Maryland Crab Feast

There is nothing, I mean nothing, like a steamed Maryland Blue Crab. Sweet and delicate, meaty and tasty, these morsels of the Chesapeake Bay have been a delight of many over the years. And, unfortunately, due to overfishing, pollution, and other problems, there are far fewer crabs available today than there were just last year.

Today I rode with friends to one of my very favorite places to get crabs (or other Bay seafood.) This restaurant is just about 35 miles east and south of us. The restaurant has a pleasant outside deck and is located on the Severn River, near Annapolis, our state capitol.

I was shocked when the server told us that one dozen large #1 male crabs cost US$70 per dozen. OMG! That's almost $6 each! Yikes! Just a few years ago, my partner and I enjoyed an "all you can eat" crab feast for $30 each at this same restaurant. Now for that same amount of money, you get five crabs. Sheesh. Probably the last time we go out for crabs any time again... as much as I love steamed crabs, this is too much. But today, I splurged. I split a dozen crabs with a buddy. The crabs were great -- meaty, firm, fresh, and quite tasty.

It takes a long time to eat one crab, from cracking the claws to squeezing the feelers (small swimming legs) to "opening the hatch" and removing the shell, discarding the gills and intestines, and get the lump meat inside. Dip it in a little butter and Old Bay seasoning, and pop it in your mouth. Yum! Part of the tradition of enjoying a crab feast is to take your time and talk with your friends. And there is a lot of time for that!

Usually one washes down the crabs with beer, but since we were on our motorcycles, we just bought pitchers of soft drinks.

It was another incredibly beautiful day in Maryland. Warm but not hot, sunny, and unusually low humidity. What a great day!