House decorate the walls. The long outdoor deck is all business on a warm evening with packed tables looking beyond Boston Street sailboats to the industrial ships of Locust Point, and the cacophony of whacking mallets ringing across the harbor. There’s plenty on the menu for those who don’t want crab: a garlicky Caesar salad, hearty burgers, and onion rings the size of cuff bracelets, served with hot, tangy buffalo sauce and mild blue-cheese dressing.

Captain James Crabhouse & Restaurant

2127 Boston St., 410-327-8600.Captain James may be best known as a visual landmark—its main dining room is the building painted up like a ship at the corner of Boston and Aliceanna Streets—but they deserve some praise for their crabhouse, too. Located just across the street from the “ship,” the Captain James Crabhouse sports easy parking, a super casual atmosphere, and piles of steamed crabs. The friendly, prompt staff is happy to set you up with steamed crabs, shrimp, and mussels, as well as buckets of boardwalk fries. Their $30-per-person, “all-you-u-can-eat” special includes a serving of crab soup, an ear of corn, and all the mediums you can pick in two hours. They also have lots of outdoor seating, making Captain James Crabhouse an ideal spot to enjoy Maryland’s favorite culinary pastime with a great view of the harbor.

CJ’s Crabhouse and Grill

10117 Reisterstown Rd., Owings Mills, 410-363-6694.Dark and bustling, illuminated by the numerous flat-screen TVs and festive twinkle lights that encircle the bar area, CJ’s balances its devotion to Maryland’s teams with its passion for crabs. The dozen larges slid from the tray to our brown-paper tabletop within moments of our order, barely giving us time to savor the steamed oysters we’d been working on. The crabs were crusted with lumps of red, salty seasoning—a custom blend the owners have been ordering from nearby Fuchs since it was Baltimore Spice (originators of Old Bay). The current owners are three sons of the late founders, Charlie and Jean Sanders, whose initials form the restaurant’s name. It’s son Jeffrey who’s responsible for the collection of die-cast model trucks near the entrance, each displaying a Ravens or Orioles logo, and it’s Terry who makes sure the strawberries pass muster for CJ’s renowned strawberry pie.

Costas Inn

4100 Northpoint Blvd., 410-477-1975. Sitting among a sea of fast-food joints and car-repair shops with no water in sight, Costas Inn might not match many people’s vision of a world-class crabhouse. Until they walk inside. The perma-smell of crab spice in the large, open dining room, the drumbeat of mallets hitting shells and empty shells hitting buckets, autographed Brooks Robinson and Johnny Unitas memorabilia on the front wall—all instantly authenticate the place. Crab lovers have been stamping their sign of approval on Costas’s brown-paper-covered tables for more than 40 years. Doused with loads of spicy seasoning that burrows into your lips and doesn’t quit, Costas’s crabs are flown in daily from Texas and Louisiana. Be sure to place your order when you call for a reservation. The full menu offers many other options (the mushroom caps stuffed with mounds of crab imperial are a great start), but the reliably fat and perfectly steamed and spiced crabs are what’s made Costas an institution, whether it looks like one from the street or not.

The Crackpot Seafood Restaurant

8102 Loch Raven Blvd., Towson, 410-828-1095.Forget fancy. The dark-wood dining room is looking its age in this decades-old restaurant in a strip-shopping center. But that doesn’t stop the regulars from soaking up the ambiance. It’s a great spot to eat fat, spicy, delicious crabs. That never gets old. On this evening, there were only jumbos and one dozen of the extra larges left. We quickly snagged the 12 extra larges. In due time, they arrived at our table, now ensconced in brown paper, hot from the steamer and heavily coated with the restaurant’s custom, Old-Bay-laced seasoning. The aroma alone was mouthwatering. While we waited for the main event, we quelled our hunger with a silky cream of crab soup and a seafood sauté, generous with big shrimp and giant teardrops of jumbo lump in a wine-and-garlic sauce.

