In Texas, the way you express culinary pride is to dive into a pile of smoky, long-cooked brisket or ribs. In New England, you tuck into rich, hearty chowder.
In Washington, the dining ritual handed down through generations is picking crab. Nothing says summer quite like a long table covered with old newspapers and mounded high with hot, steaming crabs coated in Old Bay seasoning. Is there a summertime meal that’s simpler? Or better?
Prices at the area’s crabhouses, crab shacks, and grab-and-go outlets are down a little from last year. One thing to be aware of: Some purveyors are offering crab from Louisiana and Mexico. Non-local crabs aren’t bad, but they lack the distinctively sweet taste of blue crab plucked from in and around the Chesapeake. Ask before you buy.
Ann Limpert joined Washingtonian in late 2003. She was previously an editorial assistant at Entertainment Weekly and a cook in New York restaurant kitchens, and she is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education. She lives in Petworth.
