Steamed Crabs

ON THE wall of fame at Enrico's Sports Bar, Haven and Pratt streets, in Highlandtown, there are photographs of all the great ones owner Bud Paolino's met and treasured over the years, from Rocky Marciano and Jack Dempsey to Mimi DiPietro and Du Burns to Charley Eckman and Pope John Paul II.But three of the old black-and-white pictures stand out: Joe DiMaggio in his glory, in his famous widespread eating stance, never breaking stride, devouring steamed crabs...

Vans Warped at RFKListen to punk, alternative rock and retro swing and cheer on top-ranked professional and amateur athletes in competitions ranging from skateboarding to BMX to in-line skating when Vans Warped Tour '98 makes a stop tomorrow at the RFK Stadium parking lot in Washington. More than 30 bands are scheduled to perform, including Bad Religion, Rancid, Cherry Poppin' Daddies, Save Ferris, Sprung Monkey and the Aquabats. Gates open at 11:30 a.m.; show starts at 12:30 p.m. Tickets are $20. Call 410-481-SEAT.

BOYS AND GIRLS dressed in white clothes and paper hats, with 4-H green neckerchiefs, leading livestock in and out of the ring.The smells of fresh pork barbecue and other country foods in the breeze. Strains of music drifting from the barns, and folks meeting in small groups to chat and catch up on a year's worth of news.These are the sights and sounds of the Carroll County 4-H and FFA Fair, which continues through Saturday. It's one of the few nationwide that retains the flavor of a good ol' country fair.

Since it opened in the spring of last year, Helen's Garden Cafe (2908 O'Donnell St.) on Canton Square has done so well that it has slowly changed from a gourmet-to-go with a couple of eat-in tables to a full-fledged restaurant with a liquor license.On the first floor of the handsomely renovated rowhouse, the buy-by-the-pound counters have been replaced by a couple of coffee bars, a selection of wines and a dessert case. There's now a dining room upstairs where lunch and dinner are served Tuesday through Friday, and breakfast, lunch and dinner Saturday and Sunday.

SUMMER CONTINUES and so do the vacation Bible schools.Children ages 4 to 12 are invited to attend "Sonrise Balloon Adventure" at the Brooklyn Park Church of the United Brethren in Christ, 210 W. Hilltop Road, starting tomorrow. The sessions run from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. through Friday.Come join in the games, crafts, songs and Bible stories.Information: 410-636-4347.Crab saleMake sure you get your fill of steamed crabs Aug. 22 at the crab sale sponsored by the Music Ministries of Brooklyn Heights United Methodist Church, 110 Townsend Ave.The cost is $12 a dozen for medium males.

Goschenhoppen Folk FestivalHistory will repeat itself tomorrow and Saturday at the Goschenhoppen Folk Festival in East Greenville, Pa. Offering an authentic and educational re-creation of life and customs of the Pennsylvania Dutch in the 18th and 19th centuries, the 31st annual festival is sponsored by the Goschenhoppen Historians.More than 1,000 participants of all ages will re-enact a myriad of activities and tasks of the Pennsylvania Dutch people. Such trade skills as pottery, organ making, chair caning, food preparation, sewing and mending, weaving tape and spinning, and cornhusk-doll making will be portrayed.

It is a sign of summer when your coffee changes color. On warm afternoons you drop ice cubes in your coffee and add a shot of cream. The cream cloud descends on the ice cubes, like an ocean wave rolling over rocks at the beach. The color of the coffee changes from black to mocha, and the personality of the drink changes from a hot, start-your-engine beverage to a cool, indulgent companion.It is a sign of summer when you find yourself lingering in a neighborhood restaurant, Kelly's, in the 2100 block of Eastern Ave., on a Friday night waiting for your order of carryout crabs.

Chandus Thomas "Chan" Rippons Sr., a retired waterman and founder of a seafood company that bears the family name, died of heart failure Saturday at his home in Hoopersville. He was 80.Mr. Rippons' family goes back five generations on Hooper Island in Dorchester County. He was born in 1916 in Hoopersville and began a career of crabbing, oystering and fishing at 11, quitting school when his father died."He came up through the school of hard knocks," said his son, Chandus Thomas Rippons Jr., who runs the family seafood-packing business that provides seafood -- primarily crab meat -- to Baltimore, Washington, Philadelphia and New Jersey.

