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Where To Go For Great Crabcakes
I was recently in the Baltimore area (staying at a BWI-area hotel) and had teriffic crabcakes at a restaurant recommended by the hotel clerk, G&M Restaurant and Lounge.
The broiled cakes were big and had a lot of flavorful crabmeat - they used just enough filler to hold the cakes together.
The service was friendly and fast - the place was full on a weeknight, but I did get seated right away. Full seafood menu which also has some Italian dishes), a full bar and also a takeout section, if you want to take the crabcakes back to your hotel. Most BWI hotels will take you over on their shuttles.
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When I saw the title, I came in to post about G&M... My best friend from college lives in Catonsville and got me hooked on them. Unfortunately, his wife doesn't like them, so now we don't go as often. But I've been known to fly into BWI instead of DCA so I can get dinner at G&M. The "two crabcake" dinner is not for the feignt of heart... think six traditionally sized crabcakes. I usually cannot finish, which probably shocks those of you who have eaten with me before.
G&M has the decor of a Greyhound station. That's part of the charm. Actually, it's not that much worse than most diners. And if there's a wait, and there generally is one, it's a bit uncomfortable.
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Hehe...I thought you soliciting advice, not giving your opinion...oops, my bad. Never ate a G&M crabcake as I'm not a huge crab eater, but I've heard on many occasions that Bob Chinn's Crabhouse in Wheeling, IL has really great ones. (I used to work there, but there was an overwhelming amount of people that commented on those and the garlic blue crab claws.)
I was recently in the Baltimore area (staying at a BWI-area hotel) and had teriffic crabcakes at a restaurant recommended by the hotel clerk, G&M Restaurant and Lounge.
The broiled cakes were big and had a lot of flavorful crabmeat - they used just enough filler to hold the cakes together.
Until today I would have agreed 100% with this assesment. I was there for lunch today (thinking "I need to let the folks on FT know about this place" - should have known it was already mentioned! ) and while it was still better than most other places, they had increased the amount of filler . I will certainly try them again and I'm hoping it was the exception (last one made in a batch?) not the rule. Has anyone else been there recently?
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Last edited by orfflyer; Apr 27, 06 at 8:50 am..
Reason: spelling
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I was there a few months ago and definitely thought the crabcakes were good... I would hope a lot of filler just meant you got the corners of the batch that didn't quite get mixed all the way.
At our old company, our travel department forced all DC area air traffic to BWI - and this was the "treat" for having to be so far out of the way. I swear what they saved in airfare we dinged back in crabcakes!
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I was told that there's a family whose members started various similar
eateries in the BWI area - the ones I recall are Timbuktu, G&M, and
Hellas. They are all said to have had respectable crabcakes: in all
my experiences I've found the quantity more impressive than the
quality (slawecki's perception of their having been boiled may not be
far from the truth - I believe the meat has been pasteurized), but the
value hasn't been bad.
Timbuktu in Dorsey is the oddest of the lot, its takeout outlet next
door doubling as an adult bookstore. Its crabcakes were the first
(IMO) to go downhill - when I went there in Sept. 2001 the cakes
were enormous but held together with a large proportion of egg-based
binder. Not been there since but have sent advance scouts there,
who have detected no improvement.
When C. lived in Glen Burnie, we used to go to G&M periodically.
Haven't been in a while, as she's a bit farther south now. I recall
the crab not being Chesapeake blue (in fact, I would bet that none
of the three now uses the native crab). A friend reports that the
crabcakes have gotten a bit smaller but points out that at least
it didn't fall into the Timbuktu trap of trying to keep the size up
with filler.
We now occasionally go to Hellas in Millersville, which offers the
same kind of crabcake - giant, slightly dry (undoubtedly from the
pasteurization) lumps in a sizable portion.
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Haven't been there in a while, but the Crab Cake Factory on West
St. near rte 3 used to have tremendous food - it's had its ups and
downs; last time we went, a year or so ago, it was up.
Recently pleased by the crabcakes at Kentmorr on Kent Island, which
has the advantages of being accessible by boat or private plane, if
you are into that sort of thing. The cakes were very nice although
small and pricy.
I'd say, though, that the best thing to do is make your own, if you
can get fresh (or even carefully canned) blue crabmeat.
Timbuktu in Dorsey is the oddest of the lot, its takeout outlet next
door doubling as an adult bookstore. Its crabcakes were the first
(IMO) to go downhill - when I went there in Sept. 2001 the cakes
were enormous but held together with a large proportion of egg-based
binder. Not been there since but have sent advance scouts there,
who have detected no improvement.
I went to Timbuktu last November and I'd agree with your assessment. The crabcakes had a lot of binder and I found them to be rather bland. I'm looking forward to hitting up G&M next time.
They have generally been top ranked by most of the locals since I lived in Washington in the late 80s. Based on the link above they still are. Another good choice, in DC (or right outside) is Chrisfields.
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Another good choice, in DC (or right outside) is Chrisfields.
That's "Crisfield," named after the Eastern Shore town, for those
Googlers among you. My long-time favorite dish there was the fried
clams - it was one of the two restaurants I've ever been to that
used cherrystone clams in that dish; haven't been to Silver Spring
in a while, though. The crab cakes were pretty good, I agree, as
well. Not really fond of their fries and slaw, though.
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Best for me that I can recall was recently in Naples Florida !
HUGE lumps of crab meat and virtually NO filler. There were two places, one being a market/restaurant where you could buy the cakes to prepare at home. I'll review my notes and post.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by violist
That's "Crisfield," named after the Eastern Shore town, for those
Googlers among you. My long-time favorite dish there was the fried
clams - it was one of the two restaurants I've ever been to that
used cherrystone clams in that dish; haven't been to Silver Spring
in a while, though. The crab cakes were pretty good, I agree, as
well. Not really fond of their fries and slaw, though.
Oops, thanks for the correction. Their fried chicken is also very good.
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) and while it was still better than most other places, they had increased the amount of filler 
. I will certainly try them again and I'm hoping it was the exception (last one made in a batch?) not the rule. Has anyone else been there recently?
The best. They also ship Fed Ex. We have them sent in every year for New Year's Eve dinner. 
