Luminous is the hotel bar/restaurant located at the Westin BWI.  Usually hotel restaurants can be hit or miss, but the Westin name sort of carries along some cred for being better quality than your average Courtyard.  And when you walk into the lobby, you certainly get that from the allure of the decor to the attention to detail.  And while perusing the menu trying to see if it shall be here that you dine, or the Bob Evans down the street, your eyes happen to notice the crab cakes.  You're probably here on business, which begs the question if you should get your crab cake fix here, or find somewhere else.  Well look no further!  Read on and see for yourself....

Lures is a local watering hole that prides itself on its extensive craft beer selection and regional cuisine, and has been around since 2008. They were even voted Best Hidden Gem by the Annapolis What's Up? Mag in 2011 (and we also reviewed their Chesapeake Chachos back in October 2011). Just glance around the place, and you'll wonder what they love more -- beer or fishing. The two naturally go hand-in-hand, so for now we'll call it even. But where there is beer and fish, there are crab cakes. And Lures provides. How were they? Let's find out!

So you are staying in Annapolis, perhaps for a meeting or a conference.  There are lots of places to stay in this area.  But you, lucky traveler, got to stay in the Doubletree Annapolis.  Ah, yes.  Comfy bedding.  Attentive service.  Everything that you've come to expect from the Doubletree.  So, now, your thoughts turn to dinner.  Maybe you have a rental car, maybe you took a cab.  Annapolis Town Center is right across the street.  Maybe you could walk.  Or, maybe, just maybe, you could hit up the hotel restaurant.  Maybe, perhaps, Ports of Call.  But every other time you have patronized the hotel restaurant, you always wondered "Why?" afterwards.

Well, let me tell you about Ports of Call. The chefs there are well versed in local cuisine.  Unbeknownst to you, the Executive Chef has won many honorable achievements, such as 1st place for his Vegetable Crab Soup at the MD Seafood Festival 3 times.  Or that he has taken 1st place for his Cream of Crab soup in the very same festival 4 different times.  And his Executive Sous Chef?  A food champion himself with the American Culinary Federation.  So they have the staff all set to prepare you a gourmet meal without leaving the premise.  With this culinary dynamic duo at the helm, one would think crab cakes should be a slam dunk.  'Nuff said (as they say in the old Adam West 'Batman' series).  So did they?  Read on and find out!

Pusser's Caribbean Grille is located right on Annapolis Harbor in the Annapolis Waterfront Marriott hotel.  Their focus is on featuring high quality, authentic Caribbean cuisine that is moderately priced and freshly prepared, along with some local Annapolis favorites.  You can find Pusser's in locations other than Annapolis, such as Florida, Puerto Rico, and various outputs in the British Virgin Islands.  We all know that crab cakes are an Annapolis favorite, so how were they?  Let's find out!

The Rams Head Tavern in downtown Annapolis has a long history dating back to the early 1700's. You can feel that history as you make your way through the downstairs Tavern, past the Tea Room and out to the patio. And as you walk through the downstairs, check out the plaques bearing the names of the many members of the World Beer Club (of which, yours truly is a member). While known for their immense selection of beers, as well as being home of the Fordham Brewing Company (where they brewed the beer until the moved to a larger facility in 2003), you may not know that they also have some pretty decent food. Crab cakes are on the menu, so we're out to see if they pair well with the beer. Did they? Read on!