Gianni’s Italian Bistro and Crab House

3720 Washington Blvd., Arbutus, 410-242-4555.Greg Orendorff opened Gianni’s Italian Bistro in 2007, then expanded and added a crabhouse in November 2010. Though there are separate entrances and signs, the restaurants are attached, and patrons can order from either menu (and pick up warm doughnuts at the Fractured Prune inside the bistro). The crab side has a couple of weathered wooden picnic tables out front, a bar area, and televisions tuned, soundlessly, to sports. Orendorff, who owned Luigi Petti in Little Italy, created his own spice mix for the crabs, which has less salt and heat than most. He also invented the Angry Mallet soup that combines Maryland crab soup and cream-of-crab soup after spilling one into the other by accident. We also really like the crab-ball appetizers—deliciously decadent morsels, fried to a crisp exterior, with large lumps of sweet crab inside.

Gunning’s Seafood Restaurant

7304 Parkway Dr., Hanover, 410-712-9404.There’s nothing glamorous about Gunning’s, a family-owned restaurant with a crab tradition that dates to 1969, when Edward Gunning Sr. began serving food at the South Baltimore dive bar his father had opened the previous year. The restaurant, now run by Edward’s son, Edward Jr., has been in a distinctly unscenic Hanover strip mall since 1990. The carpet is a purple-and-green fish print, the tablecloths purple, the walls mustard yellow. But once brown paper is laid across the table, brown paper bags given to each diner for shells, mallets distributed, and the crabs arrive, you won’t care about the décor. These beauties from Louisiana, Texas, or Maryland, explain why every table in the spacious dining room is full on a Sunday night. They are steaming hot, crusted in lip-tingling spice, and filled with particularly succulent meat. Gunning’s, which has a second location in Glen Burnie, does its Maryland heritage proud.

Jimmy Cantler’s Riverside Inn

458 Forest Beach Rd., Annapolis, 410-757-1311. Few experiences are more quintessentially Maryland than working through a pile of jumbo steamed crabs on the oft-photographed deck of the well-known Cantler’s, founded in 1974. The water view is not especially scenic, but it’s still a water view, and chances are you’re sharing a long table with strangers who are becoming friends, while all around you, people are laughing and talking loudly as they drink beer out of plastic cups and pull chunks of white flesh out of spice-crusted shells. Though crabs are the main attraction, Cantler’s serves salads, sandwiches, and even pizza and barbecued ribs. We especially liked the seared ahi tuna with a vinegary seaweed salad on the side, as well as the lightly dressed coleslaw. The crabs did not arrive hurt-your-fingers hot, the way we like, but they were still as fat and full as ever.  

L.P. Steamers

1100 E. Fort Ave., 410-576-9294. One of the many glowing reviews that hangs on the weathered walls of this Locust Point landmark proclaims, “L.P.’s interior isn’t big on ambiance.” We couldn’t disagree more. You’d be hard-pressed to find a more genuine spot for picking hard crabs. A handful of tables line one side of the narrow first floor. There’s also a dining room upstairs and a few tables on the rooftop deck with sweeping views of the city. We were greeted by one of L.P.’s always friendly servers, who gave us a list of crab prices and quantities remaining for the night. Crabs are priced and can be ordered individually, so we got eight larges, two jumbos, and two huges. They were all tasty, although the difference in sizes was minimal. The smell of seafood frying and crabs steaming wafted throughout. TVs hanging on the front and back wall showed the Orioles game; they were winning. On a quiet spring weekday night, we couldn’t imagine better ambiance anywhere in Baltimore.

The Mallet

2403 Belair Rd. (Rt. 1), Fallston, 410-877-2722.The restaurant space at the busy corner of Route 1 and Mountain Road has been given another breath of life after going through many failed mutations. But the new owners may have found the winning formula by offering a mix of dining scenarios, including steamed crabs. You can eat crabs at one of the high tops in the dimly lit tiki bar or head outside to the wood decks, which is just what we did. The crabs—from Texas the night we visited—were spicy and hot. Our server warned us they would take 25 minutes. We were fine with that, biding our time with an excellent cup of cream-of-crab soup (the best we’ve had in a while), delicious crab balls, and a half-pound of perfectly steamed shrimp.

