Weekly reviews of crab cakes around the MD and DC area

Blue Hill Tavern

When you first hear where Blue Hill Tavern is located, you don't quite know what to expect. On the edge of Canton, more commonly known as Brewers Hill, lies the old Natty Boh brewery (which has since been turned into business and office space). So to know the area means that you may not have a favorable picture in your mind. Then you turn up at the Blue Hill Tavern and are just blown away. Stark in contrast, this 2-level establishment shows that upscale knows no neighborhood. It's someplace that you'll just have to experience for yourself. As for ourselves, we know that where there's Boh, there are crab cakes. And the Blue Hill Tavern delivers. Read on to see if they were worth the trip!

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Bluestone

BlueStone is a locally owned and managed seafood restaurant in Timonium, MD. Not quite on York Rd., BlueStone is located near the fairgrounds, but off the beaten path to the point that you've probably been near it several times and never known it. They've earned Trip Advisor's Certificate of Excellence for 2014, and a nod from Baltimore Magazine's Best Crab Cakes of 2009. We guess you could consider them a "hidden gem", if you will. But the real question is: how have BlueStone's crab cakes come since 2009? Read on and find out!

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Boatyard Grill

The Boatyard Grill is located over in the Eastport section of Annapolis, a sleepy little neighborhood frequented by sailors and populated by marinas.  Since 2001, the Boatyard Grill has focused on providing quality food that will keep you coming back again and again.  Their reputation is so good that Michelle Obama made a visit back in 2010, saying that their crab cakes were the best she's ever had.  So do they live up to the claim?  Read on and find out!

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Box Hill Pizzeria

Way back in December 2011, friend of the Review Jeff L had suggested Box Hill (see, we do listen!).  Our first thought was "A pizzeria?  Really?"  But then we looked into it, and eventually made the visit.  While it may not look like much from the outside, take a step inside, and you'll immediately notice all of the celebrity photos, as well as the wall of awards.  Continually being showered with awards and praise (such as Best Crab Cake by Baltimore Magazine in 2009), the Box Hill Pizzeria has been delivering crab cakes from a secret family recipe since 1984, both to the table as well as through the mail.  So with all of the talk, the CCR was set to see if the rumors were true.  Follow along as we take a road trip up to the Bel Air area to feast our eyes (and our mouths) on these award winning crab cakes!

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Brian Boru

Irish pubs aren't what you usually think of when it comes to searching for delicious crab cakes.  Cold, tasty Guinness?  Yes.  Corned beef and cabbage?  You betcha.  But crab cakes?  Color me skeptical.  However, there is a simple explanation for it.  You see, there used to be this restaurant in Annapolis called Little Campus.  Little Campus was one of those colorful local Annapolis haunts that served good food at an affordable price in an environment that is distinctively Annapolis.  But that all changed when Little Campus closed and an Irish bar by the name of Galway Bay took its place.

You see, legend has it that Little Campus employed a lady who was known as Miss Peggy.  And Miss Peggy was known for her crab cakes.  People would flock from far and wide for Miss Peggy's crab cakes.  So when Little Campus closed, the owners of Galway Bay carried on the tradition.  And the crab cakes are so good that the restaurant group that owns Galway Bay also carries her secret recipe at their other locations, the Killarney House and Brian Boru.

We all know what happens when someone buys the rights to something.  Typically it's just a cash grab at making a quick profit on a known, trusted name.  People still go out of their way to try the "brand", but because of the need to maximize profits, the quality suffers and isn't the same as it used to be, what made that name so famous in the first place.  So how has Miss Peggy's secret recipe fared since being taken over by an Irish restaurant group?  Follow along and find out!

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