Founded in 1978, Food & Wine magazine is considered a global authority on food and drink culture. “We share and celebrate the best recipes, experiences, and culinary talent in the world, inspiring and empowering curious food-obsessed people to eat, drink, host, and travel better.” The magazine/website created a list of the “Best Crab Cakes in the U.S.” and, not surprisingly, the top two are right here in Maryland.
“First made by Indigenous groups surrounding the Chesapeake Bay area, the crab cake has long been popular along the Mid-Atlantic coast.” Of the seven restaurants on the list, three are in the mid-Atlantic, with numbers one and two in Maryland.
Coming in at #2 is Faidley’s in Baltimore. “Damye Hahn runs this family restaurant, founded by her great-grandfather way back in 1886, with her mom, Nancy Faidley. Nancy started making Faidley’s now-famous crab cakes in 1987, and she’s still making them by hand today. The recipe is as consistent (and as secret) as it was back then, and it starts with jumbo lump crabmeat. The cakes are served naked with lettuce, tomato, balsamic, and crackers. And, like Jimmy’s, Faidley’s is also happy to ship you its crab cakes, so long as you reside in the continental United States.”
Coming in at #1 is Jimmy’s Famous Seafood in Baltimore. “This family recipe, which has drawn customers from all over the world, starts with high-quality crab meat (which chef/owner Tony Minadakis sources as locally as possible) and includes finely chopped white bread (no crust), eggs, mayo, wet and dry mustard, Worcestershire sauce and Jimmy’s own seasoning. Can’t make it to the restaurant in Maryland? That’s OK. Jimmy’s ships its crab cakes nationwide.”
Featured photo shows crab cakes from Jimmy’s Famous Seafood in Baltimore