Vera’s Restaurant at White Sands Marina, Lusby, Calvert County, Maryland

We’ve been taking the grandkids to Vera’s a good bit lately. I’ve written about it before. That may shock some of you, as until recently, Vera’s was a place that, well, had a lot of distinctive features, not least, Vera herself. It was a heavily decorated tiki bar with live music, bikini contests, and who knows what. It was a great place for those in a certain time of life. I can think of years I would have just planted myself there, but we won’t talk about that. What it wasn’t was a place to take 3- and 5-year-old grandchildren.

All that has changed. The new owners have calmed down the decorations, removed the tiki thatch, and turned it into a family restaurant. It has lots going for it. It’s huge both inside and out, with room for a big wedding indoors and broad decks outside overlooking what may be the best restaurant view in Southern Maryland, with water views on three sides on a high peninsula. Here’s just one angle.

I may be wrong on that “best view” business, but show me a better view. I’d love to go there.

And we love to go to Vera’s. I detailed some of that in my initial review. The food is very good now, and the drinks are cold. What prompted our most recent visit was my son-in-law Michael, who knows his food, stating that Vera’s crab cake is the best he’s ever had. Now, Michael can exaggerate for effect, and I was not convinced. Say I was cautiously hopeful, and decided to try one for myself, despite my apprehension of the dread “Market Price” next to crab cakes on so many menus.

Nancy and I got together with our dear friends, Joyce Deroy and Willie King, who are over on the Patuxent side of Calvert County. Willie grew up on the water over in St. Mary’s County, and as a kid made money crabbing and fishing. He knows his way around. Willie went into the Navy, but then went over to the dark side and became a lawyer. He was a distinguished judge in DC, but there was enough good in him to stay by the water and keep harvesting crabs, hardshell and soft-shell alike. That’s a good friend to have.

We all went to Vera’s and both Nancy and I ordered the crab cake sandwich. Here’s mine.

I won’t hide from you the fact that it was a $28 sandwich. It isn’t long ago that the very idea of a $28 sandwich was laughable, but Lordy it was a good sandwich. The crab cake was all crab, all fresh, seasoned delightfully, and beautifully cooked. I don’t agree with Michael that it was the best crab cake around. Nancy makes the best crab cakes (using this recipe), and Michael makes a mean one. But I can’t recall a better one I’ve had in a restaurant. I haven’t had the crab cake at Jerry’s Place (I went with the soft shells), and I imagine that there are lots of other great crab cakes that I haven’t tried. Like I wrote about the view at Vera’s, try Vera’s version and then find me a better one. I’ll go there. Oh, the slaw was good, too.

For those of you who think Vera’s is still a tiki bar with questionable food, open your eyes and look around. It’s a new place that has gained a fine kitchen and retained that wonderful view. It’ll get even better as leaves start turning. Head on over to Vera’s.

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