So where do you go when you want to pre-game for a show, but want a wide selection of beers to choose from? That's right, you go to Alewife! Located in the Theatre District, Alewife is a gastropub that focuses on highlighting Maryland cuisine. And getting to choose from 40 draft and 100 bottled beers isn't such a bad thing, either. You can't get much more Maryland than a crab cake (or the Blackened Snakehead, AKA "the Frankenfish"), so we decided to stop in and give them a try. Read on to find out how they were!

Alexander's Tavern is a neighborhood bar located in the historic Fells Point section of Baltimore. You may get confused by which door to go into (one goes into the restaurant, the other goes into the bar area), but that shouldn't stop you from coming in. You may not know by looking at the place, but they've won numerous awards, from a "Best of" from FourSquare in the Food category, to 3rd Best Pub by Baltimore Magazine Readers in 2012. If the happy hour specials won't pull you in, then the astounding selection of tots will. But knowing us, we're all about the crab cakes with a side of tots. So we checked out Alexander's one day to check out how they were. Read along to see how our visit went!

The American Tap Room is a take on the concept of a beer-inspired gastropub, owned by the same group that runs Austin Grill (the Bethesda location used to be an Austin Grill, but was recently converted to an ATR).  The only thing really "American" about it, aside from the name, is probably the food.  The beer list, while mostly American, does contain some foreign beers.  But crab cakes are American, right?  Yes!  So how were they?  Let's find out!

"It was many and many a year ago,
In a kingdom by the sea,
That a maiden there lived whom you may know
By the name of ANNABEL LEE;
And this maiden she lived with no other thought
Than to love and be loved by me."
-- Edgar Allan Poe, excerpt from Annabel Lee 


In a town famous for the life and death of Edgar Allan Poe, it is here in Baltimore where he got married, lived out the rest of his days and was laid to rest.  It is only fitting that in this town you would also find a restaurant dedicated to the celebration of Poe, Baltimore and Maryland, named after his last complete poem, Annabel Lee.  But is their crab cake enough to make you fall in love, just as Poe did many years ago (although hopefully not as tragically)?  Read on to find out!

Annapolis Seafood Markets is a chain of seafood markets with 3 locations around the Baltimore/Annapolis area.  Their stores offer a variety of fresh seafood and prepared items available for carry out.  Annapolis Seafood tends to be a local's secret, with their seafood being bought and prepared fresh daily.  Friend of the CCR Kerry G. shared this little secret with us, saying that someone in her family who typically hates seafood requests their crab cakes all the time.  While she may be referring to the jumbo lump crab cakes, anyplace with such rave reviews from the non-seafaring types must be good!  So with such high regards in mind, the CCR set sail for their nearest Annapolis Seafood Market with their sights set on crab cakes.  How were they?  Let's find out!