If you've ever dined on the crab-centric cuisine that is a commonplace in Baltimore and up and down Maryland's Eastern Shore, you will at some point during a visit to Choptank perceive a sharp disconnect between the hype that has attended the restaurant since it opened last winter and the reality of the experience. Some of that hype comes from Choptank itself. A spiel on its website promises "Chesapeake-inspired seafood with casual sophistication" that "native Marylanders will be proud of." About the only thing I sampled that was authentically Chesapeake-inspired was the Old Bay Seasoning—and that was used with far too little restraint.
The cornerstone and arguably most reliable barometer of Maryland cooking is the crab cake. The version here is mostly lump crabmeat, with just enough binder
to hold it together, which is the right approach, but the item spends far too much time over heat. What arrives before you is as dry as a hockey puck, and about as appetizing. A lackluster softshell crab is further undone by a surfeit of salt. Middleneck clams, listed under "Steam Pot," are a safer bet. They are served in a small pail, immersed in the garlicky steaming liquor, which has been enriched with perhaps a little more butter than a recipe like this calls for and infused with heat from red pepper flakes. You soak up the excess broth with crisp country toast.
Sadly, the food is not the only—or biggest—disappointment at Choptank. That dubious distinction falls to the service, which is dispensed by an agreeable enough staff that seems to try its hardest to ensure your satisfaction. More's the pity that they fail so cataclysmically and so often at their appointed rounds. A glass of wine ordered early in the meal arrives as you are finishing your main course. A waiter informs you that the kitchen is out of skate and asks your permission to substitute trout. The request is made as one of his colleagues approaches behind him, trout in hand.
Tables are covered in brown butcher paper, signaling the availability of hard-shell crabs. As in Maryland, the crustaceans are steamed with Old Bay, and, as in Maryland, separating the meat from the shell is a lot of work with little edible return to show for it.
The restaurant takes its name from a river that snakes its way up through the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Note to the management: The river called and wants its name back.
Price range: appetizers: $8 to $14; main courses, $15 to $28, except for hard-shell crabs, which are $50.
Recommended dishes: Middleneck clams with garlic butter, Boardwalk-style fries.
Choptank, 308-310 Bleecker Street, nr Grove St, 212-675-2009. Open seven days for dinner and weekends for brunch. Major credit cards are accepted.
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Comments
Is it really Choptank's fault that you're too lazy to separate meat from the shell? If you don't like crabs, are you really the right person to be writing this review?
Not a matter of laziness. Rather one of return on effort. It's certainly not a question of liking crabs; I love them. In any case, the warning about hard shells is one I would give an uninitiate at at any restaurant that serves the dish, not just Choptank.
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