You guys, they have soft shell crab at Caplinger’s! Well, at least they did when I went last week! I had been in to pick up some fish for dinner the other day (one of my favorite fish markets in town) and saw them. I don’t personally like to cook soft shells myself because it involves deep frying (you know the best way to eat a soft shell crab is deep fried) and I don’t do that very often.
I told hubby we needed to go stat, and he was easily swayed. You can get it in sandwich form, which comes with one crab, or dinner form, which comes with two crabs and two sides ($19.99). Who needs to waste time and stomach space with bread? So we got the dinner and each had a crab. We had hush puppies and red beans and rice for our sides.
Those crabs? They were perfect. They were large, and not too hard, and the breading is spicy and crispy and perfectly delicious. You have to get the remoulade sauce and dip the crab in it. It is also spicy and delicious. I like that they don’t make everything bland to appeal to the masses. The sides were only okay, the hush puppies tasted like they had maybe been cooked earlier—they weren’t smokin’ hot like the crab. But the crab, I could go back right now (I just ate them for lunch today) and eat more.
We also got the lobster roll ($13.99). Love the filling of the roll—it’s different from many I have had because they use claw and knuckle meat (there are some nice big hunks of claw and knuckle in there, which is my favorite part of the lobster). It’s very lightly dressed, and has a little bit of celery and green onion for just a tiny bit of crunch. Really though, this sandwich is mostly meat. And the bread is a pretty dense bun, so hubby and I pretty much just decided to eat the meat out of the bun. Particularly because we were eating those oh so healthy soft shell crabs. The only thing I would add here (besides maybe a slightly softer bun) would be a squeeze of lemon. But we both enjoyed it.
My advice to you is to get in there and get some crab if you like them—and if you have never tried them, you need to! If they don’t have them, get the fried fish, because that breading is delicious. Or try the lobster roll. And if you have a favorite side dish, clue me in, because I am still trying to figure that part out.
(Oh, and a great fish market too.)
Caplinger’s Fresh Catch Seafood Market
7460 North Shadeland, Suite 400
Indy 46250
317/288-7263
I love their sides! Mac & cheese is awesome, has a little celery seed in it. Their greens are smokey and porky, but pretty salty so you have to like salt. Chipotle slaw and their chips are also solid.
ReplyDeleteWe love Caplinger's!!! I always either get the Caplinger's Special Dinner (grilled and blackened Basa) or the lemon pepper salmon dinner... My favorite sides are the collard greens and chipotle slaw... If you like oysters, they will shuck them for you there! We often take those home for carry out... You can't go wrong here! :-)
ReplyDeleteObsessed with their smoked tuna salad!
ReplyDeleteBig fan of Caplinger's and found out about it here.
ReplyDeleteI was eating there about once a week until a gout attack forced me to back off a little.
And piece of advice. Lunch and dinner crowds can make the wait fairly long. They are up front about it though. And I have no problem with it. I just visit during non peak hours.
I almost always settle on the cod. Though the yellow perch is probably the best choice.
And I don't know of any other place to get yellow perch.
I love Caplingers, and might have first learned of it here. I've had several lunches there and keep coming back to their house specialty, the basa. I'm totally addicted to their smoked whitefish dip, and often bring that home along with fresh fish for dinner. Good idea to go outside of lunch/dinner rush, otherwise expect to wait. But freshly cooked seafood like this is so worth it! They're not trying to be a fast food place, thank goodness.
DeleteSuper novice question... I haven't had soft-shell crab before. Do you eat the whole thing? (as in not taking the crab meat out of it) Are they cleaned / gutted before they are cooked? Just wondering what I'm getting myself into... Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI went and had the soft shell crab for my birthday dinner! It was great! There were a couple of innards left, but I think for the most part it's cleaned. I just picked them out and gave them to my husband (he's weird). The clam chowder wasn't as good as it was the first time I had it. It didn't have that clammy flavor it did the first time. I also got a side of fried oysters. IMO they have THE BEST fried oysters I've ever had. We also took a tub of that smoked tuna salad home. It was wonderful. I was expecting to hit you over the head with smokey flavor, but it was very subtle. A big hit at our house!
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