July is soft shell crab month at nine SoDel Concepts restaurants

If there's anything that residents and visitors along the Culinary Coast like more than steamed crabs, it just might be soft-shell crabs. To salute the area's favorite crustacean, all nine SoDel Concepts restaurants along the Delaware coast are featuring dishes made with soft-shell crabs during the month of June.

"Part of our mission is to serve local, seasonal ingredients at their peak of flavor," said Scott Kammerer, president of SoDel Concept. "Soft-shell crabs are not only local, but they're also versatile. Our restaurants include seafood-, Italian- and Mexican-inspired concepts, and they can easily incorporate soft-shell crabs in so many innovative ways."

At Papa Grande's Coastal Taqueria in Rehoboth, for instance, customers might find soft-shell crab fajitas. Lupo Italian Kitchen, also in Rehoboth Beach, is featuring fried soft-shell crab with ricotta polenta, watercress salad and warm pancetta vinaigrette. At Catch 54 in Fenwick Island, soft-shell crabs are battered and flash-fried and served with an heirloom tomato-and-roasted corn salad. NorthEast Seafood Kitchen in Ocean View is serving the flash-fried soft-shell crabs with Napa cabbage slaw, farm beans, shaved corn and espelette pepper aioli.

For more information, go to www.sodelconcepts.com.