Upscale Crab and Seafood a family affair
Brothers Kevin Smith and Bryan “Stew” Stewart, known as the Cape Boys, have cornered the market on selling high-quality seafood throughout the year in an unconventional way.
Kevin operates Upscale Crab and Seafood with his wife, Aki, in a food truck, while Bryan operates out of a truck and shed in the parking lot of the BP station off Route 1 at Savannah Road near Lewes.
Cape roots run deep in their family. Kevin graduated from Cape High in 2009 and Bryan in 2006.
“We did everything together,” Bryan said. Now, they run businesses side by side.
While Bryan’s focus is cooking and selling live blue crabs, lobsters and snow crabs in season at Crab Connect, Kevin offers fresh seafood dishes, including jumbo-lump crab cakes, that have become very popular among his customers.
“We really wanted to bring back to town what was missing,” Kevin said.
He also offers lobster rolls, Southern fried shrimp, as well as platters with his signature hush crabbies and sides.
The brothers grew up in Lewes around the water. Kevin worked on his father Capt. Jeff Stewart’s boat from the age of 15 to 28. He got his crab cake recipe from his great-aunt Peggy Stewart.
“This has been a collaborative thing with our family. They are our food critics. We try recipes out on them, and if they don’t like it, we fix it,” Bryan said.
Crabs to go
Bryan started selling crabs from the back of his Dodge Avenger in grocery store and liquor store parking lots. “The car could hold 10-15 bushels,” he said.
He said all crabs are fresh-caught and cooked to order 20 minutes before a customer picks them up. Customers can also choose to purchase live crabs to prepare themselves.
Bryan also sells the crabs that he gets from North Carolina to wholesale markets in Philadelphia, New York and the Carolinas.
Bryan, who has been at his current location for three years, ran into some Sussex County government issues because he did not have a conditional-use permit to operate his crab business.
“Councilman Mark Schaeffer saved us, and we were only closed for one day,” Bryan said.
Bryan is also a basketball coach at Delmarva Christian High School.
Fresh seafood
Kevin said all of his dishes are cooked fresh to order. “Our crab cake is really one of the best around here,” he added.
His walk-up customers have learned that it takes about 15-20 minutes for Kevin and his crew to cook a dish. Hungry customers can also call ahead and place orders.
Kevin said all of his ingredients, even including tartar sauce, are homemade. “We sell nothing that has been frozen,” he said.
Upscale also offers catering at events, weddings and neighborhood parties. Upscale was also one of the food trucks at Schellville’s Christmas Village last year, and he plans to return this year.
Restaurant in future?
How about an actual restaurant? “We like it here, and the rent is not high, so we can offer better quality by saving expenses,” Kevin said.
His brother, however, said a restaurant is always in the back of his mind. “We would have best seafood restaurant around,” he said.
An example of that is where they get their lobsters. While most restaurants serve Maine lobster, Upscale uses Canadian lobsters, because the colder water they come from means sweeter meat.
“We use the best of everything we sell,” Kevin said.
For more information, phone 302-470-5379.
Food trucks galore
The entrance to Lewes is becoming a food truck mecca. Besides Upscale, there are Emily’s Tacos in the BP Station parking lot and Smoke This Barbecue at Wescoats Corner.
