Dish of the Week
Soft shell crabs
Soft shell crabs have been in season for a few weeks now, and they’re on menus all over town. And our interview with Eric Ziebold has definitely inspired a craving for these little delights. Nothing quite like the crunch of a deep-fried soft shell with the creamy flavor of its tomalley. The best part is the ease in getting to their crabby goodness, without all the work of mallets and picks to get through hard shell and cartilage. Yes, Virginia, you do eat the whole thing.

The non-traditional version at Comet Ping Pong rests atop a pizza with melted leeks and garlic. At around $17, it sounds on the pricey end for a pizza, but not when you throw in that briny crab. Tabard Inn is also doing a solid rendition on black ink tagliarini with grilled ramps, cherry tomato, chile flakes, and wasabi tobiko for $26.

Other places around town doing soft shells include: Central (as a special, so call ahead), Hank’s Oyster Bar, Mark’s Duck House (an elusive dish as they frequently sell out) and probably many more. Soft shells are just one more sign that summer is coming, and big, plump hard shells aren’t far away. If you want to make them at home, you can get them at Buster’s at the Dupont Market and make a sandwich using our DCist recipe.