Category: Oysters

New Oyster Bar Debuts in Miami: Mignonette Uptown

1/10/2017

(Photos by Tess Gostfrand)

So excited to hear that the duo behind Edgewater’s neighborhood oyster bar Mignonette is expanding their seafood shrine to North Miami Beach! Mignonette Uptown is housed in a former-1980s aluminum-sided diner along Biscayne Boulevard. I loved the diner that was here before but I'm looking forward to checking out the new incarnation.

From the press release: "Known as a fun oyster bar and seafood haven, Mignonette offers a dynamic menu of quality dishes as well as down-home options. At its heart, Mignonette is a place to slurp oysters, sample fine caviar, dig deep into a fried shrimp po'boy, savor one of Mignonette’s beautifully-rendered main plates, and enjoy a craft beer or a glass of wine from the award-winning wine list."

Open for lunch and dinner 7 days a week.

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Oysterfest in Chicago

9/7/2014

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Shaw's Oyster Fest Block Party returns to downtown Chicago on Friday, Sept. 26 from 3 p.m. - 10 p.m. Hosted by Chicago's premiere oyster bar, Shaw's Crab House, Oyster Fest brings together live music, Goose Island beers, fresh seafood including a variety of East and West Coast Oysters, Shaw's signature crab bites, sushi rolls, fried oysters, lobster rolls, BBQ bites from Bub City, and more. More than 3,000 guests are expected to come down to Oyster Fest and slurp up nearly 15,000 oysters from the East and West Coast, signature bites from Shaw's Crab House, Goose Island beer, and live music from singer/songwriter Brett Dennen. A high-energy Oyster Slurp Off will take place at Oyster Fest as last year's finalists go head-to-head with this year's contestants to see who will prevail as the slurping champion and take home the $1,000 prize.

This year, Oyster Fest kicks-off the 30th anniversary festivities of Shaw's Crab House which will celebrate its 30th anniversary of the Oyster Bar in December 2014 and the dining room in April 2015. TICKETS: Tickets are available for pre-sale on September 3 for $20 using the code LOBSTER. Beginning Friday, September 5, general admission tickets will be available for $25. For more information, to view the full line-up and menu, or to purchase tickets, visit www.oysterfestchicago.com.

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On the Road Again

1/10/2013

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Greetings and happy New Year, oyster loving pals!

If for any reason you find yourself driving on I-95 in the vicinity of Savannah—and you need an oyster fix—get off at exit 109 and make a beeline for Island Grill. (722 Hwy 21, Port Wentworth)

I stumbled in one eve, on my recent drive from Boston to Miami, and was thrilled to find all manner of seafood on the menu: crab soup, crab cakes, steamed shrimp, and grilled shrimp with grits. Settling into a booth with pal Sterling in tow, I asked all kinds of annoying questions for our nice waitron, Gabby, who scurried off to the kitchen for the answers.

When she returned, I had another. “Where are the oysters from?”

“Apalachicola,” she answered without hesitating. She then smiled, adding, “Bet you thought I couldn’t answer that one.”

Got me there.

Apalachicolas! I had no choice but to order a half-dozen of these delectable Florida bivalves. They arrived in a flash, accompanied by packages of Saltines and a side of cocktail sauce as they’re served in the Panhandle. (Though friends know I like my oysters nekkid, with just a slight squeeze of lemon.) They were slightly briny and creamy sweet, and an unexpected delight. My only complaint is that they weren’t shucked-to-order, but seemed like they’d been stacked in the fridge, as their round bodies were flattened and all the liquid was gone. Still, they were yummy and an unexpected treat in the otherwise boring dining landscape of the I-95 corridor.

These oysters are inspiring me to do another Florida Panhandle road trip one day: Boss Oysters, Dusty’s, Hunt’s, Hurricane, Acme, High Tide, the Boathouse, Marina and Flora-Bama. Mmmmm-mmmmm good!

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UK Oyster Expedition: Shaka Zula!

