Blue Crab

Wow! I really have a serious backlog of restaurant reviews to get through. I'm just now getting to some of the places we visited last summer when my family took a little vacation to Bethany Beach, Delaware.  Blue Crab is first on the list, and it's also first in our hearts. It's hard to get 6 adults all agreeing on a place for a dinner. But, agree we do, and I highly recommend you try Blue Crab out if you ever find yourself in the area.

Blue Crab is everything you want in a beach restaurant. The atmosphere is laid back, the staff is friendly, and the seafood is delicious. I'm pretty sure my sister started planning for this dinner 8 months in advance, and she is probably well into plans for the next visit considering how long I waited to write this review. It's safe to say that as long as they offer the blue crab saute on their menu Lauren will be ordering up this little bit of heaven. What makes it so good to her and the others that tasted the saute at our table was the simple way it was prepared. Jumbo lump crab meat, a little butter and old bay is all it took to make an awesome dish.

My brother and bro-in-law both ordered the Seafood Combo which consists of snow crab, mussels, clams, and shrimp. When I asked them how it tasted I got a fairly simple response. It was plentiful and tasted like the ocean. I can definitely vouch that it was plentiful as it took both of them a hell of a long time to put it all down. But, that's what beach eating is all about, right? Take your time, enjoy the food and surroundings, and leave with a full belly.

As for me, I went with the Fried Shrimp Dinner. Fried shrimp is probably about as basic as you can get when it comes to seafood, but this stuff is out of this world good. The shrimp are fried to perfection and the breading they use is excellent as well. It's light. It's crunchy. It doesn't get in the way of the shrimp.

Something else that we all love about the Blue Crab is their side dishes. A lot of times side dishes are often afterthoughts. Not here. The Mac & Cheese is creamy deliciousness. If you're vacationing with a 3 year old (like we were) or a 98 year old grandmother this Mac exists to please everyone. And the corn on the cob is fantastic. It's just like you'd make at home with whole cob boiled up and served in the husk.

No matter how much I write here, I'd never be able to convey just how much my family enjoys this place and I'm confident that you will too. So, this summer, if you're planning a trip to Delaware be sure to set aside a night to visit the Blue Crab. You'll love it.

Original Fish and Chips

Just like about every other couple in America, Deana and I find ourselves in need of a Wal Mart run every 2 or 3 weeks to stock up on the necessities of life. More and more frequently we find ourselves choosing the Wal Mart location on Carroll Island because the crowds aren't quite as bad as the others nearby. After trying Original Fish and Chips (located right across the street from the Wal Mart) last week my guess is that this Wal Mart has become our default from here on out.
Original Fish and Chips is a small take out establishment (they did have two small outdoor picnic tables), that I've been meaning to try ever since I moved to this side of Baltimore County. Heading in I wasn't quite sure what to expect because I don't eat fish but it turned out not to be a problem. The manager asked me what I like and when I mentioned shrimp he promptly pointed out all of the different options I had.

Not knowing that I was going to be served shrimp the size of of my hand, I ordered the 5 fried shrimp platter. I'm a pretty big eater and would probably opt for the 3 shrimp platter next time the shrimp are so big. Not only were they huge but they tasted very fresh and were fried just right. They obviously knew what they were doing when it came to frying the seafood and that made it all the more disappointing when I tried the chips. They were ample size but not crunchy enough to be considered chips. However, they more than made up for it with some excellent hush puppies. The puppies had a bright yellow inside and were nice and sweet with a tasty onion flavor in the background. I'm not sure if you can order a side of hush puppies, but if it's possible I think passing on the chips for more hush puppies is the way to go.

For the fish lovers out there, fret not, for my girlfriend tried the fish and loved it. She is a woman of few words but she mentioned at least 3 times throughout the meal that the fish was "great" and that she would visit again to try the fish any time. If it was so good she spoke up that often you can take it to the bank. The fish must be good!

Original Fish and Chips might be a little out of the way for some of you, but it's definitely worth the drive. The prices are rock bottom cheap, the portions are huge, and they know how to fry some seafood. If find yourself looking for a good piece of fried fish make Middle River your destination.

Price: Cheap
Recommendation: Visit ASAP

What to order: Fish and Hush Puppies or Shrimp