Mike’s Restaurant and Crab House

3030 Riva Rd., Riva, 410-956-2784.The fact that Mike’s advertises free boat docking, in addition to the large parking lot for cars, may be all you need to know about the authenticity of this place, fastened to the side of the South River in Annapolis. The restaurant, with its knotty-pine décor, reminiscent of an old summer camp, and the long outdoor deck (with clear plastic walls when the weather is cool), is a classic. This is the kind of place you bring your out-of-town guests or simply come for the pleasure of watching the sun set upriver from the outdoor picnic tables. The trays of steaming crabs hail from a variety of areas depending on the season. There are also platters of seafood, fried shrimp and clams with tartar sauce, juicy burgers, and even an oversized Nutty Buddy paper-wrapped cone, seemingly fresh off an ice-cream truck, for dessert.

Mr. Bill’s Terrace Inn

200 Eastern Blvd., Essex, 410-687-5994.Yes, people go to Mr. Bill’s for the fat, heavy, always-pleasing crabs, but they also head there for the retro vibe that jettisons them back to a time when Willie Don was mayor of Baltimore. The tile floor, vinyl booths, and faux-fish décor still work today. The late Mr. Bill is there, albeit only in a photo on the wall. His congenial son, Steve, now reigns over the dining room, keeping an eye on everything and everyone. Even when the crowds gather for a two-hour wait on summer weekends—reservations are only taken for parties of 10 or more—he makes no exceptions for the famous or the infamous. Everyone patiently waits their turn to dig into the steamed-to-order beauties seasoned with Bill’s secret blend, the spicy Maryland crab soup laden with vegetables, and the house-made crab dip with melted cheese, large enough to share—if you can bear to part with any of it.

Nick’s Fish House & Grill

2600 Insulator Dr., 410-347-4123. This sprawling crabhouse sports outdoor decks and indoor dining rooms with giant windows to take in the docked boats and scenic water view of the Middle Branch of the Patapsco River—and it’s a stone’s throw, or, at least, a quick drive, from downtown Baltimore. As a prelude to steamed crabs, we tucked into a plateful of crispy fried oysters, which were plump and juicy, and a half-pound of steamed jumbo shrimp, mixed with a wonderful mélange of potatoes, onions, and tomatoes. Since we were there in the early part of the season, the crabs weren’t being sorted by size, so we ended up with a mix of medium, large, and jumbo. It was a motley dozen from Louisiana, some light, some claws missing. But, on the whole, they were all well-spiced, and there were several heavies in the group.

Ocean Pride Restaurant & Carry-out

1534 York Rd., Lutherville, 410-321-7744.This longtime restaurant has established itself as a local destination for steamed crabs as well as other dishes. The menu is large, with freewheeling combinations of seafood, bar food, Tex-Mex, and even Italian, drawing a constant stream of regulars and newcomers alike. All that business means crabs can run out early, even on off nights, so be sure to reserve some in advance. Crabs here are seasoned with a bracing, fiery-red, finely-ground blend—good for selling lots of beer, we’d imagine. The specimens were decently hefty, though there seemed to be at least one throwaway crab per dozen on the night we visited. Service is almost exuberantly friendly, but on the busiest nights, even the best staff can get overloaded. In that case, the good vibes of the staff—and the customers—go a long way.

