I was REALLY surprised to read the rating that Washington Post writer Jane Black and colleagues gave to the crab cakes proffered by Silver Spring's landmark 1945 Crisfield Seafood Restaurant in her July 29, 2009 article, "The Lump Sum". Ms. Black included Crisfield under the rating "Don't Bother" (the three other categories in increasing acceptability were "So-So," "Good," and "The Real Deal."
One has to log on-line to the Post to read her critique:
Crisfield Seafood Restaurant
Two 3.5-ounce backfin crab cakes, $20
The tiled walls and old-time lunch counter set the tone for this crab cake: the ultimate blue-plate special. Made with local backfin crab, the cakes are seasoned lightly with Old Bay, green pepper, onion and a bit of cracker meal, then deep-fried. You get a generous portion, but the crab lacks the sweetness of some competitors, and the overall texture is a bit pasty. The skinny french fries and creamy coleslaw are the main attractions.
8012 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring, 301-589-1306, www.crisfieldseafoodrestaurant.com.
Gosh, by telling the world to not bother with Crisfield's crab cakes, you'd think they were inedible. I think this is really unfair of Black and her colleagues who conducted the taste tests, considering they made the following statements about the other establishments that Crisfield was lumped in with:
"...two greasy lumps.."
"...bland, smallish pieces of local crab..."
"...the exterior was marred by greasiness."
"...crab cakes that give the dish a bad name."
"...lifeless and overly salted..."
"...pretty flavorless to boot."
"Fishy flavor is a bad sign in a crab cake."
Now, I'm no connoisseur of crab cakes, having grown up in Ohio where the closest we came to seafood was Mrs. Paul's fish sticks. But, I've been a Crisfield customer going on 20 years and I love their crab cakes...even though soft-shell crabs are my favorite.
Are Crisfield's crab cakes really that bad? Please share your opinions.
My other favorite seafood restaurant!
One has to log on-line to the Post to read her critique:
Crisfield Seafood Restaurant
Two 3.5-ounce backfin crab cakes, $20
The tiled walls and old-time lunch counter set the tone for this crab cake: the ultimate blue-plate special. Made with local backfin crab, the cakes are seasoned lightly with Old Bay, green pepper, onion and a bit of cracker meal, then deep-fried. You get a generous portion, but the crab lacks the sweetness of some competitors, and the overall texture is a bit pasty. The skinny french fries and creamy coleslaw are the main attractions.
8012 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring, 301-589-1306, www.crisfieldseafoodrestaurant.com.
Gosh, by telling the world to not bother with Crisfield's crab cakes, you'd think they were inedible. I think this is really unfair of Black and her colleagues who conducted the taste tests, considering they made the following statements about the other establishments that Crisfield was lumped in with:
"...two greasy lumps.."
"...bland, smallish pieces of local crab..."
"...the exterior was marred by greasiness."
"...crab cakes that give the dish a bad name."
"...lifeless and overly salted..."
"...pretty flavorless to boot."
"Fishy flavor is a bad sign in a crab cake."
Now, I'm no connoisseur of crab cakes, having grown up in Ohio where the closest we came to seafood was Mrs. Paul's fish sticks. But, I've been a Crisfield customer going on 20 years and I love their crab cakes...even though soft-shell crabs are my favorite.
Are Crisfield's crab cakes really that bad? Please share your opinions.
My other favorite seafood restaurant!
I do not eat shellfish, but whenever I used to tell people I lived in Silver Spring, they would ask if I had eaten at Crisfield's. People love that place. I expected a fine dining establishment from the way people spoke of it. I'm surprised by the rating. This certainly isn't the opinion most people have of Crisfield's.
I love Crisfield, and I wouldn't change a thing there. But I do think that the crab cakes are not their best dish. Now the crab imperial, that's another story. Many traditional Maryland restaurants make their crab cakes from their crab imperial ingredients, but Crisfield doesn't. They use lesser crab meat and more seasoning. But there are so many great dishes to choose from; it's never an issue for me.
I agree, though, that the Post rating was too harsh and gives the wrong impression.
Linda Lyons
Crisfield used to be great but not anymore. I last had a meal there in 2005 and was very disappointed. For those that think it is still a great place most have their taste buds coated with grase and can't taste the food for what it is, fish not fresh but frozen as is everything else. Used be a great place.