11/30/2012

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Sometimes I find oysters in unusual places. On my recent trip to London, I was anticipating easy access to some European Flats, perhaps the famed Belons from France or those farmed at Kelly Galway Oysters. France and Ireland are nearby, right? I imagined a cozy pub, a pint of Guinness or glass or Sauvignon Blanc, and a dozen gleaming bivalves. But after two strikes—when the local fish market in Cheswick was sold out, and being informed the famed J. Sheekey Oyster Bar was closed for a private party (after spending an hour on the tube to get there)—I saw my oyster options dimming as my departure date crept closer. That’s when my fellow journalist pal Gregory Katz, who resides in London, had a great idea. Why not meet him for some oysters near to where he works in Camden?

That’s how I ended up eating oysters in Shaka Zula, London’s largest South African restaurant (27,000 square feet!) that’s a visual and culinary adventure. This was most definitely the first time I’d eaten oysters in a restaurant with an escalator. And walls of stunning African-inspired carvings. And a statute of some African King. And it’s certainly the only time I’d been in a space blessed by a Zulu King: HRH Goodwill Zwelithini.

Ah, but I’m supposed to be writing about oysters.

More surprises! They didn’t have any European Flats, but instead were offering rock oysters from Cornwall. (I asked the waiter for more details, and I thought he said they came from Fowley Farm. A subsequent internet search makes me guess he said Fowey Farm, as Fowey is a small town at the mouth of the River Fowey in south Cornwall.) Fun Fact: It is believed that oyster fishing has taken place in Cornwall since the earliest trade with the Phoenicians over 2,000 years ago.

We had oysters two ways at Shaka Zula, fresh shucked (for me) and baked with plum tomato, shallots, gratineed breadcrumbs and drizzled with a caviar dressing (for Greg).

The baked oysters (also served with mussels) were as good as any baked oysters I’ve had, including the always-tasty oysters Bienville as served at Finely J.P.’s in Wellfleet on Cape Cod.

However, “nekkid” is my preferred oyster-eating method, and the freshly-shucked half-shells were my faves. Shaku Zula serves its oysters on a bed of ice with a shallot-caper mignonette. Each is decorated with a bright red burst of avruga caviar and a tiny sprig of green. I loved the way they looked, but after trying one as served I found the roe added sweet and fishy flavors that messed with my pure oyster experience. So I happily picked the plump red morsels off and ate them separately, letting them pop in my mouth as a preview to the main feast.

The shells of these oysters look like prehistoric beasts: Long, gnarly, barnacle-covered, white and green with occasional purplish streaks. (“They’re called rock oysters because the outside looks like rocks,” said the charming GM, Obi Megafu, who hails from Nigeria.)

I’m now a certified fan of Cornwall rock oysters. Plump, meaty, and juicy, they open quiet and mild, then burst with a big salty middle followed by lingering seaweed and marshy finish. At least that was my experience. The seaweedy-ending made me guess they were farmed near a source of fresh water, and it seems I might be right.

To accompany the oysters, Shaka Zulu serves wines from South Africa with many offerings by the glass. (There’s also quite an extensive menu of creative meat and seafood dishes. including wilderbeest, zebra and buffalo. My grilled halibut with Malay spices was perfection.) And, I have to admit, it's a pretty sexy place to indulge in succulent bivalves!

P.S. Even though my oyster adventures in the UK were limited, I’d love to return and taste more oysters from the region—perhaps some of the varieties described by Taste Club in the UK. I also learned there’s a Rock Oyster Festival in the summer in Cornwall that involves oyster eating, live music, circus acts, kids’ entertainment, alternative performing arts, a shopping bazaar, and—oh yay!—a shucking competition.

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Madcap Oyster Night: Oceanaire Seafood Room, Boston

11/24/2012

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Question: How do you know when your oyster fascination turns into oyster obsession?

