Annapolis has lots of small shops and restaurants that add to the quaintness of this harbor town.  And what a better way to enjoy the charm of Annapolis than by relaxing in a luxury hotel?  West Kitchen & Tavern is a "scratch" kitchen located in the Lowes hotel, offering a wide selection of delicacies celebrating the Chesapeake flavor that has made the area famous.  Using only fresh, local ingredients, they offer a wide variety of plates that you can share or keep all to yourself.  And what Chesapeake menu isn't complete without crab cakes?  Continue on to find out how they turned out!

This week the Crab Cake Review attempts to stay home and sample some of the home versions of crab cakes.  Today's victim is Whole Foods.  The world's largest retailer of organic and natural food, one would hope that their access to sustainable, locally sourced seafood would produce a crab cake worthy of recognition.  Especially with a Baltimore location.  How did it all work out?  Read on!

Back in April, we reviewed the Backfin Crab Cake from Whole Foods, which received high marks.  During a recent trip to that very Whole Foods, I noticed that they were offering jumbo lump crab cakes.  Seeing how the backfin ones were pretty tasty, it would only stand to figure that the jumbo lump would be even better given the quality of food that Whole Foods typically carries.  So how did the jumbo lump crab cakes compare?  Let's find out!

If you've ever spent any time driving on I-95 in NE MD, you may have noticed a large crab on one of those restaurant exit signs. That sign would be for Woody's Crab House, located in, you guessed it, North East, MD. Woody's Crab House serves up Chesapeake cuisine in a casual environment, specializing in steamed crabs and crab cakes. And after a tour of their website, it would seem that they also organize vacation tours (if only there was a real Old Bay Beach...). So while crabs weren't fully in season when we were at Woody's, they still had plenty of crab cakes available. Are they good enough to stake their reputation on? Read along and see what we thought!

Ze Mean Bean Café started out as just a coffee house back in 1995, serving light fare and traditional Eastern European cuisine, alongside desserts, coffee, and tea. Since then, they have expanded into a full-service wine and dining destination. In the land of pierogies, galumpkies, and kielbasa, you wouldn't expect to find a crab cake. But this is Bawlmer, hon! Crab cakes are everywhere, and it's always fun finding them in unexpected places. Read on to find out how the Eastern European take on our beloved crab cake was!