Crab Imperial

Martha Nielson of Trenton, N.J., was hoping someone would have the recipe for a Crab Imperial dish similar to the one she and her husband used to enjoy on their trips to Maryland. It was served at Busch's restaurant in Cape St. Claire. The restaurant closed several years ago and though she has tried many recipes for Crab Imperial, none has come close to the light and fluffy one with a cheesy topping that was served at Busch's. Unfortunately, we did not receive any responses from our readers for a Crab Imperial with a cheese topping.

Kaye White of Bloomington, Minn., was looking for the recipe for the Crab Imperial that was served at the now-closed Olney Inn in Olney. Interestingly, I received two versions claiming to be the Olney Inn crab imperial recipe from readers. The only difference between the two versions was that in one the crab was topped with an egg white and mayonnaise meringue and garnished with a mashed potato piping around the outside of the dish. The crab imperial itself was identical in both versions.

Dennis Bolduc of Winchester, Va., wrote seeking a recipe "for crab imperial like the one served in the Crab Claw Restaurant in St. Michaels." Nancy Lewis of Columbia responded. "Attached is a recipe for crab imperial that was requested by Dennis Bolduc. This recipe was taken from Maryland Seafood Cookbook 2, published by the Seafood Marketing Authority of the Department of Economic and Community Development in Annapolis. ... I have made this recipe many times, and it is delicious." Crab Imperial Serves 8 2 eggs 1/2 cup mayonnaise 2 tablespoons chopped pimento 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 6 to 8 drops liquid hot pepper sauce 1 teaspoon salt 2 pounds Maryland back fin crab meat seafood seasoning (Old Bay)

Kolpers is that roadhouse restaurant you see, and wonder about, whenever you're biking, hiking or driving the back way into Hampden or Woodberry. It turns out that's the backside view of Kolpers, from which it looks like a small-town party palace. Approached from the front, though, Kolpers looks more like a place you'd go for a quiet sit-down dinner. This makes Kolpers a mullet restaurant ("business in the front, party in the back"), and a little bit frustrating, too. There is a bar world here and a dining world, and they feel disconnected, although they don't have to be. The bar, even early on a weeknight, feels like a friendly hangout for regulars, with folks around the bar enjoying light fare - quesadillas, burgers and ribs.

A silver candelabrum decorates the table. The chef drops live lobster into a steaming pot. Bearnaise sauce is warming - a tasty accompaniment for the filet mignon about to be flame-broiled. Exquisite. Scrumptious. Refined. And certainly not bad for parking-lot fare. Stand up and give a cheer for the world of big-time football tailgating, where pigskin fans and sometime gourmet chefs mix it up to see who can make the most memorable meal. Call it the punt, pass and poach competition. For 10 days each fall - more if the team earns home-field advantage in the playoffs - the asphalt-covered spaces outside the Baltimore Ravens' PSINet Stadium are home to a gastronomic tour de force.

THE LANDINGWhere: 123rd Street, bay side, (410) 250-0400Hours: Dinner served 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. dailyCredit cards: Accepts all major credit cardsWe had misgivings about the Landing when we walked into the restaurant. It was crowded with families, toddlers and squirming infants in the dining room, and we braced ourselves for a noisy and hurried meal.We needn't have been alarmed. Our visit turned out to be pleasant and relaxing.The restaurant staff expertly manages diners -- big and small -- and the room configuration divides the dining area into small sections that provide some privacy.

Who says you can't go home again? For lots of folks, Peerce's Plantation was like a second home - the place to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, bar mitzvahs, weddings. Or just to enjoy dinner out. When Peerce's closed 2 1/2 years ago, many mourned its passing. Guess what reopened this week? New owners Eric and Jackson Dott, with the help of general manager Peter Weston, have spent months renovating the old building to bring back the feeling of Peerce's glory days. Weston says they've entirely rebuilt and revamped the structure but kept the basic design the same.

Today: An Argentine-bred mare raced exclusively in New York will be the likely choice over four locally raced geldings in the $100,000 John B. Campbell Handicap.Carta de Amor, riding a four-race winning streak at Aqueduct, will make a rare appearance away from the Big Apple while assuming the role of favorite in the 44th running.Trained by Juan Serey and owned by John Rotella, Carta de Amor beat five male opponents in the Gray Lag Handicap while carrying 113 pounds over a muddy strip.She'll be accompanied by regular rider Vladimir Diaz for the 1 3/16-mile event and pick up two pounds.

Russell's Ltd., 1600 Frederick Road, 744-6315. The building that houses Russell's in Catonsville has had nearly as many lives as the proverbial cat, beginning as a horse-car waiting room in the 1860s and winding up as a disco before becoming a semi-suburban, semi-country restaurant. The superb service was not matched by the food, which was inconsistent and a bit too high priced for the surroundings. The Broiled Flounder stuffed with Crab Imperial ($17.95) was outstanding and the dinner's obvious high point.