How about when you’re sitting and eating a dozen perfectly shucked ones (6 varieties) with a lovely glass of NZ Sauvignon Blanc in a stylish and welcoming bar, and you get on the phone to call another place to see if they have yet another variety of oysters on their menu? Because that’s just what I did a week ago and I’m starting to question my sanity.

But I’m getting ahead of the story here.

This story actually began two weeks ago when I traveled to the Hale Street Tavern in Beverly Farms to meet my pal Greg for oysters (see Nov. 12 post). As often happens when sitting and swooning over oysters—while taking photos and notes—I engaged in conversation with the person sitting next to me at the bar. Turns out that person was Dan Enos, executive chef and operating partner at The Oceanaire Seafood Room in Boston. His description of his menu, featuring a dozen or so oysters, made me want to visit. And it didn’t take long to enlist Greg, who’s fast turning into my oyster muse, to join me.

The Oceanaire Seafood Room has 12 locations in the U.S., and the one in Boston is located downtown near the giant steaming teakettle. (Bostonians, you know what I’m talking about.)

Large, elegant, and stylish with a bar running the length of one wall, Oceanaire is a perfect oyster-eating destination. On the night we arrived, Chef Enos wasn’t working but we were well served by our charming waiter, Felix, who helped select our wines. First, my choice: an Austrian Gruner Veltliner. (Mainly because I love to say, “Gruner Veltliner.”) Second, his (and the better) choice: a Wairau River Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand.

We ordered a dozen oysters, two each:

1. Kumamoto (Washington). Turns out Greg was a kumamoto virgin (who knew?) These were his favorite of the eve, saying they were “completely different” than any oyster he’s had. “The flavor just keeps changing and changing and changing.” To me, they were typical kumos: mild, sweet and buttery. I’m more an east coast kinda oyster gal.

2. Moon Shoal (Barnstable, Mass.). These had a milky look but were plump and surprisingly firm with a sweet finish. “Squeaky chewy,” said Greg, who looked transported while eating his but admitted it was a hard act to follow the kumo.

3. Sunberry Point (PEI). Mmmmm. I loves me some PEI oysters. These were smallish, salty and sweet with dimension in the middle. Greg found them one-of-a-kind: “They’re not the same.” “As what?” I asked. “As anything!”

4. Plymouth Rock (take a wild guess, Mass.). High briny and meaty. “Lush,” declared Greg. “The finish is great. It stays a long time and doesn’t disappear.”

5. Blue Points (Conn.)”More sea life flavor to them,” said Greg. Me? I could easily eat dozens of these: meaty, sweet, salty, fruity, yummy.

6. Little Island, Maine. Sweet and mild, not much salt. My least fave of the bunch, but perhaps they should have been tasted earlier in the rotation. Whatever, mild Little Islands got me thinking of hearty, metallic Belons, like the wild ones from Maine I recently had at the Island Creek Oyster Bar.

Which is why I was on the phone that night, calling to see if ICOB had any Belons on their menu, and why I said, “Let’s be madcap,” convincing Greg to hop into a cab to Kenmore Square on a busy Saturday night. We squeezed in at the bar and ordered 2 wild Wellfleets and 4 Belons, along with a glass to share of Lustau Almacenista Amontilllado. The perfect ending to an oyster-eating night.

So…madcap of crazy? You decide.

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Hale Street Tavern, Sushi and Oyster Bar

11/12/2012

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Fact: I pretty much never turn down an invitation to eat oysters.

So when my pal Greg recently suggested I venture north of Boston for an oyster-eating adventure, the answer was “I’d love to!” We met at the Hale Street Tavern, Sushi and Oyster Bar in Beverly Farms, snagged a seat at the crowded bar, and sampled the six varieties of oysters on the menu.

Warning: Ever eat oysters with a food writer? Patience is required. Here’s how it goes: You order oysters, and when they arrive the first thing the writer says is: “Don’t touch them!” This is followed by lots of picture taking and note making with possible additional questions to the server. THEN you can eat them.

