Choptank: Maryland-Style Seafood in New York?

It sounds too good to be true: real Maryland seafood in New York. But according to Flo Fab, the guys behind Choptank, opening next week on Bleecker Street, grew up near the Chesapeake Bay, which is Maryland enough for me. The menu will include “peel and eat shrimp with Old Bay seasoning, crab cakes and a raw bar.”

Here’s a photo of some authentic crab cakes from Eddie’s Market in Baltimore, Maryland. Notice that they are not a) flattened down like a Quarter Pounder, b) made of crab shredded to the consistency of sawdust, or c) filled with more filler than crab. Can Choptank live up to the task?

Either way, someone who has at least passed through Baltimore will know that you put a lot of Old Bay on Old Bay fries, and that if you really want to make it Maryland, you put crab in nearly anything. Crab gumbo, crab omelets, crab wraps, etc.

Also, it’s OK to say just “Old Bay” instead of the oddly formal “Old Bay seasoning.” Just kick back and relax a bit, hon!

Diner’s Journal: Choptank It Shall Be