The Maryland Crab Cake Tour presented by The Maryland Lottery and Window Nation made its way back to Harford County in time for the grand opening of the newest Pappas Restaurant location in the Greenbrier Shopping Center. Our old pal Tim Miller welcomes Nestor to the new place with the same delicious ‘cake that made Parkville, Cockeysville and Glen Burnie famous!
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
crab cakes, friends, bel air, crab, grew, pappas, people, places, 28th, neighborhood, kochi, mickey, tim miller, restaurant, crispy, bit, bar, oprah, sign, evolve
SPEAKERS
Tim Miller, Nestor Aparicio
Nestor Aparicio 00:00
Welcome back wn S T TAS Baltimore and Baltimore positive we are positively at papis. We’re in Bellaire non Cockeysville. Although I did see Justin here earlier not in Parkville not in Glen Burnie anymore. And just approver Pappus I have the legitimate Pappas crabcake. Here, it’s all brought to you by our friends at the Maryland lottery. I got into the lottery scratch offs, everybody in the bars, McGann and we’ve had winners here had angry losers mad at me for giving them losing tickets, our friends at Chesapeake, a feline Association, and of course, our friends weathernation 866 90 nation, specialists month, buy to get two free five years 0% financing. You know, I put the crabcake tour together. And I figured I’d have conversations and all sorts of places. But one thing I didn’t really bank on couple things. I thought I’d be sponsored by Old Bay and Guinness and I’m not neither one get us getting keep it together. But I have these great sponsors, but I knew of these legendary crab cake places that would make for great homes for these conversations that used to be my ravens show, right? And I started doing the show up at Pappas caucus about a year and a half ago. And they signed an annual deal for us to share and part of the crabcake tour moving it around is you now have four locations. And I had never really thought about new places opening up and going to places that didn’t even exist three years ago. This was eating good in the neighborhood. looks a little like an Applebee’s maybe like it used to be Tim Miller’s here for the Pappas fam I think I’ve had You’ve been avoiding me everybody else from the Baptist group. Steve. Everybody’s been on except you. Right, but you were like I’m getting Bellaire open.
8
Tim Miller 01:38
I try to stay in the shadows. How are you? I’m doing wrong. I’m doing well in the shadows
Nestor Aparicio 01:42
with your gear here. This is a barn raising. Right. Like have you been a part of opening locations before?
Tim Miller 01:50
Yeah, yeah, of course. I mean, Kochi is always a big part of that one. So you know, not to the extent of this one for sure. You’re back.
Nestor Aparicio 01:57
8You’re apart. Yeah. How long have you been
Tim Miller 02:01
doing this? For almost 15 years now for for with Pappas. Okay. You know, I mean, too many years for overall,
Nestor Aparicio 02:08
but you opened other places prior to this. So this is not your first rodeo in any way. Everybody’s soup to nuts, because I’ve had the whole spectrum dude, I was here opening day and you’re like, we’re too busy. And put me in the corner. And the corner has been great, except when people were trying to walk in. You just hung your sign for hours ago, I pulled up and I couldn’t park out in front, right. And I’ve had the whole gamut from people saying, I’ve been there five times Mickey said he’s been here five times. And I had Barry Glassman said I was here last week. And then my buddy Ken said, I didn’t even know there was one in Bel Air. And then I had a guy in quarter carry out here was a listener of mine and said, I knew you were here today. I wanted to come by I haven’t been here yet. I guess the word gets out a little bit. But you’ve been mobbed. You can take any word.
Tim Miller 02:53
It’s a good problem to have. Yeah, it’s something that when we did open up, we wanted to kind of like you know, we’re just open doors up, see what happens. He’s our way in. And, you know, the community has been great. And unfortunately, they didn’t let it go that way. For us. They just came in in droves. And you know, we learned on the fly
8Nestor Aparicio 03:08
pressure man because like, when you first open especially a place like Bel Air everybody’s coming out. It’s the new show in town, new kid on the block. And it’s hard to staff a place in high tide. Any Saturday night. Any restaurants tough, right? Just a general Yeah, but the first Saturday night and the first restaurant the first way when their demand and the supply are limited in your case, right? Yeah, yeah, to a degree. Yeah, bring an all star team up here. Glenburnie Mark brought some of the rock stars for
Tim Miller 03:37
sure. You know, that’s where you got to start. You know, you get your kitchen in line you get your your your main crew, and everything kind of trickles down and they they work they run the show. And you know, we’re all hands on deck and everybody follows in line and steps up.
