by Chrysa Smith

Aah. There’s nothing quite like a man in uniform. Or for that matter, a good crab cake. And that’s what makes Annapolis, MD so dreamy. You can have your admiral and —hmm–crustacean too.
Looking for a short getaway this winter, Mark and I took a ride down the Midatlantic seaboard to arrive in a charming Colonial city. With old brick buildings, cobblestone streets and marinas at the ends of shopping districts, there’s that character that you aren’t likely to find in many towns. Much of it is contained and walkable and dotted with seamen from the US Naval Academy.
We stayed at one of the Historic Inns of America, located right on one of the main circles in town, and stumbled onto some nice shops, the grounds of the NavalAcademy and Chick and Ruths.
Mark has a way with beginner’s
luck. He’ll just stumble into or onto something and voila—it turns out to be a great find. And so it was with Chick and Ruths. Chick and Ruths is one of those haunts—a town staple that doesn’t look like much on the outside, but inside, a sparkling gem. Like a diner, breakfast packed the place with hearty looking dishes full of eggs and potatoes and bacon. But I can’t vouch for anything—but the crabcakes. And they, my seafood-loving friends, are to die for.
At first, I wasn’t sure about taking crab from a diner, on a three hour ride up the coast and then, expecting it to be a great meal. Well, let me tell you—it was better. No fillers, no shells. Their crab comes pre-made, but not pre-cooked, in little plastic tubs. With one, you can make two cakes of decent size: broiled, baked or fried—as small or large as you like it. And better yet, if you can’t make it to Annapolis, they deliver.
Log onto www.ChickandRuths.com and take a look at the options. We purchased enough crab to make about 10 cakes—which cost about $50 or about $5/cake. That’s about what my local fish store charges for some mediocre variety. Comparing it to a nice restaurant quality meal, it’s downright reasonable—for crab that’s better-tasting than in most restaurants I’ve frequented. Plus, it makes a great gift. What better for a land-lubber than receiving fresh seafood in the mail that requires little to no work?
Can’t mail you an admiral, but when in Annapolis, do plan to visit the Academy. It’s beautiful and impressive–with nice scenery to boot.