A Claw-Crackingly Epic Sesh

What’s more synonymous with summer in the DMV than blue crab and Old Bay? Well, besides prerolls and sunset Mall strolls, of course.

And hey, we’re just following tradition here. Shout out to the OG blue crabbers; the indigenous Piscataway and Nanticoke tribes, stewards of the Chesapeake Bay and crab aficionados since day one. Later came the European colonizers. And later yet, Gustav Brunn, legend of legends; the creator of Old Bay himself.

Fast forward a hundred-ish years and here we are today. It’s July in the DMV, it’s hot as hell, and the blue crabs aren’t going to eat themselves (as far as we know…).

The Birth of Old Bay

So, back to Old Bay. Us Marylanders have been consuming it by the tablespoonful practically since birth. How else are we supposed to eat our boardwalk fries? Corn-on-the-cob? Even our vanilla soft serve (looking at you, Baltimore)?

But before that last paragraph, had you even heard of Gustav Brunn? We doubt it. Before we dig into summer’s first juicy crab cake, let’s pay a little homage to the man who brought us the state’s signature flavor.

Maybe you guessed by the name, maybe not. Gustav Brunn was born in Germany. And not at the time when you’d choose to be a German-born Jew. In 1938, a massive pogrom in Frankfurt carried out by the Nazi party left Brunn arrested and interned in a concentration camp. Sixteen days later, through incredible luck, he made his great escape; he was rescued by a lawyer with a golden ticket to America.

Narrowly escaping certain death, he and his family sailed the pond to New York. Final destination, Baltimore. In our very own home state, while studying English in night school, he opened a spice shop. Addressing the massive pepper shortages caused by WWII, he gained local fame for his imitation pepper.

From his first success, he went on to create the spice that reinvented how Marylanders ate crab. Old Bay was born. Crab, fries and practically every other nameable food group, were never the same. Our eternal gratitude to Gustav Brunn. Who’s ready for a Chesapeake Bay blue?

When the Munchies Hit this Summer…

Safe to say we can all agree that crab cakes are the world’s most deliciously indulgent treat for the munchies. So when summer rolls around and it’s crab on crab on crab, we’re on the hunt for the DMV’s best cakes to satisfy our cravings.

And let’s be real, every Marlander has a crab spot they’re willing to wage WWIII defending. But we’re passionate about ours, and are willing to get into some hot water ranking them. So stoners, we’ve done the work for you; from rolling you the perfect preroll to discovering Maryland’s best crustaceous bites:

If you’re in D.C…

Clydes: Minimal filler, crispiest of exteriors, and of course their famous jumbo lump crab meat. Tried & true classic; call it perfection, the Layer Cake of summer crab feasts.

Greater Maryland…

Dutch’s Daughter: Crab Imperial unlike any other… need we say more? A perfect pastry crust meets lump crab deserving of that extra bong rip to make room for seconds, thirds, fourths and some mini fried crab cakes to round out the experience.

Pappas Seafood: Another spot for the local’s tried-and-true list. Excellence all around, with the added bonus of their uncooked “ready to travel” crab cakes. Great for a baked crab feast lunch rolling right into a baked crab feast dinner.

Hagerstown..

Chic’s Seafood: Seafood and nothing but seafood here, so you know you can’t go wrong. Order the crab cake platter to go around and top off the decadence with some crab & cheese fries.

Baltimore…

Koco’s: When they have ten different crab cake options (plus a section of their menu dedicated to munchies), you know this is the spot. Crab cakes as big as a baseball, minimal filler and maximum jumbo lump crab meat… you’ll definitely want to be putting Koco’s in your rotation.

Summer’s Short, Make it Count

It’s our favorite season and it always flies by. So the best way to make the most of it? Eat as many crab cakes as humanly possible. And triple the enjoyment with some special sauce to keep the munchies coming.

Yep, dropping just in time to ramp up an epic blue crab summer are our District Gold Pods; Liquid Diamonds & Sauce in one potent pod, featuring all your favorite DC strains. So what are you waiting for? July’s peaking; it’s time to pod up & crab down.

Our challenge for you? Hit up our top spots and get back to us with your rankings. Bonus points for the stoner with the best Gold Pod pairing.

Happy Crabbing,

WEED THE PEOPLE