Nestor Aparicio 03:51
All your prices are different from a layout right like I’ve been going to Parkville since I was a little boy second floor room this that the bar when he first came in right been remodeled. Cockeysville had these elements and then that beautiful back room where I do the show all the time. And it’s a big giant room. This was an Applebee’s. Right? Like it means no hiding from that I met my friends at State Fair. It was a it was a friendly Yeah. But then you try to make it yours. And I guess in the first couple of weeks, again, you just put the sign on the watch them literally screw in the sign in,
Tim Miller 04:24
8right. That’s not the natural plan or transition if you want to do you want to have a sign first, but it just is what it is that point. But yeah, we were given a square it’s a square building. So do what you want with it and make it work for you. And we tried to build it out to to fit our concept and work as efficiently as possible. And you know, we got a good designer on the team that made it look pretty.
Nestor Aparicio 04:42
What is it Pappas for anybody that hadn’t been and they only know about Oprah pumping out the crabcakes as always, what what because I think it’s it’s evolved to some degree, in the same way that all of my businesses that I do business with evolve. I was accosted. So this week, they were selling lottery tickets 1973 So one whiskey out of a fight, you know, everybody’s got it. And then then it evolves into crab crabs and crab, you, you guys have done crab cakes forever and Oprah and extending restaurants to a place like most people in Bel Air know what you are, they just had to drive an hour to get to you.
Tim Miller 05:16
Right? Right. It’s building that sphere of influence and gradually build it out and build on out. You know, Oprah was great for our brand. You know, we are known for a crowd case, there’s no doubt about that.
Nestor Aparicio 05:25
I’m gonna have a bite, you don’t mind do you talk? The more you talk, the better I can.
8Tim Miller 05:29
But you know, the crabcakes is what built us but you know, there’s a lot of good crab cakes around there. You know, I think we’re the best but I you know, there’s argument and there’s a lot of good crabcakes we’re happy with that. But to be honest, like it’s more about the people that are working here and to community involvement. It’s a lot of other good food on the menu. And it’s a lot of
Nestor Aparicio 05:46
problems. Yeah, could show us says to me forget to crab cakes, get the lamb chops, lamb chops around the world. And I’m like, right. Okay, you know, I had a great salad here. That was phenomenal. I took one home from Kochi a couple weeks ago. And but I want to try more things on the menu, but I am I’m snookered into that you get what you
Tim Miller 06:07
write, it’s understandable. crabcake great in your mind. Consistency, okay. I mean, no matter when even during the COVID times when we had those price hikes and stuff like that we weren’t we weren’t switching out quality, you know, for the price, you know, we stuck with it and then bit the bullet. The recipe hasn’t changed, you know, it’s going to be the same, it’s never going to change. And then Mr. Mark made that and that’s sort of me.
Nestor Aparicio 06:29
8I call your crab cake, sort of the middle area of crab cakes in that it’s not really heavily obey, and it’s not overly creamy. It’s a balance. It’s a balance cake as well. And the East Side crab cakes are all very obey forward. I’m an East Side guy, right? We and I go back I tell the same story about my mother, but we grew up poor, we add claw meat, and the way she can make it taste crabby, is to take the seasoning and stick it into me and that makes it salty, right? Yeah. So you have these Ocean City crab cakes that are these delicate balance and the mayonnaise and the creaminess and it’s not all bash at all. It’s sweet. It’s like a sweet It’s crab forward in the ESA. So for me, you know there’s a balance and what you guys do that makes people love your crab cake because it’s not overly obeyed. It’s not overly creamy. So that’s what I would say about crab cake. All right, well, I’ll take the hell out because I’m a fry guy you know, but you guys boil them here right? Of course you’ll fry him up or you won’t you won’t fry we will
Tim Miller 07:32
if that’s what people want. You know you don’t get one in every 100 So they don’t want to. Maybe
Nestor Aparicio 07:36
the problem is I grew up that way and I liked that crunchy crunch and I do like when there’s a little party on the bottom. So like a lot of times the crispy bottom right broiled top.