Reter’s CrabHouse and Grille

509 Main St., Reisterstown, 410-526-3300.There’s no need to go downy ocean for a beach-style crab feast when you can take a short trip to Reisterstown. Unless you’re sitting outside with a view of the traffic, you could mistake this colorful strip-mall restaurant, its coral walls festooned with surf and boogie boards, life-saving buoys, and brightly painted fish, for a place much closer to the sea. (The official-looking sign on the wall, outlining Ocean City beach rules contributes to the geographical confusion.) The crabs are sweet and flaky, coated in lumps of seasoning, and blackboards around the room list alternate specials in bright chalk: various oysters from the raw bar, fish gumbo, and a tropical salad with coconut shrimp. There’s a kind of Jimmy Buffet vibe, and you get the feeling that the airy room is filled with regulars. You know you’re in a place that takes its hand-picking seriously by the sink outside the restrooms, expressly for scrubbing off the Old Bay.

Riptide by the Bay

1718 Thames St., 410-732-3474. In a narrow building on Thames Street, Riptide could be one among many Fells Point bars, where the revelry routinely spills out onto the sidewalks and cobblestone streets. You’ll find that, like its neighbors, Riptide has a great selection of beer on draft and live music on weekend nights. But unlike most of its rivals, the place also offers steamed crabs by the dozen. Crabs don’t seem to be the mainstay of the menu—which serves everything from Ahi tuna, raw oysters, and seafood pasta to burgers and chicken tacos. But order a dozen, and your cheerful server will whip out a sheet of brown paper and bring on the bucket. The night we visited, we picked ours clean. As we were savoring the last chunk of meat, crunching a final ring of calamari with sweet miso glaze, the evening’s singer was starting to tune his guitar by the bar. What else could we do but order another round and settle in for a Fells Point night?

S&J Crab Ranch

2 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Towson, 410-821-6789.S&J may be a newcomer to the crab scene, but it’s made a splash with a menu that pairs traditional Maryland crabhouse fare with classic Southern barbecue. Located in the heart of Towson, S&J features a sleek, modern bar, a haystack-country-themed dining area, and a few picnic tables out front. The barbecue smelled delicious, but we’re interested in the crabs this time, and we weren’t disappointed. Our order of jumbos arrived positively smothered in S&J’s seasoning, and they were heavy, succulent, and satisfying. We also enjoyed the seafood quesadilla, a tortilla generously stuffed with shrimp, crab dip, and cheese. A word of caution, though—it may seem ludicrous to warn you about touching your eyes or licking too much seasoning; we know that’s old hat. But there is a peppery capsicum heat lurking in the crab seasoning that thrills the palate in moderation but can rise to masochistic levels very quickly if you aren’t paying attention. Best to have a cold pitcher of beer on hand, just in case. 

Ship’s Cafe Restaurant and Crab House

828 Frederick Rd., Catonsville, 410-744-1838.A sign that Ship’s Cafe is doing something right? The place is jammed on a nothing-special Tuesday night. This rambling, wood-floored, two-story restaurant in Catonsville’s Norman Rockwell-esque downtown opened in 2002, but it has the easy charm and confidence of a more established place. The service is personable and efficient, and the food is lovingly prepared but never fussy. Though most tables were piled high with spice-crusted crabs during our visit, the menu is extensive and includes local favorites like deep-fried, soft-shell crab, chicken Chesapeake, and barbecued ribs. Our Maryland crab soup was thick with crab, potatoes, tomatoes, corn, and peas, with a nice zing of Old Bay. Another appetizer was a bit of a test—a platter of scallops, crab balls, and shrimp that could have gone awry with overcooking, but Ship’s Cafe’s version was delightful. Then, came the extra-large crabs. The meat was tender and moist, and the spice coating added just the right counterpoint. Yum.

