Grade: A

Joe's Stone Crab is a world-renowned Miami landmark that opened in 1913.

"When Joe Weiss opened his lunch counter in 1913, Miami Beach didn’t even have paved roads, and customers had to take the ferry to cross over. One century later, as high-rises and shopping districts blossomed all around, this restaurant has endured as one of the city’s prime attractions. Celebrities, politicians and locals alike make a beeline to this crustacean hot spot, now open year-round. And if the dedicated parking lot across the street is any clue, waits for a table here can get lengthy. Boiled, chilled and served with a signature mustard sauce, this seasonal specialty is also sustainable since crabs can regenerate their claws in around two years. End the meal with a refreshing, tart slice of key lime pie," according to the Michelin Guide.

Weiss came to Miami from New York City along with his wife, Jennie, in 1913, when his doctors told him that the only help for his asthma would be a change of climate. In 1918 they bought a bungalow near the beach, moved into the back, set up seven or eight tables on the front porch, cooked seafood in the kitchen, and called it Joe's Restaurant. In 1921, Joe brought in a Harvard ichthyologist, who mentioned that he should try cooking up the area’s plentiful stone crabs – which were abundant but nobody was eating. He took a chance and added them to the menu, and – lo and behold – they were delicious, and have been the restaurant’s signature dish since then.

Joe's son, Jesse, recalls on their website: "My dad threw the stone crabs in boiling water and that was the beginning of it. The bay was full of them! When we started serving them chilled and cracked with hash brown potatoes, cole slaw, and mayonnaise, they were an instant success. We charged seventy-five cents for four or five crabs, twenty-five cents for potatoes and twenty-five cents an order for cole slaw. And this is the way we have been serving them since. We hit the jackpot with that one!"

Stone crabs have a firm texture and sweet meat. Stone crabs differ from blue crabs in that only the oversized claws are harvested. This highly nutritious meat is considered a delicacy and, at Joe’s, is usually boiled and served chilled in the shell with mustard sauce. The meat resembles lobster in appearance and flavor, according to the website.

Kaitee and I parked across the street and approached the Maître D’ podium. The Maître D’ took our name and the number of our party. Then we grabbed a drink at the bar and waited for our name to be called when the table was ready. I went for a strawberry lemonade.

To start, we had a bread basket with a pretzel roll, regular roll, onion roll, rye slice and more.

We tried the grilled tomatoes with spinach stuffing and melted cheese; fried shrimp with garlic butter; lobster mac & cheese with white cheddar and butter breadcrumbs; snow crab bake and stuffies - baked stuffed clams with andouille sausage, onions, peppers and breadcrumbs.

Stone crabs weren't at the top of our list on this visit simply because they were out of season. Next time, though, I would love to check them out.

But everything that we had was delicious. I love seafood, so it's hard to go wrong here. But everything was just dripping with decadence.

Have you been?

Grade: A

My last stop in Baltimore is at Jimmy's Famous Seafood, a local restaurant known for its colossal crabcakes and other seafood specialties.

"Since 1974, Jimmy’s Famous Seafood has proudly served the community with iconic culinary creations, unmatched philanthropy, and legendary hospitality. Founded by the late Dimitrios “Jimmy” Minadakis, “The Famous” quickly became a Maryland landmark as a direct result of his unrivaled work ethic. Today, Jimmy’s Famous Seafood carries on his vision through his sons, who display the same passion and diligence that he was beloved for," read the website.

I was on my way out of town, so I placed a pick-up order. I, of course, ordered one of those crabcakes, as well as their famous crab macaroni and cheese.

I think I was made for Maryland-style food. I love the crab. I love the creative takes on it. And, if there's one way to improve mac & cheese, it is adding crab to it. The crabcake was full of lump crab meat with little filler. The mac & cheese was cheesy layered fusilli noodles topped with cheesy crab that was rich and perfectly seasoned.

Grade: A

Founded in 1886, Faidley Seafood is one of the oldest and best-known purveyors of fresh and prepared seafood - especially crab cakes - in the Chesapeake region. Faidley’s is headquartered at its original location in the “World Famous Lexington Market" in Baltimore, Maryland.

I had to order one jumbo lump crabcake, which comes at market price. And all that money goes straight toward crab - no filler, no frills. Just a slice of tomato and some lettuce formed a bed underneath.

The crabcakes are plump with a slight crustiness on the outside with jumbo lump crab meat inside. They are moist and full of flavor.

I also had to try a Baltimore-specific seafood item: the coddie. The coddie is a "Homemade Salt Codfish Cake."

"Coddies are usually eaten sandwiched between saltines with yellow mustard. The food is somewhat of a local delicacy in Baltimore, and is commonly served in the city's delicatessens and seafood markets, including the historic Lexington Market," according to Wikipedia.

These little salt balls definitely have more filling than the crabcakes, but they are still tasty. You do get the fish flavor, but the texture is soft - save for the crunchy breaded exterior. Oh, and a Natty Boh for good measure.

Grade: A

"Specializing in all things seafood, Sal and Son’s Seafood have been a staple at Broadway Market for over a decade. They offer a variety of Fish, Shrimp and Shellfish to take home or eat onsite," reads the Brodway Market website.

We did some fried shrimp, crab dip and half-and-half crab soup, which is cream of crab mixed with Maryland crab soup.

If pressed, I think I would admit crab is my favorite seafood. Possibly my favorite protein? So, I was happy to gobble as much crab in various forms as I could get. Starting with the dip, it was thick, creamy and had some nice bold flavor - especially Old Bay. The shrimp was only OK - the fried batter easily got steamed in the container and made for a soggy texture. But, let's talk about soup.

Cream of crab is a rich, creamy soup. Maryland crab soup is brothy and packed with veggies. You can get a mix of both - and the best of both worlds - with half and half. Rich creaminess meets veggies? Win-win.

Grade: A

"W.H. Stiles Fish Camp is a modern, urban fish shack serving freshly caught seafood from the South (mostly)," reads the website. Named after Chef/Owner Anne Quatrano's great-great-great-great grandfather, W. H. Stiles, Fish Camp is affectionately referred to as "Dub's."

"Fish Camp features a raw shellfish bar with a rotating selection of oysters, clams, and crudo, sandwiches (po'boy, lobster roll, catch of the day), salads, bowls of fish, shellfish, and chowder, homemade seltzers, and a selection of beer and wine. For those who like to linger, Dub's retail section offers an eclectic array of sea-inspired home decor, kitchen utensils, oyster shuckers, claw crackers, sauces, and condiments. Evoking the bright, comfortable, and casual feel of oceanside seafood shacks, Fish Camp is an anchor of Ponce City Market's Central Food Hall."

The Crispy Cod sandwich features these beautiful slabs of fish, remoulade, pickles, onion and slaw. Cod is a mild, white flaky fish that fries perfectly.

Utz crab chips are seasoned with a blend of spices and Old Bay seasoning to capture the essence of Maryland's blue crab. They are inspired by the culinary heritage of the Chesapeake Bay and are designed to be crunchy with a slightly spicy, savory taste.

This was a lovely stop to do a little perusing, see what fresh oysters they had for the day and enjoy a classic fried fish sandwich.

Grade: A
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