Thursday's Father's Day?

I really want to know what hunger, what desperation was going on in that first native's mind when they first looked at one of these little buggers and thought: "Hey, I could eat that." What other food produces twice the trash as it does edible fodder, has parts so sharp they can make you bleed, and requires you to burn as many calories as you earn? Crabs are crazy creatures, but we're Marylanders and we love them. They are a part of not only our cuisine, but our identity.

Tools of the Trade

So what would any good Annapolitan daughter do for her daddy on Father's Day? Take him crab bangin'.

So your first thought, of course, is our own Cantler's Riverside Inn. Yes, you and every other Annapolitan daughter. That's why I took my Dad a little further down the West River to Thursday's in Galesville.

Thursday's

The West River is a bit quieter than the other rivers of Annapolis. Beautiful sailboats glide by Thursday's wrap-around deck while boaters, bikers, and families enjoy crabs, steaks, and some fun Tex-Mex inspired appetizers along with their seabreezes and ice cold beers. In case you can't tell, I love this place.

A pretty sailboat on the West River

Dad got half a dozen local males and Mom got a broiled crab cake... so, about the same amount of crab meat but without the work. But c'mon, crabangin' is half the fun. It's the second official sport of Maryland after jousting.

Awesome right? So save the bay!

And of course, there was some beer to wash down all that Old Bay and crab meat. Dad likes 'em hoppy so he got a Harpoon IPA.

A crabby mess

About two messy hours later, six empty shells were in the bucket and Dad reached for the wet naps. He enjoyed the feast of crabs as much this year as every year we've had this family tradition. Two years now have been spent at Thursday's, and I have a feeling it's going to stick.

Cinco de Mayo Hopscotch

When making plans with my friend J for Cinco de Mayo, we knew that the popular favorites in Annapolis would be packed. So right from the start, we decided to get creative and find Mexican flavors at non-Mexican restaurants around town.

Then, we learned that Mexican Café was re-opening on May 5th. You see, J is a Texan, so the allure of true Mexican food was strong for her. We had to try. What food lover could resist a restaurant opening on a major food holiday? When we arrived, however, a long line and an hour wait turned us away and sent us right back to Plan A: avoid the obvious destinations.

We arrived at Gordon Biersch right around dinnertime and were seating right away. In no time, our food was ordered and there was a margarita in my hand.

The Patrón margarita comes 'up' in a martini glass, which looks a little funny at first. But the presentation has nothing to do with the taste. The drink was well-mixed and balanced, without the strong, sour bite of tequila that is sometimes glaring in margaritas. J said the same of her mojito, a good balance of flavors that was neither too sweet nor too strong.

We split an order of the Southwest Egg Rolls, a fusion dish that is much more Southwest than Asian. The fried wonton shell is filled with pulled chicken, pepper jack cheese, black beans, corn, and roasted red peppers and served with a fiery roasted jalapeño ranch dipping sauce on the side. At a little over ten bucks, this appetizer might seem steep, but the taste is worth shelling out a little extra. Said J: "I thought it would be dry, but it wasn't." The filling is moist and cheesy. "And it was surprisingly spicy." Even without the dipping sauce, the rolls pack a punch.

After spicing things up with the Southwestern appetizer, we were looking for something sweet to soothe our taste buds, so we hopped over to Lures Bar & Grille in Crownsville.

Lure's latin-inspired dessert is called a XanGo, flaky pastry tortilla filled with cheesecake and real banana, topped with buttery caramel and whipped cream. A banana sweet may sound light, but the sweet and creamy cheesecake filling makes this dessert rich. J and I split the order and were still satisfied.

I still can't wait to experience the re-launch of the Mexican Café right in our backyard, but I'm glad we didn't spend Cinco de Mayo in line. While we got creative with the restaurants and did a little traveling to complete our fiesta mexicana, it was worth the distance to avoid the wait. Tex-Mex inspired dishes appear where you least expect, so pay attention the next time you visit your favorite Naptown restaurant and you might be surprised. Fusion is in.

Next time, maybe we'll look for Asian-inspired surprises, too! :)

Tres de Mayo

We beat the crowds and celebrated the 5th of May early at Gina's Cantina in Millersville. Gina's is a colorful local hangout serving Mexican favorites like tacos, burritos, and a make-your-own chimichanga (but strangely, no Mexican beers on tap...?) The ambience is eclectic. You'll find a wall of wine cork art, a portrait of the Dos Equis man, piñatas hanging from the ceiling and neon Corona beer signs galore. In the nighttime, expect loud music and even louder conversations.

As always, I ordered the black bean soup. A bowl comes with chips, rice, and onions. The soup is not spicy, but thick and hearty with a comforting warmth.

The flavor took on a whole new dimension when I stole a bit of the cilantro lime sour cream off my husband's quesadilla. I could still taste the black beans, but with a tangy, citrus kick. It woke the soup up.

I saw a tray of hot sauces walk by and an idea struck. I chose a basic red pepper sauce from St. Michael's, MD to add to my soup and asked for a little more of that pretty green cilantro lime sour cream. Hot sauce to amp it up, and sour cream to cool it down. Just the way I make it at home!

Added crushed tortilla chips and rice, to make a disastrously messy, but delish soup.

I wouldn't describe Gina's as "authentic Mexican cuisine," but more like an interesting interpretation of Tex-Mex. Their specials are usually fusion-inspired, like their "Tuscan taco" with roasted red peppers.

I'll be sticking with the black bean soup and a li'l cilantro lime sour cream.