Crab cake memories
Jon Parker came through for us last minute with exactly the kind of guest post I was hoping for: a short, entertaining beach anecdote. It proves that being a native of the Chesapeake region is a state of mind, not an accident of birth. Here's Jon. EL
This is pretty late for Beach Week, but I have no idea what beach I was at. I think it was in Virginia, but I'm not sure. ...
When I was a kid, maybe six or so, we went on vacation from Oklahoma to visit my grandfather's brother. He worked in DC, but he was a hard core waterman in his free time. We stayed in a cabin on the beach -- again, I'm not sure if he rented it or owned it, but knowing him he'd bought the thing.
I have three real memories of that trip. First was being stung by jellyfish all over my body. I was in itchy, scratchy pain, and ended up rolling around on the floor in a blanket to stop it.
The other is helping Uncle Heston set the crab traps and pulling up tons of blue crabs. We ate crabs all that week -- crab cakes for lunch and dinner every day.
And the third is not so much a memory as an oft-repeated family story. After four or five days there, I approached Aunt Lois and asked her if we could have something special for dinner that night. She figured I was completely sick of crab by that point.
"Sure honey, what would you like?" she asked.
"Crab cakes!" I replied. Apparently even though I was nearly three decades away from returning to the Chesapeake, I was a hardcore crab eater even at that age.
For some reason, I still have not made a trip to the beach since I returned to Maryland 15 years ago. But I still eat crabs at every opportunity.
(Lloyd Fox/Sun photographer)
Comments
Everybody loves a crabcake!
Posted by: Kenny Banya | June 18, 2009 7:30 PM
I have yet to find a really good crab cake in Oceacn City/Bethany/Rehobeth.
Posted by: Donny B | June 19, 2009 9:46 AM
Speaking of crabcakes, last night I went with my family to G & M restaurant. I was prepared for anything, given the wide range of opinions on it, but I have to say that we were seriously underwhelmed!
We were seated quickly, got our drinks, and gave our order in an acceptable amount of time, but then waited and waited for our appetizer. We ordered mushrooms stuffed with crab, and all they did was broil mushrooms with crab mix on top of it. Humdrum.
Salads came after that: iceberg lettuce with a little, and I mean a little bit of other greens thrown in, along with tomatoes that were worse than winter tomatoes, and teeny tiny croutons. There were a few shredded carrots here and there.
3 of the 4 ordered two crab cake platter, and hubby ordered steak with a crab cake (he's gotta have his cow). Crab cakes were a very nice size, with some lump crab, but were almost tasteless.
Vegetables were all limp and overcooked, mashed potatoes were boring.
All in all, a disappointment. I won't bother going back again.
(We thought that Olive Grove Restaurant, which is only about two blocks away, is better).
Posted by: Cosmos Girl I>--I | June 19, 2009 8:35 PM
Happy belated birthday, Cosmos Girl.
Posted by: Lissa | June 19, 2009 10:08 PM
Thanks Lissa!!
Posted by: Cosmos Girl I>--I | June 19, 2009 11:05 PM
happy bd CG!
Posted by: Amanda C | June 19, 2009 11:19 PM
Cosmos Girl, unfortunately the Olive Grove is just as bad as G&M. Maybe slightly more surly service.
If you are looking for yummy eats in Linthicum, try the Japanese place on Camp Meade Road... unfortunately it is late and I can't recall it's name.
Posted by: Misha the Veggie Lover | June 23, 2009 11:08 PM
CG, the last time we went to G&M, the kid who doesn't like crab cakes (gasp) ordered the shrimp paremesan which seemed kind of odd at the time. He actually got the best meal of all of us. I ended up boxing my crabcake to take home and ordering an extra side of spaghetti and sharing his very generous portion of shrimp parm.
I don't like their crab cakes either - they are raw in the center and definitely need Old Bay, and I think the crab meat is an asian import because it has no flavor at all.
Posted by: Joyce W. | June 24, 2009 5:51 AM