Sue Island Grill & Crab House

900 Baltimore Yacht Club Rd., Essex, 410-574-0009. A few hours before we planned to venture out to Sue Island, the restaurant called. Their shipment of crabs hadn’t come in. They offered their apologies. We thanked them for letting us know and rescheduled for a week later. We’re glad we did. Set on the banks of Sue Creek, the restaurant exudes a laid-back ambiance reminiscent of a locals’ hangout in a sleepy beach town. We devoured a baker’s dozen of large crabs, which were heavy with surprisingly sweet and meaty claws. Five sizes were available, along with $2 individual smalls (on Wednesdays only). We ate ours with sides of sufficiently greasy French fries and onion rings, and washed it all down with an ice-cold pitcher of Yuengling. As the sun set, seemingly right in the laps of happy mallet-wielding diners at the picnic tables outback and regulars chatted at the bar, we raised our plastic cups and toasted to the fact that Sue Island was worth the drive, and the wait.

Where The Locals Go

Bob Turk, weatherman, WJZ-TV: To tell the truth, we usually bring them home and enjoy them without the maddening crowds. They are also a lot cheaper at home. Since I live in northern Baltimore County, I get them anyplace nearby—— I go to Gibby’s, Don’s Crabs, or Captain Trey’s.

Suzi Cordish, Maryland Art Place chairwoman and fundraiser and wife of developer David Cordish: Every guest we host in Baltimore­—­—whether it’s a sports­-team owner, professional athlete, mayor of a city, or head of state—­— they want Maryland crabs. We always take them to Phillips Seafood Restaurant, where they can experience hard-shell crabs or have a crab cake with a lot of great side specials. The feeling is authentic Chesapeake Bay.

John Shields, Gertrude’s: I love Mr. Bill’s Terrace Inn. How can you not want to go to a crabhouse with that name? It’s a quintessential Baltimore crabhouse. What Mr. Bill’s does best are the crabs. In my experience, they have always been very heavy, with lots of meat. And the décor: This is a crabhouse design that a Hollywood film scout would definitely choose. Over the top, but so much fun.

Edie Brown, public relations, Edie Brown & Associates: We go to Costas for crabs. I hate the long drive, but it’s worth the great taste of crabs, the Greek salad, and the friendly attention of the wait staff. If it’s good enough for [actor] Josh Charles, it is certainly good enough for me.

Mickey Cucchiella, broadcaster, 98Rock: I get all my crabs from Conrad’s Crabs. Captain Tony (see our story) is on the bay everyday, and he and his wife run a tremendous local business that makes me proud to be a Baltimorean.

Brian Roberts, Orioles’ second baseman: I like the crabs at Canton Dockside. The atmosphere is great, and it is close to where we live in Canton, so we can walk to the restaurant. I also like Mr. Bill’s Terrace Inn.

We haven’t lost our allegiance to steamed crabs and crab cakes. (That will never happen.) We just felt it was time to pay homage to all the other ways crabmeat gets used in restaurants around these parts. Local chefs are extremely creative, incorporating jumbo lump into everything from the quirky (like the crab pretzel) to the avant-garde (decadent deviled eggs, anyone?). We also sought advice on everyone’s favorite party snack—crab dip. We asked several food-loving personalities to share their special ingredient. You’ll be surprised by some of the responses: Curry! Almonds! And we couldn’t have a crab issue without talking to the Cernak family, who will be closing the venerable Obrycki’s this November. But don’t be too sad. They have great plans for their crab business.

Here are our 26 top crab dishes.

RETRO

Crab Balls
Gunning’s Seafood Restaurant
Gunning’s Seafood Restaurant (7304 Parkway Dr., Hanover, 410-712-9404) is the kind of no-frills place where you’d expect to find a hint of salt in the air and hear the roar of an outboard motor instead of planes from BWI. There’s no ceremony in the presentation of the crab balls ($12.99)—five or six on a plate, accompanied by a pair of plastic cups filled with prosaic cocktail sauce. But inside those miniature fried globes is the real deal: generous lumps of meat packed tight. It’s like popping a mini crab cake into your mouth.

