Best Crabcakes Anywhere?
 

This will freak out many of the Maryland faithful but the best darn crabcakes I EVER had..and, trust me, I do lOVE crabcakes was at a place called The Fireside Restaurant in Hagerstown, Maryland. I have eaten crabcakes all over the East Coast but NO ONE ever did as good at this place. It is in the Plaza Hotel which at one time was the Howard Johnson's Inn.

Re: Best Crabcakes Anywhere?
 

There's a place called Stoney's in Solomons Island MD reputed to be the best...I'll get to check them out in 2 weeks.

Re: Best Crabcakes Anywhere?
 

I LOVE crabcakes too. Have you tried the crabcakes at Cane Gardens. WOW. They are awesome! I heard the chef there is from MD, maybe that's why they're so good... :)

Re: Best Crabcakes Anywhere?
 

I'm heading to Cane Gardens tomorrow to check them out. I'll let you know.

Re: Best Crabcakes Anywhere?
 

[quote=MMC24 ]
I'm heading to Cane Gardens tomorrow to check them out. I'll let you know.

OK, I went to Cane Gardens for the crab cakes. They were very very good and very comparable to ones found in Maryland. :bigthumbsup:

Re: Best Crabcakes Anywhere?
 

Are they an entre or an appetizer?

Re: Best Crabcakes Anywhere?
 

Soon as I get back from Vermont, I will be reporting to my favorite hangout and ordering crab cakes to do the comparison test! Tha'nks for the tip.

Re: Best Crabcakes Anywhere?
 

They may not have been the best, but I had really good crabcakes in Ruby Tuesday's (in Phila) over the weekend. It's a special they are running and I don't know if Ruby Tuesday's in TV has them. But worth a try either as an appetizer, or on ther crab-burger! Nice tangy sauce too! :clap2:

Re: Best Crabcakes Anywhere?
 

My wife and I grew up around the Chesapeake Bay in MD. We've eaten seafood our whole live, MD syle crab cakes are the best. The best we have had since moving to TV are at The Village Eatery. Behind the Perkins on 441, in the shopping center. The guy who owns this place is from Baltimore, MD. Try the crab cakes and ask for a little Old Bay seasoning on the side.

We'll Try That Village Eatery Place, But...
 

...the crabcakes at Tierra del Sol CC are pretty good. The owner of the restaurant there is from Maryland and he makes his with almost all lump blue crab meat, very little if any filler or binder. They need a little more Old Bay's for our taste, but that's easy to understand and fix "on the side". Whenever we need a "crab cake fix" we head for Tierra del Sol CC.

Re: Best Crabcakes Anywhere?
 

Tierra del Sol, Cane Gardens, and the Village Eatery...Thank you all for the good eating tips. :bigthumbsup:

Crab cakes with little or no filler/binder, and big lumps are IMHO the food of the gods. The cakes at Ruby Tuesday's (Twin Cities, MN) are a surprising "wonderful", better than most expensive restaurants we have been to.

This is timely information for us as we will be in TV from the 4th to the 13th of April. We will try at least one of these places...can't wait. :hot: :hot: :hot: :2excited:

Re: Best Crabcakes Anywhere?
 

I agree that the best crab cakes we've had since moving to TV are at The Village Eatery in Spanish Springs.

Re: Best Crabcakes Anywhere?
 

Susan & Tom

We'll be in TV the same time...maybe we could go crabcake hunting together.

One of our favs!

Re: Best Crabcakes Anywhere?
 

:agree: That sounds like a wonderful idea. Lets do it. :bigthumbsup:
Susan

Re: Best Crabcakes Anywhere?
 

This could turn into quite an adventure...looking forward to it!

Re: Best Crabcakes Anywhere?
 

Just to set the record straight, we tried the crab cakes at Tierra del Sol. I found they were not MD Style and for the amount of crab you get they were pretty expensive. The owner of the Tierra del Sol owned a rest. in Ocean City, MD. I still say they are not MD style Crab Cakes. I have not found anyone with better MD style crab cakes than The Village Eatery. Now if I was back in MD, the story might be a little different.

Re: Best Crabcakes Anywhere?
 

We embarked on our "Best Crabcakes in TV" quest today.

Susan, Tom, Hyacinth Bucket, Sidney Lanier, Mr. Brightspot and I began at Ruby Tuesday's followed by Tierra Del Sol.

Joining us at Tierra were Beady, Barefoot, Samhass, and Mr. Samhass. It was so much fun meeting everyone and quite an interesting crabcake experience.

We have elected Hyacinth to report our opinions so you'll have to wait to read our reviews when she posts. Hopefully she'll also include our very last crabcake taste test which I did not mention above...will leave it as a surprise.

We are not finished yet. Sadly Hyacinth and Sidney won't be able to critique The Village Eatery and The Waterfront later this week. By the time we arrived, both restaurants were closed. So, Susan, Tom, Mr. Bright and I will try to make it there before we leave TV next Sunday and report back to you.

