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T TheMedwayRiverformsthewesternborderoftheSouthBryanCountypeninsula.Recently,peoplehavebeencrossingtheriverinboatloads,headedforthehistoricfishingvillageofSunbury–ortobemorespecific,fortheSunburyCrabCompanyrestaurant.Why?Thefreshestandbestbluecrabsaround. Lastfall,friendsandneighborsstartedinvitingusforSundayafternoonboattripstotheSun-buryCrabCompany.Iwasbusyworkingonthepremierissueofthemagazineandwasneverfreetojointhem,whichdidn’tbotherme.Whywouldanytruecoastalpersonorderbluecrabsinarestaurant?It’sjustnotdone.Everyoneknowsthatyoumustcatchandcookthemyourselfforthebestflavorandthattheyaremuchtoomessytoeatinarestaurant.Andwhyintheworldwouldanyoneactuallypaymarketpriceforbluecrabs?Theyarefreeinourownbackyard,forgoodness’sake.Secretly,Isneeredatmyfriends. Thenoneday,theybroughtbacksometake-outforme.Goodgrief,theyjustdidn’tgetit;theonlythingworsethanrestaurantcrabsisdried-uptake-out.Buthavingsufferedfromthelackofcrabsduringthedrought,mycravingsgotthebestofmeandItriedthem.TheywereasgoodasanyIhadevereaten.SoIagreedtocrosstheriver. Iwastakenwiththeplaceimmediately.Themulti-level,open-airrestaurantflowseasilyfromoutdoorstoinandoffersmagnificentviewsfromseeminglyeveryspot.Withpalmtrees

By Julie Osteen Seckinger

Pickingthe Blues

growingthroughthetinroof,ithasawonderfulcoastalflavorwithoutbeingkitschy.Itisdefinitelythetypeofplaceyougotoasmuchfortheexperienceasthemeal.Theambianceandfoodareinperfectbalance. IconvincedtheMaleys,ownersofthefamily-runrestaurant,toletmetagalongforadaytolearntheirsecretsandstory.ThefirstthingIlearnedwasthatClay,theyoungestofthethreesons,catchesfreshcrabsfortherestaurantdaily–evenforthecrabcakesandstew.SoImetClayearlyonemorningandwesetoutontherivertopullthecrabtraps. “We’velivedinSunburyforover20years,”Claytoldmeaswepulledawayfromthedock,“basicallyallofmy

Clay Maley leaving the Sunbury Crab Company, sorting the blue crab catch (left inset), Sponge stone crab (right inset)

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life.Growingupheretherewerenoneighborhoodkidstoplaywith,butmybackyardhadnoboundaries.MybrotherJoeandIwouldtakeour13-footWhaleroutexploringallday.Myparentshadahornmadeoutofaconchshell.Theywouldblowitandweknewtocomehome. “Astheygotolder,JoeandAmos,myoldestbrother,foundotherhobbiestheywereinterestedinandgoodat,butIwasalwaysariverrat.Iwouldthrowacastnetandcatchsomeshrimp,thentake

theshrimpandcatchsomefish,thenusesomefishtocatchcrabs.Icouldbeentertainedcatchingfid-dlercrabsinthemarshforhours.Ialwaysfoundsomethingoutdoorsthatinterestedandfascinatedme.Istilldo.”

Clayexplainedthatthefamilyhascookedforyearsintheirhome,cateringforandentertainingmili-taryandgovernmentofficialsandbusinessesthatwerelookingforasecludedandprivateplacetomeet.Whenthefamilydecidedtoopentherestaurantalittleovertwoyearsago,theystartedperfectingtheprocess.Althougheachhasaregularrespon-sibility–Claycrabs;JoecookswithAmos’helpwhenhe’shomefromlawschool;Elaine,themother,handlesthebusinesssideandfrontsideoftherestaurant;andBarney,thefa-ther,istheoverallarchitect,builder,manageranddrivingforcebehindtheoperation–theyarecompletelycross-trained,andeachgivesinputonallaspects.Theirtopprioritywastoprovidethehighestqualityproductatthelowestprice.Thatmeantcatchingfreshcrabsthemselveseachday. Aswepulledthefirsttrap,baitedwiththreadfinherring,Clayex-plainedtheprocess.Theyhaveatotal

of80traps,butpullonlyabout50aday,rotatingsites.Therestaurantre-quiresabout100poundsofpickedcrabmeatand300poundsofsteamedcrabsperweek.Theyarecarefultotakenomorethanthatandonlykeepthelarge,fullmales–theJimmies. Claysortedthe

crabsinseconds,flickingthekeep-ersinthecrabbasketandtheothersovertheside.“Youcantelliftheyarefullbytheweightandifthereissomemusclebehindtheirpinch,”heexplained.“Sometimesthelargedarkonesthatpeoplethinkareoldcrabs

