There are few things better than pickin’ and eating Maryland Blue Crabs while drinking cold beer on a hot summer’s day. A couple weeks ago I found myself in Annapolis, Maryland for a friends bachelor  party, and we spent the better part of a Friday afternoon doing just that. The place we chose was Jimmy Cantler’s Riverside Inn, an establishment that has been serving up fresh crabs to a happy public since 1974. Eating crabs in Maryland along the Chesapeake Bay or one of its estuaries is an experience that everyone should have the opportunity to enjoy.

Over the years as the population of crabs has decreased in the Bay, the price has risen. Supply and Demand is depressing. We opted for a dozen large.

Cantler’s receives fresh crab from fisherman daily.

Mallets are the tools of the trade when it comes to pickin’ crabs.

This is a detail of the dozen crabs. See all of that Old Bay coating the shells? That is delicious.

Here is a crab that is about to get smashed.

Just like lobster, the claw meat is coveted.

This is the bachelor cracking open the body of the crab. It was his first time eating them which is why he looks so focused.

Another crab waiting to get crushed.

As evidenced by our scrap bucket, eating crabs is not for the person who likes to stay clean.

Marylanders are passionate about their crabs, this is our hosts new tattoo.  I cannot wait to see it filled with color.

Hopefully this has made you a bit hungrier, and craving these delicious creatures.  Head to a small, waterside crab house in Maryland for the freshest and best.

David Wilfert is the founder and contributor of the site The World’s Best Ever, a blog on design, fashion, art, music, photography and lifestyle. To read more of David’s work check him out on www.theworldsbestever.com.