Tim Miller 07:46
That’s perfect for you get your texture I can see that if listen if
8Nestor Aparicio 07:50
I would have special order that if I would come in for dinner I would have said make it a little well done. Just cook it a little more give me a little more crispy crispy on the outside. I’ve learned to really like royal but what I like is the crispiness I don’t like the fried I don’t like the the oil right? I like to crispy. So make it crispy. This has got a beautiful crispy top on it. Are you charter Are you? You’re Dundalk, right?
Tim Miller 08:11
I’m Dundalk. Yeah, yeah.
Nestor Aparicio 08:13
So you do like a saltier your that would be your palette. If you grew up that where are you?
Tim Miller 08:18
8We are pallets all grow with us. You know, I can’t be all salty. Everything’s got to evolve a little bit. But I’m definitely tartar if I’m leaning one way or another but you know, with our crab cakes, I’m usually nothing. Just eat the crab cake.
Nestor Aparicio 08:31
That’s the truth. Right? Like I’m stealing a little bit of cocktail because I’m in the mood for it right now. And you brought it but I wouldn’t have asked for it. Right, right. I mean, I just wouldn’t Yeah,
Tim Miller 08:39
you’re in a restaurant eat a steak. You’re never going to ask for a one. But you know, you’re
Nestor Aparicio 08:43
putting away your steak. I’m assaulting your steak. That’s why cocktail on your crabcake it just means like cocktail. Me to grow up and we’re in Dundalk. Did you grow up?
8Tim Miller 08:55
I was over there by Halloween. You know pretty much Delvalle I’ve grown up bear Yeah, right off the hill. Right Bernie Omar’s Junior High School. Doc. What year 97
Nestor Aparicio 09:06
Oh, you’re a lot younger than me. That’s why I don’t know you would appreciate you
Tim Miller 09:09
saying that. Thank you.
Nestor Aparicio 09:12
8It comes down to it.
Tim Miller 09:14
I’ll take that. That’s good.
Nestor Aparicio 09:15
Well, I would say this hairlines not younger new but you’re you’re done darkness and where you grew up specifically getting a crab cake and I say this and don’t talk to people all the time. I thought everybody in the world had crabs that they had them everywhere. Because everywhere I went they had crabs and crab cakes. And I’m talking about from Colgate. So we had let’s go You’re a little younger to me. We’re Cheerios, crab net. Jimmy’s. We had house of Neptune. We had Costas we had. Um I mean I’m just scratching Oh Ross is crab house where I got most of my crabs when I was a kid. So like, I’m just naming the ones I can name off the top of my head like in that Nate and our neighborhood crew Alan, my first
Tim Miller 10:01
my first job was steaming crabs at the Crowley Crowley exam. So it took me a minute to name that. Yeah, I was waiting for it to pop up. Well, Nina
8Nestor Aparicio 10:09
shock grew up a block away from the crowland. From the gogos be seeing her she grew up in and on 4847 46 and fate. Dundalk, man crabcakes go with you the rest of your life, right?
Tim Miller 10:22
Absolutely. All right, well
Nestor Aparicio 10:23
get away. They’re open here in Bel Air. Tim Miller’s been my friend longtime Dundalk, guy. Cockeysville Parkville Glenburnie. I’m gonna get to Glen I haven’t. I haven’t been in the Glen Burnie location. So I like I know where it is right by it a million times. But I’m gonna do a showdown there very soon. We’ve been in Cockeysville. I want to get back to Parkville but I’m so happy that it wasn’t totally mobbed here even though I walked in. Odell Beckham Jr. is doing his press conference when I walk in. I got hecklers here asking me why I’m not at the press conference. I told him at the press conference. The Orioles are here today when it was seven seven that they were letting its Id come into the game. Hold on. This will define whether I’m a good guest for you or not. Yours lost it. You’re never going to happen. I know how that works. I’m bad luck. Wi Fi man. What’s the Wi Fi and has plasma grid? It doesn’t he’s not running Plex anymore.
