Brothers take seafood business to the people

The menu of Crab Corner Maryland Seafood House is defiantly true to its name.

There are no steaks listed. No chicken dishes, but for token offerings of wings and tenders, and one lonely-looking barbecued pulled pork sandwich.

No, Crab Corner, 4161 S. Eastern Ave., is all about the crab, the shrimp, the crawfish, the clams and the other varieties of seafood and shellfish that co-owners Mark and John Smolen fly in daily and serve up simply and traditionally.

The brothers opened the restaurant Nov. 17 as a spinoff of their Nevada Seafood Wholesalers, which supplies crabs and seafood to restaurants and supermarkets across town.

"We were born and raised in Maryland -- my family is there -- and we've been wholesaling seafood for many years," notes Mark Smolen, adding that their goal for the restaurant was "to be as traditional as possible."

The 50-seat dining room features University of Maryland knickknacks and a cozy, casual ambience. Steamed crabs are delivered to diners on trays and dumped onto tables for do-it-yourself picking.

Newbies needn't feel intimidated, though, because the brothers are happy to instruct beginners in the fine art of crab meat extraction. For those who prefer not to dissect their own crustaceans, the menu offers a roster of less-labor-intensive seafood selections that includes crab cakes, fried shrimp and clams, and beer-battered cod, and daily specials ranging from crab pretzels to crab imperial.

The brothers are fine-tuning the restaurant's menu and specials, and Smolen said there are plans to, for instance, bring in a machine to make Snowballs, Maryland's favorite form of shaved ice dessert.

Crab Corner Maryland Seafood House is open from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays, noon to 10 p.m. Saturdays and noon to 9 p.m. Sundays. Reservations aren't required.

Starters: Mini crab cakes, four for $8.95 and eight for $16.95; garlic hard-shell blue crab halves, $8.95 for four

Soups: Maryland crab soup, $3.95 a cup or $5.95 a bowl

Entrees: Crab cake platter with one five-ounce cake for $15.95 or two for $24.95; soft shell crab platter, $19.95; fried oyster platter, $12.95; steamed Florida clams, $11.95 per pound; black mussels simmered in garlic butter and white wine, $11.95 per pound

Sides: Boardwalk-style fries, $2.95; homemade potato salad or Sweet Potater-Tots, $1.95 each

Desserts: Homemade ice cream chipwich, $3.95

Information: 489-4646

By JOHN PRZYBYS