Handmade With Jumbo Lump, True Blue Crab
Like lobster from Maine or salmon from the Pacific Northwest, the Maryland blue crab is an icon, known for its distinctive sweetness, texture and flavor. These qualities can’t be raised on a farm or conjured in a kitchen, and they can’t be substituted with clawed cousins from entirely different species. But did you know that around 90% of all seafood eaten in the US is imported from overseas – including the crab in most “Maryland Style” crab cakes you find in stores and restaurants? For more than 60 years Angelina’s has resisted the temptation to trade true quality for a few extra dollars and still exclusively uses “Callinectes Sapidus” in all of our products. This Latin name for our Atlantic blue crab means “savory beautiful swimmer”, and its incomparable flavor is the (not-so) secret ingredient in our famous recipes.
Named "Baltimore's Best Crab Cake" 16 Times By Baltimore Magazine & 10 Times By Baltimore's City Paper.
Maryland Crab Cakes Made In Small Batches On The Chesapeake Bay For Over 65 Years
Angelina’s crab cakes have been renowned in Baltimore for decades. Our story dates back to a small Italian grocery that started in a row home in Parkville in 1952. Over the years the popular site would evolve into a restaurant, and then eventually a landmark destination with a legendary dish and a long list of awards. Their signature creation would be featured by newspapers and magazines, on TV and in tourist guides. Almost any local discussion of crab cakes invoked Angelina’s name. Visitors to Baltimore increasingly sought out this small spot with the big reputation, and also inquired about taking some cakes to impress the folks back home. Angelina’s began shipping direct to customers nationwide in 1993, and CrabCake.com became a pioneer of mail-order gourmet in the early days of e-commerce.
Original owner Angelina “Miss Angie” Tadduni remained personally involved until aged 84, even as times and ownership changed. Proprietors Bob and Carole Reilly created the recipe for the now-famous crab cakes in the 1960’s, and the Bufano’s were the first to bring them to a nationwide audience. Over the course of 50+ years on Harford Road, most of the people who had played a part in the restaurant would stay connected to it – even as roles were shuffled and changed. Consistency in quality and service turned out to be the true recipe for success, and this legacy remains important to us today.
Although the Baltimore dining room closed for good in 2008, our current facility on the eastern shore of the Chesapeake Bay means even greater proximity to the authentic local sources that set us apart. Today we continue to make our crab cakes exactly as they had been at Angelina’s restaurant for decades - using jumbo lump crab meat exclusively from the Atlantic blue crab, subtly seasoned, arranged in mountainous proportions and shipped fresh to your doorstep.
Maryland and blue crabs are almost synonymous. With this dish being so central to our region’s culinary consciousness, Angelina’s crab cakes truly represent the “best of the best.” We’re proud of our long history, work hard to honor it and aim to deliver a small portion with each package we ship out.
Proudly True Blue Certified
We source as many ingredients as possible from local Maryland suppliers because we love supporting our local economy and the watermen of the Chesapeake Bay. The marketplace for crab is full of imposters and imitators, but we believe our customers know and deserve the difference.
Many of our competitors rely on imported crab from Asia and elsewhere to keep costs down. In most cases that means you're getting an entirely different species from Maryland’s state crustacean. You would recognize the difference in a net, but it’s harder to spot (and taste) if covered up by half a can of Old Bay seasoning. With Angelina’s, you’re guaranteed true blue crab in every bite.
We Use 100% Atlantic Blue Crab (Callinectes Sapidus) In All Of Our Products
It's important to know where your food comes from and what you’re buying…so here are a few good reasons to ask crabby questions before you buy:
Some vo-crab-ulary can be quite confusing. For example, blue “swimming” crab is not the same as blue crab. And meat called “backfin” contains the smallest pieces, even though the largest jumbo lumps come from the backfin of the crab.
Imported crab is packed with a chemical preservative necessary for overseas transport.
Buying a domestic product supports US jobs and reduces the impacts of long-distance shipping.
Harvesting, processing and safety protocols vary widely from country to country and don’t always meet US standards…much less Angelina’s standards.
“Maryland Crab Cakes" should be made in Maryland (simple, right?)
