DINING: Crab lovers like Mike's

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By Scott Haring

Blue crab season has always brought a smile to my face. It is a reason to get together with family or friends and enjoy one of the Chesapeake Bay's true culinary treasures.

Anne Arundel County boasts a number of "authentic" crab houses. Mike's Crab House in Riva is one of them.

Its beautiful views of the South River (a Bay tributary) make the visit more than worthwhile. The menu, in addition to the always-delicious year-round steamed crabs, is pretty solid as well.

As the weather heats up, there is a good chance your party will have to wait at either the indoor or outdoor bar until seating is available (especially if you choose the outdoor riverside deck - the better option).

Because it is so early in the season, expect to pay a hefty price for the steamed crabs. On the Thursday night before Memorial Day weekend, crabs were $65 a dozen for large males. The crabs served now are brought in from Texas, but Bay crabs will be available in time as well as an all-you-can-eat option that includes corn on the cob, salad and crab soup.

The crabs came to the table piping hot and nicely seasoned with Old Bay. They were all heavy, filled with sweet meat.

Plenty of dinner appetizers, sandwiches and entrees are available if you are not in the mood for hammering away at crabs.

A half-dozen raw Bay oysters ($4.25) were small but plump. They were fresh, but they didn't have the flavor like some we have had recently from other areas.

The steamed seafood combo comes with a half-bucket of mussels, four oysters, four cherrystone clams and nine steamed shrimp.

Three soups available include Mike's famous cream and vegetable crab soups and the kitchen's take on New England clam chowder. Cream of crab ($5.50) doesn't compete with that served in a high-end restaurant, but it was a satisfying starter. It had a nice texture and didn't taste of flour, but it was a touch bland for our palates. It perked up nicely with the addition of a little Old Bay. More crab would have been appreciated.