Great American Bites: Crab heaven at Cantler's in Annapolis By Larry Olmsted, special for usa today the scene

Great American Bites

The "picking" of a Chesapeake Bay blue crab begins.

By Larry Olmsted for USA TODAY

The "picking" of a Chesapeake Bay blue crab begins.

In the nearly 40 years since it opened, it is doubtful any regular - and there are plenty - has called it Jimmy Cantler's Riverside Inn. Known simply as Cantler's, it is a short drive or cab ride from the heart of downtown Annapolis, located amongst riverfront fishing shacks in a residential neighborhood. It is easy enough to reach, but you have to know where to look, and it is not the kind of place visitors are likely to stumble across. Nonetheless, its reputation attracts outsiders, since it is usually ranked first or second in Annapolis for crab cakes, among stiff competition - and crab cakes are not even the specialty. Once you find it you are glad you did, because Cantler's is about as real and old school as it gets.

By Larry Olmsted for USA TODAY

The interior of Jimmy Cantler's Riverside Inn feels like a neighborhood bar, with brown paper 'tablecloths' covering picnic benches.

At Cantler's the specialty is steamed whole crabs by the dozen, cooked with Old Bay seasoning, the best known of several local spice mixes specifically for crabs. The twelve crabs, sold by size, are dumped onto a plastic tray, sprinkled generously with more Old Bay, and delivered to your table along with implements of destructions including wooden mallets and metal knives. You use the mallets to break open the legs and claws, then unhinge the top and bottom shells of the main body and hunt around inside for meat using a combination of knife and fingers. Pieces of meat fall onto the brown paper and you pick them up with your fingers. It's quite messy, and like eating a lobster, for some the battle is half the fun, for others simply a nuisance. Either way, the crabmeat, always fresh from the bay, is tender and very sweet.

But for those who want to take it easy, crab cakes are the way to go. In Maryland, the best are made from almost entirely crab, ideally the most desirable "lump" meat, with as little filler (bread crumbs or cracker) and binder (egg, mayo) as needed to hold them together, usually broiled or pan sautéed. At Cantler's they offer this style as broiled lump crab cakes, nearly all meat - they look like scoops of crab ice cream. But they also have deep fried crab cakes, made with the less exclusive but still good backfin meat, then breaded and fried. Both are excellent, and while some purists look down on the fried version, it's a matter of taste and many like the fried better. At Cantler's both were excellent, as good as any I've had, served as platters, two large cakes with fries.

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They have a surprisingly large menu, and while crabs in one form or another are a prerequisite for first-time visitors, and the crab cakes exceptional, nearly anything from the seafood offerings is worthwhile. For two, a dozen crabs and a crab cake platter will suffice, while larger groups can enjoy the shared crab picking experience and try several other things as well. Either way, the food is very good, the setting wonderful, and the ambiance feels like you have been let in on a local secret.