Pick a crab, any crab

Diamondback Tavern's crab and corn dog

$9.50

Sometimes it's nice to get the eff out of the city and try some different places. Ellicott City is a short drive from Baltimore and different enough to make you feel like you're wandering some French hamlet. It is also home to Diamondback Tavern, which contains one of the oddest crab dishes we have come across in some time: The crab and corn dog. "What could it be?" was asked over and over when talking to our friends about the alien concoction. We were going to travel out of our literal comfort zone to find out. Well, it's not as weird as you might think. The crab and corn dog is the bastard child of a crab cake and a lobster roll. If you took crab cake mix, threw in a handful of fresh corn kernels and instead of a patty you made a log, you would have the dog part. After cooking it until crispy, you would nestle it into a top-split hot dog bun and top it with lettuce, tomatoes and a drizzle of Dijon mustard dressing. It was crabby as well as corny with just enough Old Bay to highlight both flavors. The lettuce and the tomato cut the richness of the dog with the mustard dressing providing some snap at the end. So if you've been trying to find a reason to get out of the concrete jungle and try something different, here is your excuse.