The Last House on W. Chew Ave.

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Family, friends and food…it doesn’t really get better than that! I had the pleasure of enjoying time with all three of them over Memorial Day weekend as my dear friends from college, Naomi and Freya (btw that’s Macalester College…holla’) traveled from New York City and Minnesota respectfully to see me and the fam. It was a serious reunion in that not only did each of them have their under two year old in tow (Freya=Iskander and Naomi =Soraya) but they had their mom’s as well. Now, I have been waiting for about 15 years or so to get Freya’s mom Shahnaz, out here to DC so it was an extra special treat that she came. And Naomi’s mom is recovering from a recent accident so it was wonderful to have her spend some time with us. Where was my mom you ask? I’m getting to it…Everyone arrived Saturday and Naomi and I cooked while my husband, Ivan, went to pick Freya, et., al. up at the airport. By the time they arrived the table was set under the stars on the back deck. It was a lovely evening, with great food (mostly prepared by Ms. Naomi) and great company. All the kiddies were playing wondering who the other was…lovely.  The plan was that on Sunday we would head over to St. Michael’s and en route we would stop off at the Queenstown Outlets (what?  they have a Gucci Outlet and Freya had to pay her respects).  We packed up into two cars and headed across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge.  We rendezvous’d with my best friend from high school Angelique and her hubby, Ben and their just about 3 month old, Ben, Jr.  After a little shopping to work up an appetite we loaded up and headed over to St. Michael’s where my Mom and Peter (my stepdad) had spent the majority of the day preparing a feast the likes of which (well, I’ve seen it before but the other’s probably hadn’t) we hadn’t seen before.

You have to understand St. Michael’s to fully appreciate the scene. St. Michael’s is a small community located on the banks of the Chesapeake Bay about 20 minutes from Easton, MD. It’s a seasonal community that is pretty hokey during the colder months but during the warmer ones boating and crabs are the main attractions…unless you know about the house at the end of the block on W. Chew Ave. During the warmer months you can usually find the inhabitants of said house out in the garden, sitting on the porch, or dining on the back patio watching the still waters of the inlet just yards away. A new bike path was recently finished across the street and the foot traffic has increased enormously. To most that would probably be a bad thing but not to the inhabitants of the last house on W. Chew Ave. More than a few complete strangers have been invited to pull up a chair and share in some wine or other such beverage with said inhabitants. Now, imagine doing that in DC or New York or even Minneapolis (well…more likely in Minneapolis, but still). More than a few friendships have been born of such invitations. It is to this house that my friends and I arrived on that Sunday afternoon.  The kids settled in exploring all the wonders of the glorious garden my mom has nurtured. They discovered the various toys she had accumulated for her grandchildren over the years and they were off.  There were hula hoops, balls, bubbles, you name it Nonna (a.k.a. my mom) had it!  Meanwhile the grown folk began to unwind and enjoy the peace and tranquility of the surroundings (despite the pitter patter of little feet and the  screaming and laughing of those little munchkins, too).  We  took a walk down to the park along the bike path.  When we returned it was time to get our grub ON!!!

Now, this wasn’t any ole’ ordinary grub…this was a Rib’s n’ Crab FEAST!!  Oh yes….Don’t be jealous that’s just how we do!  Peter gave the novices a crash course on the fine art of eating Chesapeake Bay crabs and we were off!  Accompanying the main dishes were fresh corn on the cob, salad and melted butter for dipping that luscious crab meat. It was all a bit unbelievable, but then again we were at the last house on W. Chew Ave.

Tags: Chesapeake Bay, children, crabs, family, feast, food, friends, kids, St. Michael's, toddler

Category: Travel & Culture, US & Canada