Crab Lumps a la Norfolk
Williamsburg Inn
We’re not sure of its pedigree, but crab ala Norfolk used to be a popular Eastern Shore dish. Like many recipes, though, it’s fallen out of favor over the years. Thankfully, the Williamsburg Inn (11131 Pulaski Hwy., White Marsh, 410-335-3172), a throwback itself, has kept the old-fashioned dish ($23.95 with two sides) on its menu. It features jumbo crab lumps, cubes of Smithfield ham, and sliced mushrooms sautéed in butter and sherry wine. Take a bite, and your taste buds are time-traveling to the past.

Crab Fluff
Ocean Pride Restaurant
A recent post on www.chowhound.com created a lively thread about our region’s unique crab fluff, or crab puff as some call it. We’re happy that places like Ocean Pride Restaurant (1534 York Rd., Lutherville, 410-321-7744) still serve this tradition. It’s like a giant fritter, with a breaded crab cake deep-fried to golden-brown perfection. Add fries and coleslaw for a $16.95 platter.

Crab Pie
Matthew’s Pizza
Of course, there’s crab pie in Crabtown, hon, and Matthew’s Pizza (3131 Eastern Ave., 410-276-8755) does it best. This delectable, chewy-crust pizza (large, $14.79/market price) is packed with backfin, a fine blanket of hand-grated mozzarella and imported Reggiano cheeses, and, the pièce de résistance, sweet caramelized onions. Better get two. Matthew’s large is only about nine inches.

Hard-Fried Crab
Bo Brooks Restaurant
The hard-fried crab ($16)—an old-school classic—has waned in popularity recently, but Bo Brooks Restaurant (2780 Lighthouse Point in the 2700 block of Boston St., 410-558-0202) keeps the dish alive. A whole crab is trimmed of its top shell, stuffed with crab-cake filling, and then battered and deep fried. Commit to getting messy, because once you get past the puffy golden batter (gnawing it off the claws is particularly gratifying) and dense filling, there is still the crab itself to crack and consume.

Stuffed Lobster Tail
Costas Inn
Known for classic steamed-crab-and-mallet suppers, Costas Inn (4100 North Point Blvd., Dundalk, 410-477-1975) also has a thing for crab imperial—a heap of crab slathered in creamy white sauce offered atop shrimp, orange roughy, the fish du jour, or even on its own. But to experience this lumpilicious treat at the pinnacleof opulence, try the stuffed lobster tail ($35.95), a thick curl of delectable meat straining from its shell. 

Celebrity Recipe

Secrets to a great crab dip

“I add sherry to mine as my ‘secret ingredient.’ It’s pretty common in cream-of-crab soup recipes, but I don’t really see it in many dip recipes. Whenever I see a good crab cake or cream-of-crab recipe, I see if I can steal any of those flavors to add to the dip.”

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1/4 cup mayonnaise
8 ounces (or more!) lump crab
1 small onion, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons sherry
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 1/2 teaspoons Old Bay plus extra for topping
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon (or more) cayenne pepper

Panko crumbs and/or cheddar cheese

Mix together all ingredients except the panko crumbs and cheddar cheese. Spoon into a casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes. Top with panko crumbs, cheddar cheese, or both, then dust with Old Bay.

—From Reagan Warfield, DJ, MIX 106.5

Celebrity Recipe

Secrets to a great crab dip

“These are the most delicious things on the face of the earth,” he says of his gussied-up crab-dip invention called broiled crab puffs. The recipe includes Old English sharp cheddar cheese, mustard, and a dash of ground red pepper. “You have a bite-sized or two-bite-sized piece of heaven.”

1 pound jumbo lump crabmeat
1 (five-ounce) jar Kraft Old English Sharp Cheddar
4 tablespoons Hellmann’s mayonnaise
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
4 tablespoons melted butter
2 teaspoons French’s regular mustard
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
10 saltine crackers, crushed
6 English muffins

Set broiler to high. Pick over the crabmeat to remove shells. Heat the jar of cheese in the microwave until softened. Combine all ingredients except the crab and muffins and mix well. Gently stir in the crabmeat, and spread the mix over each muffin half.