filledwithmeathavebeenburrowedinthemarshandnevermadeitouttothedeeperwatertomature.Theyareactuallyprettyempty.” Wemovedfromtraptotrap,withClaypointingoutvarioussightsandprovidingtipsalongtheway–likethefactthatcrabsthatmatureinthecreekshaveadifferenttastethanonesmaturedindeeperwaters.Likewine,thetasteisaffectedbytheirnutrients.Thismakesmerethinkmyusualrottenchickenapproachtocatchingcrabs.Clayconfirmedthatrottenchickendoesattractmorecrabs,butthecrabscantakeonthatflavor.Tastythought. AsweheaduponeofOssabawIsland’screekscheckingstonecrabtraps,Claylooksuptoanos-preynest.“Everydayit’sthesameroutine,”Claydescribed.“TheospreycomesouttoseewhatI’mupto.”Iwonderedifitevergetsold,dayafterdaypullingtrapaftertrap,orifnature’swon-dersbegintoloosetheirawefactorafterawhile. “Never,”Clayassuredme.“I’mconstantlylookingaround,seeingsomethingneweveryday–Icouldnevertireofthebeauty.Ilovecrawl-ingaroundinthemarsh,windingaroundthecreekspullingcrittersoutofthewater.AndtherearealotofotherthingsIwanttoworkon.”Onthereturnvoyage,heshowedmeoneoftheirnewprojects–anoysterbedwheretheyareexperimentingwithcultivatingandharvestingoysters.

Joemetusbackattherestaurantwithourcatch.Iwaseagertolearntheircookingsecretsandlookedonanxiouslyastheytookthecrabstotheprocessingroom(whichhadanincredibleviewitself–thesepeopleknowhowtocapturealandscape).Theydeftlyandquicklystartedtheassemblyline.Joetookeachlivecrab,flippeditonitsback,andcutitinhalfwithacleaver(Ouch!Idon’tthinkI’llbedoingthisathome).

itisimportantforustocatchandcookthemfreshdaily.” Wemovedtothekitchen,wherethecrabsweresteamedforfourtofiveminuteswithalittleseasoningfromMaryland.Whencookingalargerbatch,theysteamforsixtosevenminutes.“Itisimportantnottoover-cookthecrabs,”Joedirected.“Steamonlyuntilthereisnoblueorgreencoloringleftandthemeatisfirm.Thetextureisasimportantasthefla-

vor.Ifyoucooktoolong,themeatwillbetoughandsticktotheshell.Ifyouundercook,itwillbetoosoftandmushy.” ThenJoeandClaytaughtmehowtopicktheblues.Thisisim-portantbecauseittakesabouttwodozencrabstoproduceaboutapoundofmeat;ifyouaren’tquick,you’llstarve.First,carefullybreakoffthelegswithoutpullingoutanymeat.Withamallet,crackthelargeclawandremovethedark,juicyclawmeat.Withfingersononesideandthumbontheother,squeezethe

bodytobreakinhalf.Gentlypullapartthehalvesandtheprized,rich,salty-sweetlumpmeatappears,readytobedevoured. “Wetrieddifferentthingsbeforesettlingonthismethodtocomeupwiththebestpresentationandflavor,”Joeexplained.Thereweretwotypesofpeopletheyhadtoconsiderindo-ingso,Claysaid.“There’sthelocalwhosays‘Hell,Icandothisathome.I’mnotorderingcrabsinarestau-

(above & right) Joe & Clay demonstrate how to pick the crabs.

Claybackedandcleanedthecrabsandplacedtheminasteamingpan.Thecrabsmustthenbecookedwithin15minutesortheygobad.TheMaleyscookandpickabout100poundsaweektouseintheirrecipes.Thesteamedcrabsarecleanedandcookeduponorder.“Westeamthecrabs,notboil,”Joesaid.“Theyarejuicerandhavemoreflavor.Also,thelongerthecrabsareoutofthewater,themorejuicestheylose.Thatiswhy

rant.’Andthenthere’sthenovicewhohasneverseenoreatenabluecrab,muchlesspickedone.Wehadtoappealtoboth.” Joeadded,“Wehavealotofpeoplecomeinherewhoareskepticalordon’tknowwhattoexpect.Theyareusedtokingcrabandwonderwhywedon’tservethat.Wedon’twanttoservekingcrab;that’snotwhoweare.ThisistheGeorgiacoast.Onceweshowthemhoweasyitisandtheytastethebluecrabs,theyaresold.Theyusuallycomebackagainandagainandbringtheirskepticalfriendswiththem.ButIthinkitisthewholeatmospherethatbringspeopleback,notjustthefood.Theycomeingroups,manybyboat,toenjoytheviewandgoodfoodwiththeirfriends.” SunburyCrabCompanyoffersafullseafoodmenuinadditiontobluecrabs.Fordirectionsorinformation,call912.884.8640.

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The various shells caught in the traps are sold for shell paving.