Tim Miller 11:12
8I don’t want to talk about he’s probably got the inside scoop still.
Nestor Aparicio 11:15
Oreos when eight to seven. Hey, I’m invited back. Um, good luck up here in Bel Air. Why here? Just let last thing I mean, people would say why why did they come up here? And when did this vision happen? Either
Tim Miller 11:25
in general or just I mean, overall, we were it was a natural transition. We had a large coming from Caracas. Okay. A lot of our clientele was coming from this area.
Nestor Aparicio 11:34
Was this considered before the plague or even looking at it? Yeah,
8Tim Miller 11:37
we were close with a couple other places before the plague. We were looking for the bigger model kind of base off of Kochi. So but then during the whole COVID thing. The one thing we really couldn’t overcome was the employee shortage. Sure. Yeah. So it’s like, you know, if we just scale things down, small you’ll be crowded. We can we can manage with the staff and you can carry out right around the corner here. Right, exactly. We kind of built it out to be able to pump out the volume that we need. You know, once we get our outside air going here a little bit expand a little bit. It’s gonna be we’re gonna be rocking and rolling. I can take
Nestor Aparicio 12:06
this home, but it’s gonna taste better in a bar. Absolutely. Yeah. I didn’t get a beer here today. I really made a mistake. This is lunchtime thing. Well, thank you. I will be back soon. I’ve been pimping paps a long time. They’re so good to us. And we appreciate all of all of our crab cake places. And then Maryland crab cake tours been totally nondenominational about great conversations today. We promoted our friends at the Chesapeake feline Association. Karen is also from Dundalk, by the way forward Hala bird she’s talking cats with us. We also talked to our friends here in the the barre studio here. Natalie came by and we’re going to be doing the show with the local at some point in May as well. And we had Barry Glassman and Mickey could show I gave shad on a Monday I lost the guests here today I thought I was gonna have a guest that didn’t have I gave a shout out. It turns out Mickey lives right around the corner. So he came and brought his unique brand of comedy. I said man, we I met the I met family. We came in here and I said, Man, people come in here and see Mickey and I sit in in the middle of the bar might be bad for the neighborhood here and might be looking for Applebee’s again, before it’s all over with her. Come on up. It’s Papist we have these delicious, beautiful crab cakes. Oprah says they’re good. So you know they’re good. I say they’re good so you can be assured that they’re good. And I’m going to eat this one on the fly and on the way home. mero lottery in our friends of winter nation to bring this out on the road on the 27th will be a capillaries downtown and Federal Hill and on the 28th back at Bally’s at the mothership during the morning version at the old market. I think it’s going to be our last time at the old Lexington market on the 28th of April. There’ll be draft picks on the 27th draft picks on the 28th Lamar gonna be Raven, what do you think he’ll be a raven?
Tim Miller 13:41
What is he gonna do? He’s not going anywhere. 32
Nestor Aparicio 13:43
million reasons to be a raven. So I’d say by the time we get to fade these on the 28th can be very interesting to see how this whole thing shakes out. I’m Nestor, we’re WNS D Big thanks to our friends at Pappus and Bel Air make sure you get up here to the Greenbrier shopping center. I’ve been to the shopping center many times because I’m kind of partial to the Philly pretzels. Yeah, pretty good. You can’t beat those. Yeah, when you’re in the neighborhood. You get those two. All right, same neighborhood coming up here get some crabcakes and you can order online as well. I’m Nestor we are wn st am 1570 Towson Baltimore behalf of seminar friends up here Pappas signing off from Bel Air. I just like sitting there for coach bus