Cut each half into quarters and then place on a cookie sheet. Place the cookie sheet about six inches from the broiler, five to 10 minutes, until the tops are golden and the mixture is bubbly. Watch to make sure they don’t burn (if they get too brown, they are too close to the broiler).

—Steve Rouse, part-time radio DJ, also tends to a 6-acre farm in Fallston called Rousedale

Celebrity Recipe

Secrets to a great crab dip

1 pound fresh jumbo lump crabmeat, gently picked through for shells, keep refrigerated until ready to mix
6 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup good quality mayonnaise
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons fines herbes (a mix of fresh tarragon, chives, parsley, and chervil), see note

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix ingredients, except crab, in a mixing bowl until well combined. Gently fold in the crab with a rubber spatula so as not to break up the lumps. Gently spoon into a shallow 2-to-3-quart casserole and bake uncovered until lightly browned and bubbly.

Serve immediately with fresh sliced baguette or water crackers.

Note: If chervil is unavailable, use 1 tablespoon each of fresh chopped tarragon, parsley, and chives.

—Kevin Miller, executive chef, Widespread Concierge Services

Celebrity Recipe

Secrets to a great crab dip

“I developed this combination of ingredients for hot crab dip over the years,” Shattuck says of her recipe, which includes almonds and Monterey Jack cheese. “Occasionally, I also add artichoke hearts if it complements the other items on my menu for the evening.”

1 (8-ounce) package reduced-fat cream cheese, room temperature
1/3 cup light mayonnaise
Juice from one fresh lemon
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning (more if desired)
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon Tabasco
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1 cup fresh lump crabmeat (or a can of crabmeat)
1/2-1 cup Monterey Jack cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat together the cream cheese, mayonnaise, lemon juice, garlic, parsley, and Old Bay until smooth. Mix in the Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco. Fold in the slivered almonds and lump crabmeat. Place in an oven-proof casserole dish and sprinkle with cheese. Bake until bubbly hot, about 25 minutes. Serve with pita chips, celery, or a thinly sliced baguette.

—From Molly Shattuck, founder of Molly Shattuck Vibrant Living

Celebrity Recipe

Secrets to a great crab dip

“We really enjoy the original Old Bay crab-dip recipe. However, we rarely follow the rules, so we decided to add Worcestershire sauce to add some richness to the flavor and lemon juice for freshness.”

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons Old Bay
1 tablespoon mustard
Dash of Worcestershire sauce
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 pound jumbo lump crabmeat
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix cream cheese, mayo, Old Bay, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and lemon in a medium bowl. Gently fold in crabmeat. Place in a casserole dish, top with cheddar cheese, and bake until cheese is melted and dip is bubbly. Serve with baguette slices or crackers.

—Angela Lewis, co-owner, Gunpowder Bison & Trading Co.

Celebrity Recipe

Secrets to a great crab dip

“It’s something that’s a little bit unusual,” he says of his recipe for curried crab dip, which calls for curry powder, coconut milk, and currants. “The coconut milk works beautifully with the crabmeat.” He serves it with gingersnaps.

1/2 cup dried currants
Boiling water, as needed
1 pound cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons Madras curry powder
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/3 cup coconut milk
1/3 cup minced green onions or chives
1/3 cup finely diced red bell pepper
1 pound backfin or claw blue crabmeat
Crackers or gingersnaps for serving

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the currants in a small bowl with just enough water to cover. Let stand 15 minutes. Drain, reserving the liquid, and put the currants aside.

In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese, curry powder, mayonnaise, coconut milk, green onion, and red bell pepper. Beat until smooth and somewhat creamy. Mix in the crabmeat, currants, and reserved currant liquid.

Transfer the mixture to a greased casserole dish and bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Serve hot or warm with Melba rounds, water crackers, or gingersnaps. Serves about eight.

—John Shields, chef/owner of Gertrude’s