Speaking of crab...

Some co-workers and I were discussing crabcakes the other day. And when I crave beer, it's inevitable that the craving for crabcakes comes along. I could go for one right now. So... What's the best crabcake you've ever had?

I actually had to name three. No, it wasn't Box Hill - I've had theirs once and it was pretty good. I wouldn't turn it down, anyway. I've also never had Phillip's (I've heard theirs is great), but I'm very curious to check it out. I'm not gonna lie, I'm a bit of a crabcake snob, so here's my take.

Top 3 Crabcakes:

#3 - Catches, Middle River.
No, I didn't mistype. It's that restaurant on 40, with the big bar and giant projector screen hovering over a karaoke stage. It was my first time there, and my friend had ordered a salad with medium-rare tuna. When it came out it smelled so bad I felt naseous. I almost immediately wrote the place off, but when my crabcake came out, I figured I'd give 'em one last chance. It was excellent. I'm not a big fan of any kind of filler, and thankfully theirs was minimal. Even so, it actually added to the dish - I feel like most fillers take away from crab taste, but this one was perfectly complementary. Almost like a light imperial sauce or something. Whatever it was, I said bravo. I finished the whole gargantuan cake - and left wanting more. Best crabcake I've had in Maryland, hands down.

#2 - Del Frisco's, Manhattan.
Del Frisco's is good at a lot of things. Making you feel like a high-end food critic is one of them, if for no other reason that the fact that everything they serve is outsanding. The quality of the steak is a dream. But what better way to start an amazing steak dinner than with a little "surf"? I'd like to know how it's possible to serve a cake with lumps that size without it falling apart on the plate. Seriously, they were huge - and impeccably juicy. There was LITERALLY not a trace of filler or egg white or any of the above. I marveled at the sheer construction. Needless to say, with minimal extras, this cake was extremely impressive. They do serve the cake with a cajun lobster sauce on the side, which was also excellent, although it had a bit too much of a bite for my taste. Either way, delicious. Aaaand... drumroll, please?...

#1 - The Washington Inn, Cape May.
Although the lumps aren't as big as Del Frisco's, they're a decent size - but what makes this cake stand out above the rest is the prep. Like I've already said, I don't love a bunch of extras. But these guys take it to a whole new level. The (extremely light) breading cooks into a crisp, outer layer that seals in every tiny morsel of flavor. The crab is just barely seasoned, allowing the choicest bites to shout, "CRAB!" The key, however, is in the roasted red peppers. Even more than Old Bay or Malt Vinegar, roasted red peppers pair with crabmeat like Will Smith and Jada. It's like the gold medal of the flavor olympics. Not only are there a few right inside the cake, but they serve it with a roasted red pepper cream sauce that I could bathe in (as long as I could simultaneously eat it). I've said too much - if I didn't have to work tomorrow I would literally drive to Jersey right now.

I've started to use red bell peppers in my homemade cakes, too - haven't mastered the sauce yet, but the cakes themselves are fabulous with the diced peppers. I've also found that the Culinary Reserve brand (Super Lump) is worth the 20 bucks a can - it's huge, it's juicy, and I couldn't find a shell in there if I tried.

*sigh* I realllly want a crabcake now...