More than the watering hole of the ChesapeakeMy family and I moved to Annapolis two years ago from Montgomery County. We did so precisely because Annapolis is a special place. We chose the historic district because it is a collection of human-sized neighborhoods in the center of a small, bustling city.I have not been involved in the pushing and shoving that seems to be dominating Annapolis at the moment. I have been trying, however, to understand and have found it difficult.I fail to see how increasing the number of bars and nightclubs and extending their hours can possibly be seen as progress.

River Watch Restaurant and Marina, 207 Nanticoke Road, Essex, (410) 687-1422. Open every day for lunch and dinner. Major credit cards. Prices: appetizers, $5.95-$8.95; entrees, $10.95- $26.95. ***Nothing says summer is here quite like that first whiff of Old Bay. It doesn't matter that the crabs are still being shipped in from Louisiana, that it's an unseasonably cool evening and too chilly to eat on the River Watch's covered deck. You know it's summer when the waitress slides those fragrant 36s in front of you, so blazingly steamy hot you have to wait to handle them.

Last week was Beach Week on my blog, Dining@Large, so of course I had to do the Top 10 Beach Eats. The following are my suggestions of best places for certain things in and near Ocean City. What you won't find here are restaurants that are all round good, like the Marlin Moon Grille, but don't happen to fall into one of these categories. Here's my list: 1 Best Italian: Fresco's. Pastas are a specialty. No surprise there. 2 Best sunset bar: Macky's Bayside Bar & Grill. Chosen because of the stirring rendition of Kate Smith singing "God Bless America" as the sun sets.

Michael's Steak & Lobster House in Bayview belongs in the second tier of Old Baltimore restaurants. These are the ones many of us have forgotten about, the ones that haven't acquired the landmark status that places like Matthew's Pizza in Highlandtown and Mr. Bill's Terrace Inn in Essex enjoy. I'm not sure that's because they are any less good. I have a friend who blames it on something he calls "the Obrycki effect." This is when a restaurant critic or travel writer from a major city to our north comes to visit, asks the hotel concierge where to go for steamed crabs, and gets directed to, say, Obrycki's.

You join the Navy to see the world and then one night you end up in Baltimore, wrestling with this strange supper called Maryland crabs. That is my interpretation of what was going through the minds of some of the sailors on the USS Sterett the other night as they sat down to a crab feast in Locust Point. The ship was in town for the ceremony commissioning the guided missile destroyer named after Baltimore native Andrew Sterett. A group of local businessmen put on a dockside feed for the crew, complete with burgers, ribs and, of course, steamed crabs and crab soup.

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.

Agnes C. Hare, a homemaker who enjoyed cooking and entertaining family and friends, died Wednesday of complications from a broken hip at Baltimore Washington Medical Center. The longtime Pinehurst on the Bay resident was 86. Agnes C. Matthews was born in Baltimore and raised in Pigtown. After graduating from Seton High School in 1939, she worked for several years at Chesapeake & Potomac Telephone Co. She was married in 1941 to Clifford A. Hare Jr., a pharmacist who owned Kinnamon & Breile Pharmacy at Park Avenue and Madison Street.

Whump, whump, thwack! Whump, whump, thwack! There we were, smacking our steamed crabs with wooden hammers at Reter's Crab House and Grille in Reisterstown, when my 9-year-old daughter started singing, "We will, we will rock you." Poor:]

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.

A $200 million convention center opened two years ago, and there's talk of a new hotel and new entertainment, but the broad beaches and bustling boardwalk remain the most popular attractions for Virginia Beach visitors. The city has become Virginia's largest, with almost 430,000 residents and nearly 3 million visitors a year. For those seeking a break from the resort's crowds, check out the north end above 47th Street. Parking can be dicey, but the payoff is a quieter, more relaxing beach experience.

Attention newlyweds: looking for inspiration as you begin your life's journey together? Serious about your vows, especially the part about "for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and health, for as long as you both shall live?" Determined not to add to the ugly statistic of more than 50 percent of marriages ending in divorce? Well, have I got a couple of role models for you. Meet my friends Gilbert and Loretta Hoffman of Timonium, who just celebrated their golden wedding anniversary.

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.