Since none of my family members visited us in Penang, quite a lot of catch-up time was in order after we'd washed ashore Stateside. A wedding in Philly presented the perfect opportunity to check in and catch up with the clan in Annapolis, Maryland. Our families actually get along, so Pelle's Mom came too and voila, a whirlwind tour of All Things Crabby and Annapolitan was realized.
We sat and talked and ate and sipped homemade blueberry wine long into the night. Our life in Penang was a just a footnote as we caught up on all the local goings-on...my brother's farm plans, what old neighbor So-and-So was doing, the latest crazy deer sitings, my mother-in-law's love for retired life. It was all I'd expected, and then got better.
For you see, Annapolis sits on the huge Chesapeake Bay, and my brother owns a boat that he graciously takes out for us despite the cost of fuel...And so we untied the mooring and motored out on the surprisingly calm waters. Does it really get any better than cold beers, slack fishing lines, and views of Thomas Point Lighthouse and the Bay Bridge?
Well, it incredibly did when we hit Cantler's Riverside Inn ('inn' is too grandious, more like large rambling shack). This is a beloved institution of summertime in Annapolis. With the permanent scent Old Bay Seasoning hanging in the air, we settled onto a long, convivial picnic table set with brown paper and plenty of napkins. A dozen large Maryland Blue Crabs arrived and we dove in. Despite being a novice, Pelle's Mom channeled her Cape Cod lobster cracking skills and managed not to kill anyone as she hacked away at backfin and claw. Splattered with mustard and fingertips raw, we finished the meal with plates of crab cakes, rockfish, and sweet corn (of course Eastern Shore corn which any true connoisseur will agree is the best in the country). It was truly good to be home-home again.
Well, it incredibly did when we hit Cantler's Riverside Inn ('inn' is too grandious, more like large rambling shack). This is a beloved institution of summertime in Annapolis. With the permanent scent Old Bay Seasoning hanging in the air, we settled onto a long, convivial picnic table set with brown paper and plenty of napkins. A dozen large Maryland Blue Crabs arrived and we dove in. Despite being a novice, Pelle's Mom channeled her Cape Cod lobster cracking skills and managed not to kill anyone as she hacked away at backfin and claw. Splattered with mustard and fingertips raw, we finished the meal with plates of crab cakes, rockfish, and sweet corn (of course Eastern Shore corn which any true connoisseur will agree is the best in the country). It was truly good to be home-home again.
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