Our report:

1. Crowes Creek, Nova Scotia. (At least I think they’re from N.S., as I can’t confirm this via the web. Anyone with info about these tasty mollusks let me know.) Sharp and salty. Greg likened the taste to the experience of “being upside down in a kayak in cold water.”

2. Washburn, Falmouth, Mass. Our cheerful bartender, James, at first inaccurately described these as West Coast oysters, but a quick Google search—plus Greg’s knowledge of New England kayaking destinations—revealed their true home as an island off the coast of Cape Cod. “There are lots of coves and inlets you can paddle into,” said Greg, who went on to explain that in order to get one of the 10 campsites on this island, part of the Waquoit Bay National Estuarine  Research Reserve, you have to apply two-years in advance. The taste? Salty at first. Strong depth in the middle with overtones of seaweed. “It’s almost like a meat,” said Greg. Agreed.

3.Chatham, Mass. Slightly salty and smooth with a sweet finish.

4. Wellfleet, Mass. My hometown fave. “Almost hot-salty,” said Greg, that “faded into sweet.”

5. East Beach, R.I. A tiny squirt of lemon rode atop the crisp salty flavors. For some reason the image of old-fashioned inflatable canvas rafts comes to mind. In a good way.

6. Brewster, Mass. Salty-sweet with a touch of zinc, and an almost tannic mouth-feel. (Sorry to get all wine-metaphory on you.)

Oh, and in the middle of all the picture-taking, note-making, question asking, and eating—possibly when I was kneeling on my stool with my camera hovering high above the platter—the guy sitting next to us started talking oysters. Turns out he was Dan Enos, executive chef and operating partner at The Oceanaire Seafood Room in Boston. Did I know they had an oyster bar in downtown Boston serving a variety of East and West Coast oysters daily? Um, no. Did I know they produced a “Cheat Sheet” describing over 75 varieties of oysters and describe them according to location, production, season, average size, appearance, culture methods and flavor? Um, no. Would I like to come and taste some oysters at their bar? See: Fact (above). Yes.

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Mon Dieu! Oysters in Montreal

11/9/2012

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Greetings oyster lovers! I’m just getting a chance to catch up after my whirlwind trip to Montreal last weekend. I can’t say enough wonderful things about the food in that city, from bagels to poutine to fresh seafood, smoked meats and chocolate, however this blog is all about oysters so I’m sticking with it.

My oyster guide was none other than Daniel Notkin, prize-winning Canadian oyster shucker, owner of Old Port Fishing Company, charming man-about-town and all around mensch. When he’s not delivering hand-picked bivalves to his select customers, or shucking at the bar at L’Orignal, you might find him hobnobbing with other enthusiastic Montreal foodies at Garde Manger, Venti, Le Gros Jambon, O + G, Liverpool House, the Burgundy Lion (yes, we whizzed through all these joints), or at the place we dined, Frederic Morin and David McMillan’s famed bistro, Joe Beef.

The oysters-of-choice that night were wild Beausoleils from New Brunswick, and Colville Bays from PEI, grown by Johnny Flynn and his brother Leo near the mouth of the Souris River. (We ordered 4 and 8 respectively, to make a dozen.) The highlight of the evening was when Morin came over to chat. Before we even had a swallow of wine the rapid fire discussion ranged from neurogastronomy to Judaism to why we give animals human traits to why plates should be round to why food is like religion to Paul Bocuse to Gabrielle Hamilton to why salt and pepper shakers should be on the table to....whew! What can I say? Maybe it was the company, maybe it was the wine, or maybe it was the expertly shucked oysters that made the evening taste of perfection.

Another night, my friend Libby and I stopped by the Absinthe Bar at Sarah B. (at the InterContinental Montreal) for an absinthe tasting followed by—what else?—oysters! On the menu that night were more New Brunswick Beausoleils, not wild-grown but tasty nonetheless. These smaller-sized oysters leaned toward sweet and mild, with just a slight kiss of salt, and were easy to slurp.

A bientôt Montreal! Hope to get back soon.

