FOOD & DRINK Land of Pleasant Eating From classic crab feasts and award-winning fine dining to robust craft beer, wine and spirits scenes, Maryland is a mecca for foodies on the East Coast. BY LYDIA WOOLEVER Get the Digital Inspiration Guide at VisitMaryland.org/ things-to-do/dining-restaurants THE BAY’S BOUNTY Along the nation’s largest estuary, it’s no surprise that seafood is the star of the show. It is said that the name Chesapeake comes from the Native American word for “great water.” Then, as now, working the water was a way of life for waterfront communities, and today, you can still visit any town along the estuary and find fishing boats bobbing in the harbor or bringing in the daily catch. In every corner of Maryland, crab remains king, arriving in endless iterations, from steamed hard shells and colossal crabcakes to prized soft shells and luscious lumps of meat served every way imaginable—in creamy dips, as the star ingredient in soups, in crispy fritters and atop soft, salty pretzels. Of course, few things are more “Maryland” than a classic crab feast outside in the summer and fall air. Roadside stands allow you to take an Old Bay-covered bushel home to your own picnic table, while a wealth of crab houses across the state also offer an all-day pick without the cleanup, such as the James Beard Award-winning Schultz’s in Essex or the al fresco Harris Crab House on the Eastern Shore. For something less messy, crabcakes can be found at nearly every restaurant around, with the some of most famous 46 ✥ VISITMARYLAND.ORG | 1-877-209-5883 PHOTOS: DIAMONDBACK BREWING COMPANY; MATTY TAE; EDWIN REMSBERG Maryland has long been synonymous with heaps of steamed crabs and ice-cold cans of National Bohemian beer—that’s Natty Boh to locals. Both still reign supreme, but in recent years, from the shores of the Atlantic to the mountains, inventive chefs, brewers, distillers and vintners have been igniting a culinary renaissance, enticing discerning palates for both iconic and inspired tastes.
Maryland Official Visitors Guide 2020 Maryland Official Visitors Guide: Page 46
