A Maryland Crab Guide to the Claddagh Menu

Order a crab cake in Baltimore and you're joining a conversation older than most of the restaurants in town. The menu at Claddagh Pub has crab in about a dozen places, from the soup list to the brunch menu. If you're new to the area, or just new to this menu, this is how to read it.

Start with the soups

There are three soups, and all three are $12 a bowl: Cream of Crab, Maryland Crab and Half & Half. They are not the same soup, and the difference matters.

• Cream of Crab is the rich one: a thick, creamy soup built around crab meat. If you want comfort, order this.
• Maryland Crab is the tomato-and-vegetable soup, seasoned with the crab spice this region is known for. It's lighter and brighter, with a bit of heat.
• Half & Half is both in one bowl. It's the pick when you can't decide, and the best way to taste the two side by side.

Crab dip and crab toast

The Maryland Crab Dip, $18, comes with baguette, carrots and celery, which makes it a good starter for a table of three or four. The Crab Toast is listed at market price: jumbo lump crab imperial on garlic crostini. Crab imperial is crab meat bound in a rich, creamy sauce with seasoning and baked until it browns on top. Because the price moves with the market, ask what it is that day before you order.

Reading the crab cake lineup

Every crab cake on the menu is made with jumbo lump, which means large, whole pieces of crab from the body. Lump crab is prized because the pieces hold their shape and the sweetness comes through. A good crab cake is mostly crab with just enough binder to hold it together. The choice is really about how you want to eat it.

• Crab Cake Sandwich, $20: a single 6oz jumbo lump cake, grilled, on a fresh bun, served with house fries or house cut chips. Pick this if you want something you can pick up.
• Crab Cake Dinner, $20: one 6oz jumbo lump cake, broiled, served with two sides. Pick this if you want to taste the crab by itself, with mac & cheese or Brussel sprouts next to it.
• Crab Cake Platter, $36: two 6oz jumbo lump cakes, broiled, with two sides. Pick this when you're hungry or sharing.
• Seafood Club, $22: a signature crab cake and shrimp salad stacked on white toast with crisp bacon, lettuce and tomato.

Thursday has its own special on the weekly board: 2 Giant Crab Cakes with 2 sides for $37, dine-in only. It's listed on the weekly specials board along with the rest of the week.

Chicken Chesapeake

The Chicken Chesapeake, $27, pairs a grilled chicken breast with jumbo lump crab imperial. It's an entree, so it comes with two sides. Think of it as the dish for the person at the table who wants crab but isn't in the mood for a crab cake. The Chesapeake in the name is the bay that gives this region its crab, and the dish is a regional classic for good reason: mild chicken, rich crab, not much more needed.

Crab at brunch

On Saturday and Sunday, crab moves to the brunch menu. The Chesapeake Benedict, $20, puts a jumbo lump Blue Crab cake on an English muffin with poached eggs and hollandaise, served with home fries. The Crab omelette, $17, folds jumbo lump crab together with tomatoes and cheddar and comes with home fries and toast. If you've never had crab for breakfast, the Benedict is the easier place to start.

Don't skip the Old Bay

Old Bay is the seasoning blend that was created in Baltimore, and it's all over this menu. The Jumbo Steamed Shrimp, 1/2 lb for $15 or 1 lb for $25, come with sweet onions and Old Bay. The wings, $16 for a pound, can be tossed in Old Bay or Honey Old Bay. Neither is crab, but if you want the full local flavor, add one to the table next to the crab.

How to build a crab night

For two people: split a Maryland Crab Dip, then each order a crab cake dinner and trade sides. For a group of four: a Half & Half for the table to taste, a round of crab cakes, and a Chicken Chesapeake for whoever wants something different. For a solo lunch: a bowl of Half & Half and a Crab Cake Sandwich is plenty.

All menu prices are subject to change without notice, so call (410) 522-4220 for the most up-to-date pricing. The full list is on the lunch and dinner menu, and the pub is at 2918 O'Donnell Street on Canton Square.