Here are some of the pics we took...
Brightspot, Susan, Hyacinth
http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/h...n/IMG_0129.jpg

Brightspot and Susan (after licking the plate...lol)
http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/h...n/IMG_0127.jpg

L to R: Hyacinth, Beady, Susan, Brightspot, Barefoot, Samhass
http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/h...n/IMG_0130.jpg
http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/h...n/IMG_0132.jpg

Men L to R: Mr. Samhass, Sidney, Mr. Bright, Tom
http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/h...n/IMG_0133.jpg

Around table starting at left: Mr. Bright, Tom, Mr. Samhass, Sidney
http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/h...n/IMG_0134.jpg

Re: Best Crabcakes Anywhere?
 

bump ;D ;D ;D

Re: Best Crabcakes Anywhere?
 

The crabcakes weren't the best but the company was great!! :bigthumbsup:

Re: Best Crabcakes Anywhere?
 

Company was great! :beer2: :beer2:

Crab cakes......well......

I will leave the critique to Hyacinth.

Re: Best Crabcakes Anywhere?
 

I just wiped the drool off my keyboard. Thanks so much for the pic's. A great time for a great group. ;)

Re: Best Crabcakes Anywhere?
 

Re: Best Crabcakes Anywhere?
 

Can't wait for the critique! What a fine looking bunch! Thanks for the pics. :bigthumbsup:

Re: Best Crabcakes Anywhere?
 

Dear Gentle Reader,

In todays digest I will be reviewing two establishments - Ruby Tuesday and Tierra del Sol's crab cakes. In the future I or two of my staff will present our findings at the Village Eatery.

From my perspective the company was EXCELLENT at both restaurants. They were knowledgeable, fair critics and quite observant of any possible flaws in service or epicurean delights.

Ruby Tuesday - Crab cakes were excellent. Lumps of crab, no bread filler. Presentation was appealing to the eye, to the palate exquisite. A joyous experience.

Service - Request Angel, he was excellent. If you know Spanish you can converse with him in Spanish. He performed up to my rigid standards. He was prompt with taking our order, had knowledge of how item was prepared and did not forget anything that we requested.

Overall rating of crab cakes - 5 stars
Value for money - 5 stars
Ambiance 3 1/2 stars
Service - five stars
Cleanliness - 4 stars
Table was clean, no round water stains on table top, flatware and crystal had no water stains. Floors appeared to be clean.

Highly recommend crab cakes.

Tierra del Sol - Crab cakes were primarily all a sticky filler and occasionally I could find a shred of crab - that is if I used a magnifying glass. Presentation was okay. To the palate - horrible. I was left with a sticky feeling on my palate due to stuffing mix that was not cooked properly.

Service - appeared to be non-existing. Request was made for lemons for the water six times. Lemons were never brought. Bread was brought toward the end of the meal and with out butter, French onion soup was ordered by two of our party. Waitperson informed party who ordered soup that the bottom plate was hot and to be careful when she served the soup. When the party took their first sips they were woefully dismayed. The soup was cold. Never warmed up. They spoke with the wait person and soup was warmed. I am assuming in the microwave. Since the soup was originally served with the cheese already melted on it, as if it had just been made, one can only wonder how long it had been in the refrigerator. Need I say more Dear Gentle Reader.

Restaurant was approximately 95% empty and yet service was extremely slow.

Knowledge of crab cakes - I was informed that the crab cakes were primarily pieces of lump of crab. Would have to rate knowledge of crab cakes served here as zero.

Overall rating of crab cakes - no stars
Value for money - no stars
Ambiance 3 1/2 stars
Service - no stars
Cleanliness - 3 stars
Table was clean, no round water stains on table top, flatware and crystal had water stains on them. Did not find any dried food on either the flatware or crystal.

Do not, and I repeat, it is only my humble opinion that you should NOT order the crab cakes. I personally was very upset with what was served to me as compared to what I was informed would be served. My palate - that is another story for a later time.

French onion soup - it is my opinion that you should be aware that the soup may be served cold.

Please be patient with myself and staff. We are extremely busy as you are well aware. We will break away from our schedules as soon as possible.

I feel it is imperative for me to mention that neither restaurant used leaded crystal or sterling flatware.

Yours in Pursuing Epicurean Delights and Pleasure,

Hyacinth Bucket

Re: Best Crabcakes Anywhere?
 

I have had the crab cakes at Tierra Del Sol, and they are MD style. So far, they are the only MD style crab cakes that I've found. I haven't tried The Village Eatery yet. The owner of Tierra had a place in Ocean City, but was originally from Baltimore.

Re: Best Crabcakes Anywhere?
 

Ruby Tuesdays has the best crab cakes!!! A little pricey but worth it! :bigthumbsup: :bigthumbsup: :bigthumbsup:

Re: Best Crabcakes Anywhere?
 

As a life long Marylander I'm always on the lookout for the best crabcake in Maryland. It's great to see that even after moving to TV the quest continues. I'll be down there in June and will check out your suggestions, thanks--e

Re: Best Crabcakes Anywhere?
 

