Neighborhood Eats: "Crabby Shack" in Crown Heights

Lauren Glassberg Image
Friday, November 14, 2014
Neighborhood Eats: 'Crabby Shack' in Crown Heights
Lauren Glassberg hits up the 'Crabby Shack' in Crown Heights, Brooklyn.

CROWN HEIGHTS (WABC) -- Fifi Bell Clanton and Gwen Niles grew up eating crabs. Fifi loved the crab shacks of Philly, but couldn't find anything like them in New York City. The friends decided to open their own "Crabby Shack".

Crab trumps lobster, so you will find crab rolls as well as crab tacos, crab BLTs, crab mac and cheese and crab soup.

Crabby Shack is located in Crown Heights where Gwen lived 20 years ago - a neighborhood that's changing.

Part of the flavor in the crab legs comes from the beer sauce, which is made with vegetable stock, onions, old bay seasoning, salt, pepper and a bay leaf. Then, you add a squeeze of lemon, the essential beer and the already-steamed crabs. The crabs are then dumped into the beer sauce, and a special garlic butter sauce is added.

The crab legs are an adventure, and so has been opening a restaurant for Fifi and Gwen.