extreme crabcakes!!!!!!!. i see i'm not the only person who thinks these are the best crabcakes in the world.
i grew up in maryland, eating crabcakes prepared by my mom and grandma. they were purists and made some fine ones, no filler, just enough binder to hold them together. they are the standard against which i judge crabcakes. i've traveled a lot, eaten things that purport to be crabcakes across the u.s., australia and in europe. there have been some interesting variants like french nouvelle cuisine crabcakes, and some places in southern maryland and louisiana have been almost as good as grandma's.
but the edgewater restaurant's crabcakes would make my gran put away her frying pan. first of all, they're made with blue crab meat. there are lots of crab species on this planet, but i can attest after eating many that blue crab is the best. at edgewater, you can order lump meat crabcakes that show off this species' meat to its full glory, with no extra filler, or red bell pepper or any other gimmicks used to extend this pricey foodstuff.
edgewater restaurant also cooks their crabcakes perfectly -- a bit of crunch on the outside, golden brown all over, but not dry inside. plus, you can order huuuuuuge crabcakes. i had a hard time getting through my jumbo lump cake, it was that massive. if you time it right for their weekly special, you can get two of the regulars for a bargain price, complete with sides like their fried okra -- also excellent -- or their massive re-baked potatoes.
another notable is the restaurant's crab soup. this is made with a hit of sherry, like the old-fashioned she-crab soup. it's as thick as a bisque, full of sweet crab flavour and chunks of crab meat. next to a now-defunct restaurant in fort myers, florida that had the world's best lobster bisque, this is the greatest shellfish soup i've ever encountered.
the edgewater restaurant doesn't have a fancy name or website. the building is kind of a throwback to the way i remember maryland from the 1960s. the place has been around for quite a while. but i would urge you to eat there as fast as you can. since humanity is killing off crab habitats in the chesapeake bay and gulf of mexico, and money-grubbing greed is ruining many good dining experiences, a place this good just can't last, can it?