Crab Cakes and Bullet Holes - Captain Larry's

I'm sure there are plenty of bars with bullet holes in its ceilings throughout Baltimore.  With the exception of Captain Larry's (CL's) on Fort Avenue in Federal Hill, I doubt you will find another bar in the harbor area with six bullet holes in its ceiling.  When I first went to CL's a while back, I had heard the story about the bullet holes in the ceiling but I was about 12 drinks in and I couldn't remember the story.  I asked the food runner and he informed me that sometime back in the 80's at around 4am, a bunch of city cops were loaded when one of the officer's shot a bullet into the ceiling.  He challenged his buddies to shoot another bullet in its same hole.  Five offers tried and five failed.  Little did they know that then owner, Captain Larry, lived above the bar.  Larry, who was in the bathroom at the time, dove into his tub to duck for cover.   Good thing he did because at least one of those bullets hit the tub and settled under the tub.    


It's been years since that test of skill and manhood and while the bullet holes remain, Captain Larry has since set sail for Florida if I recall the story correctly.  So what about the crabcake?  Finding the best crab cake in Bmore is like trying to find the best Po Boys in New Orleans or cheese steaks in Philadelphia. Opinions vary and consensus is impossible.   Many feel that the best crabcake can be found at G&M Restaurant out towards the airport.  The uneducated tourist will say Phillips is the best.  I can tell you that CL's crab cake is not the best but it is pretty solid.  Stacie and I started out with a monster soft pretzel served with a spicy brown mustard.  I have been know to repeatedly punish soft pretzels over the year and CL's has one of the best.  We  split the crab cake platter with a side of mac and cheese and a Caesar salad.  Now I have been to CL's on a few occasions and the crab cake was not nearly as good as in the past.  There was still plenty of lump crab and limited filler but the crab cake was not seasoned that well and the cook left it in the broiler too long.   The mac and cheese was cut square out of a pan similar like a lasagna.   I'd compare the Caesar salad to an accountant.  Boring but did its job. 

The beer selection was small but decent.  I had the Lagunitas IPA.  I could have had 6 but stuck with one. 

Now I normally would not mention anything about decor or ambiance especially when the marine theme fits CL's so well.  CL's is the last place where a showcase of art should occur but that's exactly what was going on at CL's this Wednesday night.   What made this even worse is the featured "artist" sold the manager a bill of goods.  I can walk down to the daycare at Tide Point and get a more aesthetically pleasing result.  There was also two pieces where the "artist" glued petrie dishes filled with bacteria to a frame and wanted to sell it for $250.  Nothing like petrie dishes full of bacteria to expand your appetite.

So the fundamental question I ask myself is "Would I go back?"  Yes, on a Wednesday Night.  Wednesday is Crab Cake night and the platter was $19.95 for two huge crab cakes and a side.  A no brainer really.  Otherwise I 'd go back for the pretzel!