The crab zeppoles at Botanica are round pockets of dough laced with chopped crabmeat and served atop pools of preserved lemon remoulade and cocktail sauce. Though he feels it’s a bit early to make a definitive call, executive chef Ben Welch suspects the zeppoles could become the new restaurant’s signature dish. “It seems like every table orders them,” he explained. It’s easy to see why: The savory pastries deliver the flavors of a seaside crab boil in each crisp, airy bite.
Botanica, 2490 Taylor Road, Wildwood, 636.821.1233, botanicastl.com
This article appears in December 2021.