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U.S. Shucking Championships Results

10/24/2012

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After a weekend of fun and frivolity (or so I’m told) at the 46th annual St. Mary’s County Oyster Festival last weekend in Leonardtown, Maryland, the stats are now in. The 2012 U.S. National Oyster Shucking Champion is…the same as the 2011 U.S. National Oyster Shucking Champion: Mike Martin of Panama Bay, Florida. In fact, this is the third straight year Martin has won the event, earning him the right to represent the U.S. in the international shucking championship in Galway, Ireland next September.

So here’s a big meaty, slurpy and salty congrats to Mike who won the final against North Carolina’s Cathy Milliken by 14 seconds, shucking 24 oysters with an adjusted time of 2:43.16.

And here’s a shout out to the men’s heat finalists in 2nd and 3rd place, Robert Daffin and Rick McCurley, and the women’s heat finalists in 2nd and 3rd place, Deborah Pratt and Clementine Macon.

Shuck on!

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Terrior and Merrior Tasting at Island Creek Oyster Bar

10/22/2012

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Wow-ee-wow. If you’re ever visiting Boston on the third Sunday of any month, make sure to snag a reservation at the wine and oyster pairing/tasting offered at Island Creek Oyster Bar in Kenmore Square.

Yesterday I sat at the bar with 6 other guests (they can accommodate 10) and enjoyed three flights of oysters and wine, served two pair at a time. Before the tasting, Chris Sherman (VP of Island Creek Oysters) regaled us by defining what he calls the “merrior-terroir experience.”

“Wine can give us a way to understand the experience of eating oysters. Both are a strong expression of a geographic place.”

In a nutshell (or shall I say oyster shell?): Just as soil type, climate and location of vineyards impacts the flavor of wine, so the region, water quality and temperature, surrounding sea life and harvesting methods affects the taste of oysters. Yeah, we knew that. But it’s always interesting to hear it again. And no matter how much I think I know about oysters, I always learn something new.

For example, I had no idea that European Belons grow wild in Maine. Yep. (In photo above, on left.) Apparently they were brought over from Europe decades ago, but Maine’s cold winters were too cold for intertidal harvesting. The ones that escaped, so to speak, survived in a subtidal zone, and are harvested by divers. Since they live below water and are never exposed to air, these oysters have week adductor muscles and so are banded before shipping—to insure they won’t pop open. The taste was, remarkably, pure Belon: robust and firm with a strong metallic opening note. We tasted this one last, paired with a smoky, nutty sherry: Lustau Almacenista Amontilllado. Yum.

But I’m jumping ahead of myself.

Jo Watson, assistant wine director at ICOB, chooses the wines and explains each pairing. The plan: first taste wine, then eat oyster. Worked for me.

Round One: Oyster #1 was an Island Creek grown in the high tidal waters of Duxbury, on the bottom near mud and eel grass. As expected, it had a strong salty taste up front, mossy and vegetal central flavors, and a sweet finish.

Wine pairing: NV Guy Bossard-Thaud Brut Muscadet, an acidic and citrusy sparkling wine that cut the salinity and brightened the oyster flavor. (Full disclosure: I’m parroting Jo’s observations here.)

Oyster #2 was an ICO Row 34, also an Island Creek, though this time grown off-bottom on racks, so it was a little less vegetal yet still absolutely delicious.

Wine pairing: 2009 Szigetti Brut Blanc de Blancs Burgenland, a truly yummy (my words) high quality sparkling Chardonnay from Austria (Jo’s words).

Round Two: Oyster #3 was a Moon Shoal from Barnstable, Mass.

“It’s the West Coastiest East Coast oyster that we sell,” said Chris.

Wine pairing: 2010 Vigneto Reine Mataossu Punta Crena. a “high acidic, mineral-driven” wine from the Northwest coast of Italy.

Oyster #4 was a Spring Creek, also from Barnstable, farmed near a marshy area at the mouth of a creek. This oyster had hints of vegetals and was slightly sweeter than the Oyster Creeks.

