Ah....the beach.  Or as we call it around these parts "downy ocean, hon".  While most beaches can provide fun, sun, sand and seafood, Ocean City is one of the few places on the Eastern Seaboard where you can get a true Maryland crab cake.  And taking a drive up and down Coastal Highway (otherwise known as Hormone Highway if it's Junebug season), you notice the plethora of crab houses offering up Maryland's finest.  It can be a nerve-racking decision as to which location you will patronize, especially if you are just there for a day.

If you are anything like the CCR, then you'll be thinking of enjoying a seriously good crab cake after spending some time on the boards (be that surf, boogie or the boardwalk).  And while any crab house can serve up a crab cake, it takes a place like the Crabcake Factory USA to let you know what their specialty is.  Despite having a not so stellar experience at another "factory", I decided to throw caution to the wind and see what it was they had to offer.

The Crabcake Factory USA has been around since 1986, making crab cakes fresh in Ocean City and shipping them all around the world.  There is even a sign outside of their restaurant on 120th St boasting the over one million crab cakes being sold/shipped.  But do the crab cakes live up to the hype?  Let's find out!

If you ever go down to visit Solomon's Island from Baltimore/DC, you may notice the Ruddy Duck on your left as you head down to the island.  Far enough away from the main strip, there may be an inkling to stop in and have a bite.  If you're a beer nerd like I am, then all it takes is the word "brewery" in the name to pique your interest.

Walking in, a sandwich board in the hostess area informed me that the Ruddy Duck's crab cakes were voted the best in Southern MD.  Well, such a bold claim certainly grabbed mine.  I mean, how could I pass up a tasty crab cake after a day of taking pictures at Annmarie Garden?  Certainly not this guy.  So were they worth all the fuss?  Check it out!

This past weekend was the Fell's Point Fun Festival in Baltimore, an annual event for the Fells Point Preservation Society in its 45th year.  Originally created to raise awareness of the historic neighborhood's slated destruction to make way for a highway, the festival has grown larger and larger over the years showcasing what this 18th century neighborhood has to offer.

One big draw of a street festival, aside from the free entertainment and the lure of the beer garden (especially the one serving Heavy Seas!) are the variety of food stands offering a wide variety of food.  Baltimore isn't just known for its crabs, but also for serving up some mean pit beef, Polish sausages and, if you're lucky, lake trout.  But food options aside, one food stand that had to make an appearance is Sherri's.  

Sherri's Crab Cakes can be found at various festivals and shows up and down the East Coast.  They even go so far as to claim that they are the best concession crab cake sandwich.  Given that they started their business based on the fact that the festival crab cake offerings weren't very good, coupled with the fact that they had multiple stands at the festival, as well as a mail order business, they must be doing something right.  So how were these magical concession crab cakes?  Follow along and find out!