Seafood in Maryland

Last Saturday my uncle took us to Annapolis, Maryland, which is the capital of Maryland. The area is known for their fresh seafood, including fresh crabs. Previously, one of his friends had taken him to a well-known restaurant, in the area, and he wanted us to experience the same atmosphere that he did. We drove about 45 minutes from Washington D.C., went shopping, and then to this restaurant.

The restaurant was “Mike’s Crab House”, which is located on the beautiful South River. The water was so peaceful and filled with boats and yachts. This popular restaurant, amongst the locals, has a medieval style with seating indoors and outdoors. It felt like part of the indoor portion of the restaurant had no walls and was connected with the outdoor portion, because all you could see was the river. The restaurant was filled with families, all casually dressed and ready for a day in the sun. While seating at the restaurant, I got the whole “New England” feel; the atmosphere just didn’t feel like the south. I felt like I was in Cape Cod, lol! Even though it was hot, we requested outdoor seating because it’s like one big porch. We waited about 15 minutes for a seat since it was the beginning of lunch time, it wasn’t packed.

We sat at a picnic style wooden table that had a large piece of brown paper spread across it, and it also had a bucket of utensils. The utensils were a small knife and something that looked like a hammer. I know that you’re thinking, why is this? Keep reading and you will see. Our waitress was very nice and immediately took our drink orders once we sat down. For an appetizer we ordered a bucket of “Steamed Crabs”. But the crabs ended up coming out with our entrees, because we were told that the kitchen got backed up with orders. Furthermore, this was my first time eating a whole crab and taking it a part at the same time. Our bucket was filled with large crabs and once I got my crab, I discovered what the paper tablecloth and utensils were for. I put the crab on the table and broke the legs off with my hands, then I used the hammer tool to break the legs, and I used the knife to get the meat out. I repeated this several times for each leg. Then when it came to the body, I broke it with both the hammer and my hands, and I used the knife to get the meat out. Below are pictures of my crab fun!

Also on the table was “Old Bay Seasoning”, “Vinegar”, and “Melted Butter” to dip the crab meat in.

I could only eat one crab because it took so much time to break it and eat it. Next, I sampled our various entrees which consisted of “Fried Shrimp”, “Sauteed Lump Crab Cake”, “Fried Haddock”, “French Fries”, and a side salad. We shared the food because it was enough to feed an army. There were no complaints about the taste of the food, it was all fresh and good. Our only complaint was that the “Steamed Crabs” didn’t come out before our entrees.

The prices are reasonable and “Mike’s Crab House” is the perfect place to take your family. So if you are ever in the Annapolis, Maryland area, please do give it a try!

http://www.mikescrabhouse.com/