Hangover Observations: Hungry Cat's Crabfest IV

We finally finagled a reservation for Hungry Cat's annual Crabfest, now in its fourth year, on Sunday. Just as it should be, we left full of Natty Bo (National Bohemian beer, for those who don't know, from "the land of pleasant living"), covered in crab remnants and spicy fingers no matter how many times we washed them. While the sun blasted the patio early in the day, people waited for tables inside or in the shade; by the time we left, finally shaded but still hot, every table was full. There was plenty of newspaper, mallets and buckets of beer, and even those who've never had a steamed blue crab in their life really got into it. David Lentz and his chefs (including for a bit, wife Suzanne Goin) manned the crab pots, a very tan Nancy Silverton just finished dessert as we sat down, and the crowd was teeming with bloggers, restaurant publicists, other chefs and food media galore. For anyone who's lived in or near Maryland, this might be a stylized Hollywood-version of the down-home crab feasts (soft shell po' boys and crab soup and heirloom tomatoes with provolone cheese and basil before you even get to the crabs), but who's complaining? Everything was delicious, the beer was ice cold, and for those who wanted them, the crabs kept on coming. It's fair to note: The $50 per person crab menu is easy on the wallet, it's adding the beers and cocktails and oysters from the raw bar that'll put you over. A pricey afternoon, but still total summer perfection.