Wine pairing: 2011 Do Ferreiro “Rebisaca” Rias Baixas, a blend of Alberino and other grapes from Galicia in Spain.

Round Three: Oyster #5 hailed from the West Coast, a Hama Hama from Lillywaup, Wash. A different species than the East Coast oysters, it was—as expected—creamy and buttery, with fruity flavors of watermelon, cucumber and walnut.

“With West Coast oysters, all the flavors come at you at once,” said Chris.

Wine pairing: 2011 Gramona “Gessami” Penedes, an easy-drinking, floral and slightly acidic blend from near Barcelona.

Oyster #6, a Wild Belon from the Damariscotta River in Maine. (Described with wine pairing, above.)

And here’s a SHOUT OUT to some of my new fave oyster-eating pals who made the tasting ever-so-much fun: Faith Drennon and Mike Bruno of Boston, Kathy Pennington of Denver, and Katie Bishop of Chicago, true bivalve lovers, oyster sluppers, and half shell dreamers!

“If I die I want to go by oyster,” said Katie. Can’t argue with that.

Deets: Land Meets Sea: Terrior and Merrior Tasting. Every third Sunday of the month. 617-532-5300 for reservations. 2:00pm-3:00pm; $35 per person includes 6 oyster varieties plus wine pairings.

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O is for Oysters in October

10/19/2012

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There’s so much oyster activity going on this month that I can barely keep track of it all. After the off-the-charts success of the Wellfleet OysterFest, there are TWO events this weekend worth mentioning. I wish I could be at one or the other but—alas—I can’t.

First, if anyone is in the Baltimore/DC area I suggest you make a beeline down to Leonardtown, Maryland for the 46th annual St. Mary’s County Oyster Festival. I visited in 2007—the year William “Chopper” Young of Wellfleet won first place and catapulted onto the international stage. (Where he won in Galway in 2008, though that’s another story.)

It’s a fun event, kind of like an old fashioned country fair (with rides, games, and tractor displays) combined with all things oysters, including an oyster cooking competition and the national shucking competition. I’m not 100% sure of the roster of competitors this year, though I’m guessing the crew from Dusty’s in Panama City, Florida will be there (Mike Martin, Scotty O’Lear) and of course Robert Daffin and Mama, plus a Baltimore contingent including George “Hannibal” Hastings and his brother Robert. Women are strong contenders too. If Deborah Pratt of Virginia shows up these guys had better sharpen their knives.

Deets: This year's festival will be held on Saturday and Sunday, October 20th and 21st at the Fairgrounds on Route 5 just south of Leonardtown. The gates open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and from 11:00 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is $5 for adults, no charge for children 12 and under and there is plenty of free parking. The festival events continue, rain or shine, since adequate buildings and tents are provided on the grounds. Proceeds from the Oyster Festival go to local charities.

To read my complete story on the festival in American Way magazine, click the link:

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Second, here’s a shout out to pals attending the Danish Oyster Cup and World Oyster Cup taking place on Frederiksberg Runddel in Copenhagen on October 20th.

The participants will shuck 30 Danish oysters from Limfjorden, which I’m told are pretty demanding to open because of the thick shells they grow in the cold waters of Denmark and the large size of the actual oyster-meat in the shell.

Good luck to Danish competitors Jonas and Simon Tønsager who I met in Galway. The first and second place winners of the Danish Cup will go on to compete with Heini Petersen (Norway), Daniel Notkin (Canada), William "Chopper" Young (USA), Frederik Lindfors (England), Lars Karlsson (Sweden), Angus Vajk (Scotland), Johan Malm (Sweden), Michael Moran (Ireland), Stephen Nolan (Ireland), Xavier Caille (France), Martin Söderström (Finland), Antii Lepik (Estland) and Urs Müller (Germany).

Apologies to anyone I may have forgotten or missed.

Good luck to all. Shuck off and shuck on!