PAUL F WESLEY
Chunky Crab
By Diana Cercone
It’s 1:30 on a recent Friday afternoon and I’m standing in front of the cold case chock-full of freshly made crab cakes at Capt’n Chucky’s Crab Cake Co. in Yardley. Not including the crab imperial (I’ll explain later) or the Gluten-free Smith Island crab cake, I count seven different styles of crab cakes. I’m talking seven totally different crab cakes here! My mouth was already drooling at the first one, the Smith Island crab cake. Standing next to me is Tony Parsons, who along with his wife Jamie, is the owner.
As if reading my mind, Tony says, “Don’t even think about asking about the “f” word. We don’t allow it here.” The “f” word he’s referring to is “filler.” Laughing, I say, “That was going to be my next question.” Which, as any crab cake connoisseur knows, is the make-it-or-break-it ingredient to a really good crab cake. And if you’ve ever been to dinner with my friend CeCe and there are crab cakes on the menu, stand back. You don’t want to fall victim to one of her drill-sergeant-like rapid questions fired at the waitstaff of what exactly goes into their crab cake that isn’t crab meat.
“No,” Tony says. “We do not use fillers. All of our crab cakes are made with at least eighty-five percent jumbo lump crab meat. The Smith Island, our most popular, is made with ninety-one percent jumbo lump crab meat.” Then there’s the Mega Crab Cake, boasting six chunky ounces of the jumbo lump.
Tony and his crew affectionately call it the B.A.C.C. (Bad Ass Crab Cake). “You order that when you’re having a party and want to get your bougee on,” he says. Something in the merriment of his voice tells me he knows of what he speaks.
What they do use at Capt’n Chucky’s instead of fillers, which often consist mostly of bread stuffing, are an assortment of proprietary spices which gives each crab cake its own special flavor. Or a light cream sauce such as the one which holds the Smith Island crab cake together and prevents it from falling apart when cooking. Others, like the Rock Island Crab Cake, along with its special spices, has a light dusting of a bread crumb coating. Capt’n Chucky’s crab imperial, rather than formed into a cake, is best served in a ramekin or over pasta. Tony also uses it to stuff lobster or other seafood dishes such as the Stuffed Shrimp, an ambrosial mix of crab meat folded into a light cream sauce wrapped around a wild-caught steamed shrimp and lightly breaded.
Along with the array of crab meat offerings are freshly shelled, seasoned and steamed, wild-caught Mexican brown colossal-size shrimp; shrimp cake, with chunks of wild-caught steamed shrimp in a Parmesan cream sauce and lightly breaded; and shrimp and crab gouda cake, which combines their steamed shrimp and jumbo lump crab meat in a smoked gouda cheese sauce. In addition, there are also freshly made shrimp salad and Wasabi Shrimp Roll, combining their shrimp salad with their wasabi crab spread and held together in an egg-roll-style wrap. And the Wasabi Crab Spread, served with crackers or vegetables, pairs perfectly with a cocktail or glass of wine. Just beware it can be (deliciously) addictive.
And these don’t even come close to Capt’n Chucky’s complete menu, both fresh and frozen offerings in regular and appetizer sizes and bake-n-serve entrées, like pecan-crusted tilapia. No thawing involved. Just unpack from the store or pull from your freezer and bake in your oven. Homemade soups and salads are popular staples as well.
Though Tony and Jamie worked in the food business for 20 years, it wasn’t until January of 2020 when they bought the Yardley Capt’n Chucky’s Crab Cake Co. store. Just a few weeks into the start of the pandemic, he says, he had worried that they could not have picked a worse time to open up a business.
As it turned out, he and Jamie were a lifeline for the community, with many of their customers coming so often they became like family. Customers stop in regularly to buy not only the crab cakes but also everything they have to offer, from prepared seafood dishes to local artisan pastas and soups to stuffed breads, pickles, perogies, pound cake and coffee.
Of course, the reputation of Capt’n Chucky’s Crab Cake Co. also helped. On last count, there are 14 locations, with the headquarters in Newtown Square. Though independently owned and not a franchise, all the stores use Capt’n Chucky’s quality jumbo lump crab, wild-caught Mexican brown shrimp and wild-caught fish. Made fresh daily at the stores by the owners, like Tony and Jamie, the crab cakes, shrimp and seafood dishes all follow Capt’n Chucky’s recipes. Which in a way is equivalent to a food imprimatur—knowing that the quality and taste is consistent, fresh and delicious.
That night I feasted on Capt’n Chucky’s shrimp, perfectly steamed to an al dente firmness, its flavor sweet and juicy. Then came the Wasabi Shrimp Roll. It had the crunch you expect from the best of egg rolls with a crust crisp and thin and loaded with large chunks of freshly steamed shrimp mixed in with their popular wasabi crab spread. Next, I tucked into a Smith Island Crab Cake followed by a Rock Hall (Tony’s and Jamie’s favorite). No easy winner here, but when finally pushed, I voted for Capt’n Chucky’s customers’ favorite.
Accompanying all of the above were Capt’n Chucky’s three sauces: cocktail, tartar and sabi, a sweet wasabi sauce. Though none of the crab cakes or shrimp dishes needed any adornment, I agreed with Tony that the sabi was so wickedly good, I even dipped my accompanying steamed new potatoes in it.
On another day I stopped by Capt’n Chucky’s Crab Cake Co. in Jamison in the Warwick Shopping Center on Old York Road and spoke with its manager, Frank Valecce. (The store is still owned by Capt’n Chucky’s owners, Jason and Bridget Lottier.)
“I’m a seafood and pasta guy,” he says, explaining that he grew up in an Italian family in South Philly and helped his mother in the kitchen making pasta sauce. Capt’n Chucky’s Crab Marinara Sauce over pasta, he says, brings the best of an Italian Sunday supper to your table. And when not enjoying their New England Clam Chowder (no potatoes, just plenty of plump sweet clams) as a soup, he says, toss the creamy chowder with pasta.
Because they are independently owned, along with carrying the same Capt’n Chucky’s menu, each owner can tweak it with their own creations or bring in a favorite local food item, such as Talluto’s artisan pastas, Marchiano’s stuffed breads, Beach Brew Coffee and Stock’s pound cakes. At the Jamison store, Frank holds Taco Tuesday, offering 8-oz Mahi-Mahi with 3 shells and all the fixins to take home and bake. Cooking instructions, as always, are included.
Over at the Yardley store this summer, Tony and Jamie are bringing back their popular Chucky’s Bucket. The seafood boil includes three pounds of Alaskan crab legs, one dozen shrimp, 24 littleneck clams, corn on the cob, Cajun sausage and red bliss potatoes. A complete meal for two or three people, it comes in its own ready to cook bucket with instructions. Chucky’s Bucket also comes in a large size, for four to six people.
Capt’n Chucky’s Crab Cake Co. in Yardley is located at 25 South Main Street in the Yardley Center; 215-321-3939; www.captnchuckysyardley.com; and its Jamison store is located at 2395 York Road in Warwick Shopping Center; 215-792-7992. To see all locations, visit www.captnchuckysjamison.com.
Diana Cercone is an area freelance writer who specializes in food, art and travel.