Originally Posted by
notsosmart
Why would you eat crabcakes in Texas?
Because down near Galveston is some of the best crabbing you
could imagine, for some of the best crabs (blues) you could
imagine. I know as I've done both the crabbing and the eating.
Originally Posted by
TMOliver
Because within 50 miles of Houston are substantial commercial crabbing operations (Blues), and in the area are a number of restaurants which do a decent job with the dish....
Truth.
Originally Posted by
TMOliver
A couple of classics, crab au gratin and lump crabmeat sauteed in butter, remain at "about as good as you're gonna get" in the back room at Gaidos in Galveston, and the legendary (Are they still with us?) "barbecued" (not barbecued at all) crab over at Sabine Pass still lurks in my memory.
Gaido's still exists? Good for them. I used to eat at the offshoot
in Houston.
Originally Posted by
TMOliver
The tendnecy to "dilute" crab with bread crumbs, corn bread, and other adulterants is hardly new or limited to Texas. Major guilt should be assigned to a handful of food service purveyors which supply restaurants and hotel dining rooms with "pre-made" crab cakes and similar menu items (and to the folk who buy from them).
Had a "crab" cake the other day that was at least 80% filler and at
most 15% crab, any remainder being taken up with unmentionables.
The weird thing is that despite the fact that one had to seek among
the crumbs for the filaments of crustacean, the thing was actually
good. I don't know whether they put a ton of MSG, or cocaine, or
what into the mix; does anyone know how to make a great crab cake
out of mostly filler? It was to me a wonder almost along the lines of
the loaves and fishes ... .
Originally Posted by
MarqFlyer
Everybody is focusing on whether it makes sense to order crab in Texas, but it seems to me the better predictor of quality vs. garbage is the fact that the meal was purchased in the hotel restaurant.
Yes, I know that good hotel restaurants exist. But my experience is that they're the exception, not the rule, even in many upscale hotels. I'm guessing they realize they can get away with a bit more, since they have a captive audience of folks who wouldn't likely be repeat customers anyhow.
In parts of Asia, the very best food is to be had in 1. the hole in the wall
dives; and 2. in the top hotel restaurants. (Yeah, I know, Houston ain't
in Asia, but the worldwide generalization shouldn't be made.)