Not many places are prettier this time of year than Ladew, near Monkton, one of the country's best-known topiary gardens. The good news is that the food at the Cafe at Ladew Gardens, recently taken over by Jane Fallon Caterers, is worthy of the surroundings.I'm not talking about the immediate surroundings. The cafe is located in what once must have been Harvey Smith Ladew's stables. They've been converted into a pleasant eating space with a low, whitewashed beamed ceiling and stone floor.

My rule of thumb in ordering at the new Riptide by the Bay in Fells Point is this: If it goes with beer, go for it. That means, for instance, you will be perfectly happy with the steamed crabs. They are homegrown, cooked to order with a seasoning mix that involves a lot of Old Bay but also some other ingredients like extra red pepper. Ours were meaty and not waterlogged. Come to think of it, Riptide may be Fells Point's only crab house. Obrycki's and Mo's are nearby, but they aren't in Fells Point proper.

Martha Nielson of Trenton, N.J., was hoping someone would have the recipe for a Crab Imperial dish similar to the one she and her husband used to enjoy on their trips to Maryland. It was served at Busch's restaurant in Cape St. Claire. The restaurant closed several years ago and though she has tried many recipes for Crab Imperial, none has come close to the light and fluffy one with a cheesy topping that was served at Busch's. Unfortunately, we did not receive any responses from our readers for a Crab Imperial with a cheese topping.

Mary Ann Hofmeister, a homemaker who enjoyed gardening, died of renal failure July 26 at Brighton Gardens in Towson. The former Lutherville resident was 87. Born Mary Ann Costen in Princess Anne, she attended Somerset County schools. She moved to Baltimore in the late 1930s and met her future husband, Charles Albert Hofmeister, a Bethlehem Steel metallurgical engineer. They married in 1942 and lived in Sparrows Point until moving to Lutherville in 1955. She retired to Salisbury in the l980s and lived there until this year, when she and her husband moved to Towson.

Food ** 1/2 (2 1/2 STARS) Service *** (3 STARS) Atmosphere *** (3 STARS) The Crackpot in Bel Air, a sibling to the Baltimore institution of the same name, looks like it belongs in a marina. You expect to see the water from the windows. Of course, what you actually see is a parking lot and a Target, but the illusion is good. When the owners of the original Crackpot decided to expand after 28 years, they spared no expense. This is a crab house deluxe, with two kitchens, an interior waterfall and fishpond, and its own seafood market.

You walk up to the display case, where you examine all sorts of fresh fish and seafood. You make your pick. You choose how you'd like it cooked - broiled, fried or grilled - and, perhaps, what kind of sauce you'd like with it. You choose two side dishes. Ten minutes later, your meal is delivered to you. Are you at one of Baltimore's finest seafood restaurants? You could be. But you could also be at Parkville's newest seafood place, Conrad's Crabs & Seafood Market. Obviously, not your usual seafood market.

If you've driven around Padonia and York roads lately, you may have noticed a new face on the corner. Rib 'N Reef has taken the spot vacated last November by Gibby's. John Bartsocas, who bought the space with his nephews George Tragas and Pete Vavaroutsosos, says while you won't find steamed crabs on the menu, there's plenty of other seafood to choose from. And then some. The menu is extensive. Let's start with the appetizers. They include crab imperial ($11.95); ahi tuna wrapped in nori and panko, flash-fried and served with a warm sake dipping sauce ($9.95)

Twenty years ago, I said in a review of a popular Baltimore seafood house: "When finally the weeds are pushing their way through the Chart House's foundations and the lizards are sunning themselves on Harborplace's abandoned terraces, I have the feeling Connolly's will still be dishing out crab cakes and fried oysters." Naturally, it closed not long after I wrote the review. The reason I bring it up here is that Connolly's has been resurrected in the form of Mama's on the Half Shell, a new restaurant and bar on Canton Square.

I thought I had beheld every panaromic view of the bay. Then I discovered the Hobbit.The restaurant affords a sweeping view of the water and adjacent wetlands from its spacious dining room. Visitors are given the illusion of seclusion. But you'll soon realize you're sharing this view with dozens of other diners.We had heard wonderful things about the Hobbit, particularly about the rich sauces that accentuate the seafood and other dishes.Ever money-conscious, we arrived early to take advantage of at least one of the restaurant's early-bird specials (to complement, of course, a regular-priced dinner entree)

FOOD *** ( 3 STARS) SERVICE *** (3 STARS) ATMOSPHERE ** (2 STARS) Let's face it. Haussner's is a hard act to follow. Not so much because of the food. In its last years, I never heard people say the food was why they ate there. But Haussner's was one of the few restaurants that could be legitimately described as a Baltimore landmark. It was wonderfully fun to be sitting at one of the white-clothed tables, even if your fish was overcooked or the famous strawberry pie didn't have much taste.

August may be the time for folks to go away. This year, it seems it's also the time for some local restaurants to disappear. The popular Owings Mills bistro Due closed recently. However, its food can still be found in its sister restaurant, Linwood's, right next door. One of Linwood's managers, Rachel Zundell, says the Due menu was rolled into that of Linwood's. The Due space is being turned into a catering venue. Linwood's Restaurant, 410-356-3030, is at 25 Crossroads Drive. Lunch is served 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday through Friday.