Can you really blame one particular sea-dwelling crustacean for feeling just a little ... well, crabby? In the New England summertime, crab is often overlooked in favor of its cousin lobster, the more popular catch always showing up to the dinner party in a flashy red outfit and armed with the cache of its luxurious reputation. But bite for bite, there's a case to be made that soft, succulent crab meat is just as pleasing to the palate as lobster - sometimes, dare we confess, more so. And there's no shelling, cracking, butter-squirting process that, more often than we like to admit, ends in disappointment, thanks to the gummy texture of a lobster that's been hanging in its stainless-steel hot tub a bit too long.
For a perfect example of crab's spirited effect on your taste buds, sink your claws into the Crab Cake BLT at Lobby Bar & Kitchen. Four ounces of jumbo lump crab cake are topped with Applewood smoked bacon (that's the B), lettuce and tomato (that's the L and T), and a mayo-based remoulade sauce (that's ... well, just delish). The tender crab pulls apart with a slight, melting bite - no fuss, no lobster muss - and is a soft, savory counterpoint to the satisfying crunch of the crispy bacon. Red pepper in the remoulade adds a hint of tang, but the roughage atop tempers it and refocuses the taste on the luscious crab cornerstone. The sandwich is served with your choice of a simple mixed-greens salad or hand-cut French fries drizzled with truffle oil, and ultimately, the plate winds up a decadent dinner treat hiding inside the shell of cozy comfort food. Price-wise, it certainly leans toward the latter: at $16, the Crab Cake BLT is an excellent selection for the budget-conscious. But to frill things up, we recommend complementing this seasonal summer flavor with Lobby's Greenway Sangria ($8/glass, $25/pitcher). Unlike those too-sweet sangrias that come off like Juicy Juice for grown-ups, the Greenway packs a welcome punch - like a sharp, buzzing breeze on a hot summer night.
So thank you, unassuming crab, for your restrained modesty in a world of showy shellfish. Even hidden under the traditional trappings of a BLT sandwich, your true nature emerges: sometimes overlooked, but rarely overcooked.
Photo by Joel Veak
