The Ultimate Baltimore Crab Feast: Where to Pick Steamed Blue Crabs Like a Native
Grab your wooden mallet, slide into a newspaper-draped table, and master the art of cracking sweet Chesapeake blue crabs crusted in spicy Old Bay.
There is no ritual in American food more communal, sensory, or deeply rooted in regional pride than the Maryland Crab Feast. In Baltimore, sitting down with friends and neighbors over a table covered in brown butcher paper with bushels of steamed blue crabs is an essential summer rite of passage.
The Golden Rules of Crab Picking
First: never use a hammer to crush the claws; you want gentle taps with your wooden mallet to crack the shell without shattering shell fragments into the delicate lump meat. Second: keep a cold Maryland craft beer or National Bohemian nearby, and do not be afraid to get your hands thoroughly seasoned with Old Bay and apple cider vinegar.
Baltimore Food Guide Editorial
The Baltimore Food Guide editorial staff uncovers the culinary heartbeat of Baltimore — from cherished family-run institutions to cutting-edge eateries and hidden bars.
