MILOS CLASSIC CRABCAKE
Maryland Lump Blue Crab, Santori Piazzi-style beans.
PHOTO: CHRISTOPHER HODSON
There are cakes made with crab, and then there are crab cakes. You might laugh at that statement, but they are not one and the same and I firmly believe each should be labeled accordingly so as not to confuse. I can’t begin to tell you how many ‘crab cakes’ I’ve ordered over the years that have had every and any thing but crab in them. There is usually so much breadcrumb mixture and mayonnaise inside in an attempt to ‘bind’ the crab meat together so that when they finally do get seared, they often get burnt. The only remedy that ever seems to be considered is to just add more aioli on top and some wacky garnish that shouldn’t be on the plate in the first place, all in an effort to hide their mistake. All of that unnecessary filler is really just masking the lack of actual crab inside and taking away from the actual star of the dish. Here’s a thought, just start over.
I’ll play devils advocate for a moment though and try to empathize with the restaurant because I get it, good crabmeat is expensive. The more crab cakes a restaurant can make, should correlate directly with a larger profit margin, assuming they don’t commit the common mistake I just listed above. But at what cost is it worth it? A couple mistakes with this item or dish on your menu can wipe out any profit immediately and then you’re scrambling just to break even. If you’ve ever bought crab at a market then you’ll know what I mean. There are often 3-4 different types of crabmeat available and the price depends on how well it has been hand picked out of the shell and how large the chunks are. It goes from scraps in a can on the drygoods shelf for as little as $3.99 that often have tiny pieces of shell still in them, all that way up to premium jumbo lumb crab packed in water for as high as $60 a can in the fresh seafood section. Adding to this complex equation are your different types of crab, most popular being Louisiana crab, Maryland crab, Snow crab, and Dungeness crab. You also have Alaskan king crab but it’s just downright blasphemous to even consider putting it in a crab cake.
I am definitely not out here eating crab cakes every day as I'm sure most people aren’t either, but if you are, hey cheers to you and the select few who are. When I see a crab cake on a menu I’m naturally drawn to it, and will usually just order it even at the dismay of my wife. I try to approach with extreme caution depending on its price tag, and a higher price often prompts me to solicit more concrete answers from the server, which, can be a whole new task in and of itself. If the menu says ‘Jumbo Lump’ and the price is $30ish or higher, it’s usually going to be good, and worth it. If it's in the $18-$24 dollar-ish range, I start to question it and let my wandering eyes lead me away to something else. If it’s any less than $16, avoid at all costs. When I’m really perplexed about what to do, I scour the social media page to see if I can find a picture of it somewhere…
Enter the Estiatorio Milos ‘Classic Crab Cake.’ This is the crab cake upon which all other crab cakes should be judged against. It is exactly as how it’s described on the menu, every single time. You can easily see the premium jumbo lump Maryland blue crab barely held together by what my guess is, a simple dijon and proper seasoning. It’s cooked to absolute perfection, served hot alongside a beautiful puree of Santorini fava beans and the silkiest mustard-like emulsion you’ll ever see. I hope what I’m about to say next isn’t a turnoff, but I don’t want you to experience sticker shock and then write me a complaint letter afterwards. This dish will set you back $48 (yes, for an appetizer). If you’re only eating it once or twice a year like me, it’s money well spent. Estiatorio Milos has two locations in the city, one in Midtown and one in Hudson Yards. The Hudson yards location is definitely more beautiful as it overlooks the Vessel and has stunning views at sunset across the Hudson River into New Jersey, but the midtown location clearly has the better food for some reason and everyone I talk to seems to agree. Now if only someone could only enlighten me to as why Pete Wells has always had such a disdain for this place…