For the Love of Food! : Maryland- The Kingdom of Crab 🦀

Remember the "shrimp is the fruit of the sea" scene in Forrest Gump (click here) when Bubba is reciting a littany of ways in which shrimp can be served?

Arguably, the same can be said of crab, and on this short holiday to Maryland, I was determined to complement my sightseeing with intermittent stops to count all the ways we can love crab.

Our first dinner upon arriving was at Conrad's Seafood Restaurant in Perry Hall, Maryland, a Baltimore suburb. Their entire menu is solid, and many items came to our table, but I will focus on our crustacean of the day. I ordered the Crab and Cheese Pretzel dip. It needs no chips or crackers, it's an all-inclusive dish that enthralls with every bite of creamy, crabby (in the good way) goodness, and chunks of doughy pretzels add to the richness.

My daughter Gracie ordered the Sashimi Salad, a delightfully messy structure that included Ahi tuna, salmon, halibut, radish, shredded carrots and cabbage, jalapeno, red onion, cucumber, wonton crisps, and tataki sauce, fresh and perfect for raw fish. She dropped the pieces of tuna into her mouth with the decadence of a Roman emperor with a bunch of grapes.

Sightseeing and exploration began the next day with a visit to Patterson Park in the middle of an upwardly mobile area lined with early 20th century buildings carefully remodeled to keep their vintage charm. The park is somewhat reminiscent of New York's Central Park with areas for children, sports, musical events, and what I saw as it's crowning glory, the Observatory, commonly known as the Pagoda, surrounded by pink magnolias.

Across one of the entrances to the park is St. Michael's Ukranian Catholic Church, a large cream-colored structure with gilded domes that can be seen for miles. On this day, signs painted over the colors of the Ukranian flag called all who passed to unite in prayer for that country and its courageos people.

The afternoon was spent in quaint Havre de Grace, named by the Marquis de Lafayette because it reminded him of Le Havre in France. An unassuming yet stately lighthouse oversees the place where the Susquehanna River meets the Chesapeake Bay on Concord Point.The boardwalk is surrounded by wetlands allowing a glimpse into this natural habitat for species of trees, all labeled, and geese, osprey, herons, eagles, and the ubiquitous ducks.

Pangs of hunger took us to Tidewater Grille, where another sampling of crab awaited. We started with some libations, a Coconut Pineapple Sunrise for me, Bacardi Superior Rum, Dorda Coconut Liqueur, pineapple juice, and Grenadine, a Lemon Blossom for John, Lemoncello and Prosecco with a splash of Sprite. My drink made me happy and set the tone for the entire meal. Their Cream of Crab Soup made with sherry was delicate, flavorful, and warm on this blustery spring day. I also indulged in grilled scallops topped with bacon jam, a delight both in texture and flavor.

The next day was dedicated to the search for the Seven Foot Knoll Lighthouse in downtown Baltimore, but before our encounter we indulged in a decadent brunch at Costas Inn, home of the famous half-pound crab cake, and thus I found the holy grail. They started us with amuse bouche-sized samples of their creamy crab and Maryland crab soups, both hearty and flavorful. Now, back to the crab cake. Without a doubt, this is the one to beat— meaty, velvety, and more inviting with every bite. And I would be remiss if I didn't mention the side of mushrooms grilled to absolute perfection.

John ordered the Crab Imperial, a bowl of jumbo lumps of crab in its favorite companion, Imperial sauce, a mix of mayonnaise, eggs, and Old Bay seasoning. The crab was bountiful, the sauce, by nature and through no fault of the establishment, proved unremarkable.

This restaurant is not considered one of the ten best in Baltimore for no good reason. Their menu is quite comprehensive, and every dish is executed to showcase the qualities of each ingredient.

Seven Foot Knoll Light is a round, bright red structure on screw piles, one of the more unusual lighthouses I've visited. It was originally installed in the mouth of the Patapsco River in 1855 and came to rest on Pier 5 of Baltimore Harbor long after it was decomissioned in 1949.

On our way out of the downtown area, we took a quick walk around Baltimore's minuscule Little Italy, but size does not matter sometimes. We found Angeli's Pizzeria, a lovely little place to end our visit with some sweet gelato, hazelnut in a a flute glass, and Spumoni, that divine trifecta of flavors, pistacchio, chocolate, and even the slight deviation of strawberry in the place of cherry. I wouldn't mind coming back for a full Italian meal in one of the landmark restaurants in the neighborhood.