Foodie Friday: The Crab Claw
ST. MICHAELS, Md. – It’s summertime on Delmarva—which means everyone has blue crabs on their mind! For this edition of Foodie Friday, host Hannah Cechini and Foodie Photog Mike are visiting a spot that’s perfected that tradition over decades.
A Local Landmark
The Crab Claw in St. Michaels has been in the business of cracking crabs since 1965.
“The bigger it grew, the more the town grew, the more the community really started to embrace us, and started passing the word on,” said general manager Wayne Bridges.
And, there’s a reason why customers have been coming back so consistently for so long.
“We like to emanate family,” said Bridges. “We want families to come here and have a great time, we want kids to grow up and say, ‘Remember when mom and dad used to take us to The Crab Claw?'”
This joint started as a clam company, housed inside a cinder block building. Over the decades, The Crab Claw has evolved into a veritable institution. And this is the key: “I deal with all local purveyors, and buy exclusively from local people,” Bridges said.
Super Starters and Sides
As an example, the Diamondback oysters from Tilghman Island are nothing to toy with. “They’ve got a nice, natural sweetness, and they’re very meaty,” Hannah said.
And, according to Mike, the Clams Casino will have you feeling lucky.
“The cheese is really hiding nothing,” Mike said with satisfaction. “The clam is immediately coming out, and it’s just a lovely preparation… The tomato is even adding a little bit of acid, just the perfect amount.”
Local corn is another super side that got Mike feeling nostalgic.
“When you’re a kid, something in your brain says, ‘It’s not summer until I’ve had this thing,'” Mike said. “For me, it was always a good sweet corn. It’s finally summer, folks.”
You can’t go wrong with letting the shrimp sing in the steamer with some classic JO seasoning.
“The steamed shrimp are perfectly cooked,” Hannah said. “They are tender, but they still have a nice chew, and they’ve got the perfect amount of JO on them. Just delicious.”
And don’t forget to stab a skewer into some crab balls. Mike categorized them this way: “Lovely development of flavor and a little bit of crunch.”
What Every Marylander Dreams Of
However, we all know that none of that compares to the sultan of savory goodness; the purveyor of plump, juicy, sweet meat; the Maryland blue crab. At The Crab Claw, it’s JO or go, but no matter what your code to cracking is…
“This is what every Marylander dreams about,” Hannah said.
After removing the top shell, the gills, and the mustard (it’s a personal preference), Hannah snaps the crab in half laterally, finding plenty of delicious meat inside.
“It’s like a crab meat lollipop. Who doesn’t want that?” Hannah said. “It’s tender, it’s got its natural sweetness, which is what we all love about the Chesapeake blue crab.”
The Crab Claw
The Crab Claw is located at 304 Burns Street, St Michaels, Md. You can call them at 410-745-2900. If you go to check it out, tell the team that you saw them on Foodie Friday.