Eddie,
Could you please bring some crabcakes down with you. The ones here suck. Better yet, throw a few bushels of Chesapeake Blues in the car and we can have a feast. Beats the heck out of Crispers.

Re: Best Crabcakes Anywhere?
 

Muncle if Crazyeddie brings the crabs are all the testers invited to the crab cake fest?

HB

Re: Best Crabcakes Anywhere?
 

HB --
If Eddie can afford to just throw in a few bushels of crabs along when he comes, he ain't Crazy Eddie, he's Rich Eddie. Or, as I call him, Sir.

And it's his party. I don't do the invitin'. I'll just hang around outside hoping to get a claw thrown my way.

Re: Best Crabcakes Anywhere?
 

Eddie...please pack my favorite...dungeness! And please don't ruin them by making them into MD style crabcakes!

Just my humble and honest opinion.

Re: Best Crabcakes Anywhere?
 

One of these days when the house is actually done, I am going to post my review of all the crabcakes we ate while in TV. Until then if you can't get to Ruby Tuesday's and if there is a Sam's Club nearby, do yourself a favor and buy these...
http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/j...k/IMG_4994.jpg
They are better than 90% of the crabcakes we ate in TV. The aoili is not my favorite, you might want to make your own sauce. But the cakes? Really good, especially for frozen/bake in the oven, easy.
Try them you won't be disappointed.

Re: Best Crabcakes Anywhere?
 

The Ruby Tuesday crab cakes are perfect for any diet and excellent.

HB

Re: Best Crabcakes Anywhere?
 

Ever since our crabcake adventure, Mr. Bright has been working diligently to create a "cake" that will outshine all others. He's taking the "who makes the best crabcakes" personal and has been experimenting beyond crab.

Needless to say, we are eating more than our share of his secret ingredient cakes as he strives for perfection! I'm enjoying every bite. He hasn't made a bad batch yet and they just keep getting better and better.

Re: Best Crabcakes Anywhere?
 

Bright - please send us some. We are volunteering to be taste testers also.

HB

Re: Best Crabcakes Anywhere?
 

Crabcakes mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Had me reminiscing, our RI home was 100 feet from Narrow River in Narragansett. Bringing the chicken wings tied to a string and the crabnets and lazing a day away on the dock, and later reaping the rewards of sweet succulant blue crabs. Dropped the bucket full of crabs in the back yard once and the nasty blues were after me! They are AGRESSIVE! I was on the deck in .001 seconds, quite the sight! We still laugh about that day!! Sure would enjoy a big pot luck seafood gathering, someday!! I volunteer Baked Stuffed Shrimp! Yummy! HHmmm Guess whats for dinner tonight?

Re: Best Crabcakes Anywhere?
 

HB, Ronda, and anyone else interested...

When we're all together again, we'll plan a "cake" sampling at our house (or one of yours). Everyone who comes would bring their homemade cakes (crab, shrimp, tuna, halibut, salmon, artichoke, whatever...oh my...the possibilities are endless) and we'll have a feast!

Ronda...you bring baked stuffed shrimp...we'll pretend it's some sort of seafood cake. LOL Sounds so yummy. Would love to have your recipe...hint, hint.

Now, that sounds like a fun evening to me!

Re: Best Crabcakes Anywhere?
 

OK here goes. Rokin R's Baked Stuffed Shrimp. 1 1/2 lbs of raw clean and deveined, tail on Gulf shrimp. I give a quick rinse and dry with paper towels. Split each shrimp as you go w/a steak knife starting at the tail on the inside of the C shape to the end, careful not to cut all the way through. Stuffing ingredients-1 sleeve of RITZ crackers-crushed (just squeeze them in the wrapper over a bowl), 1/2 cup of bread crumbs, 1 can of good grade lump crabmeat, 1 and 1/2 sticks melted butter (you may substitute Promise or such), lemon juice from 1 fresh lemon (careful w/seeds), 1/8 cup sherry, 1/2 of a finely diced red pepper, 3 tablesspoons of grated yellow onion, 1 clove or 1/2 teaspoon of finely chopped garlic. 1 teaspoon italian parsley. OK now I melt the butter in a small frying pan, add onion, red pepper and garlic-saute until tender. Then add sherry, lemon juice, and crab. Finally add RITZ and bread crumbs and mix well. At this point I taste and add a bit more sherry and melted butter if too dry. (stuffing should be just moist enough to hold together, but not wet ). Take a tablespoon of stuffing and put atop sliced side of shrimp. I use a baking dish and place the shrimp along the outside with the tails upright against the inside edge of the pan. This helps to hold the shape. Bake at 350 degree preheated oven for approx. 15-20 minutes until stuffing is golden brown and shrimp are cooked through. Serve with lemon slice garnish and drawn butter. ENJOY!

Re: Best Crabcakes Anywhere?
 

Ronda

Those sound heavenly...omg

I think I could eat the whole panful! Sigh!

Re: Best Crabcakes Anywhere?
 

Bright you gave a long list of cakes but I did not notice chocolate, cheese, apple, etc? :)

HB