Soft Shell Crab Week

I recently got an email from the Downtown Partnership of Baltimore touting "Soft Shell Crab Week." I had no idea it was "Soft Shell Crab Week." Here's what the DPB says in its email:

Downtown Baltimore restaurants are celebrating Memorial Day Weekend with the kick off of the Downtown Baltimore Soft Shell Crab Week. The Chesapeake Bay is famous for its blue crabs, which is the main catch for local watermen. The shedding cycle of the Chesapeake Bay blue crab runs from late May through September and produces the delicious soft shell crab. Considered a true delicacy, renowned the world over, the soft crab is prized by those who are first to sample a season's catch.

It seems like a good idea. Even though I don't see any low, low "Baltimore Restaurant Week"-esque prices, there are still a few locations that are either promoting their soft shell choices or offering new ones, including Brass Elephant, The Charleston, Donna's, Eden West, Grille 700, Ixia, La Scala, Mother's Grille, Nick's Fish House and Sotto Sopra.

I love soft shells as much as the next Bawlamoron. I remember a bachelor's party I went on in Old Town Alexandria for an old college buddy. He and all of his friends were from Upstate New York - Somers to be specific - where they apparently do not have soft shell crabs (poor souls), and I was the only one of his friends that was in any way familiar with the DC area. Everyone else was very interested in drinking (and at least one of them threw up). I would have been interested in drinking too, had I not been driving, and had I not seen the soft shell crab sandwich on the menu. The only thing these guys could say was, "Now I think I'm going to throw up!" It looked like a big batter-fried bug in a sandwich. I guess it's a Chesapeake thing.