t’s hard to go anywhere in Baltimore without hearing about Jimmy’s Famous Seafood. Still, there are a few things you didn’t know about what makes it famous.
Co-owner John Minadakis was, quite literally, born into the business.
“We grew up on top of the restaurant, actually, where we’re sitting right now. My bedroom was right over there,” he said, seated in the center of the restaurant’s iconic upstairs dining area. “My father was Jimmy. He was an immigrant. He came over here from Greece with the ‘American Dream.'”
Jimmy had big aspirations, putting “famous” in the name of his upstart eatery.
“That’s really putting a bullseye on your back, but he was very confident that he could put forth a great product that people would enjoy and treat them well. It’s now our duty to make sure that keeps happening,” John Minadakis said. “And the menu reflects that.”
John’s brother, Tony Minadakis, is co-owner and head chef at the restaurant. Most of Jimmy’s “famous” recipes have stayed true to the patriarch’s 1974 originals. But Baltimoreans have come to love some of the newer featured items, as well.
“The crab cake egg roll is our famous crab cake that we’re known for,” Tony Minadakis said. “We started it a couple years ago, and really couldn’t roll them fast enough.”
The egg rolls are stuffed with Jimmy’s lump crab cake and a cream cheese filling. They’re fried, baked and finished with a mango ponzu and spicy mayonnaise.
The Minadakis brothers are all about good food, but serving an experience is paramount.
