New Oyster Bar Section on OysteRater!
Big news: OysteRater just got twice as great with the rollout of our Oyster Bar section, featuring 125 (and growing) of the world’s best oyster bars. Use it to rate your favorites, find new favorites, or just find the closest bivalves to you at that very moment. Sure, sure, you can find all these places on Yelp, too, but there you have to deal with people (and, let’s face it, stupid people) yapping about the salad dressing; this is pure oyster info. If you have a favorite that’s not listed, send the name and a photo to oysterater@gmail.com and we’ll add it asap.
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Who Named August 5 National Oyster Day?
If they are from Australia or New Zealand, they are forgiven. In the northern hemisphere, we already have a National Oyster Day. It’s called Christmas Eve.
Summer Oyster Tours
Okay, okay, maybe we could agree that August 5 should be National Oyster Tour Day. No better time to get out on the water. We’re constantly asked to recommend oyster farms that offer tours. They are few and far between, but that’s changing fast. Several states have now launched oyster trails that help you find the action, including Maine, Rhode Island, and Virginia, with North Carolina soon to follow. Island Creek Oysters in Duxbury, Massachusetts also offers excellent tours. On the West Coast, Humboldt Bay is your best bet.
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OMG?! Wet-Storage, Why or Why Not?
Julie Qiu just published an excellent piece on the wet-storage controversy on her In a Half Shell blog. For those who don’t know, wet-storage is the practice of storing oysters in tanks of circulating water post-harvest. Why would you do such a thing? Because it keeps them super-fresh right up until the last moment. Why wouldn’t you do such a thing? Because oysters draw much of their flavor from the water they grow in, and that distinctiveness gets diluted in wet-storage. Julie explores the pros and cons with some of the most knowledgeable people in the biz. Be sure to read the comments from some heavy hitters.
Oyster Master Guild
And speaking of the indefatigable Julie Qiu, she’s about to launch the Oyster Master Guild, with the goal of raising the standards of shucking, serving, and savoring oysters across the country. Think Masters of Wine meets Masters of the Universe. Want to get involved? Sign up.
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Photo credit: Julie Qiu
Billion Oyster Party
The oyster party of the year went down in Red Hook on May 18 when the New York Harbor School’s Billion Oyster Project threw its annual fundraiser bash. In attendance were 50 oyster farms, 20 chefs, and uncountable good moments. The BOP has already restored 20 million oysters to New York Harbor and has raised oyster consciousness throughout the city. We donate to them. Shouldn’t you?
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New Suppliers on Oysterater!
The list of OysteRater oysters that can be shipped direct to your door just grew by two! Goose Point and Real Oyster Cult have joined Taylor Shellfish, Island Creek, Hama Hama, and Grassy Bar on our all-star list of suppliers. If you don’t have fresh-shipped oysters, your summer party just isn’t that good. (And if you’re ordering oysters for your 4th of July party, remember that Fedex isn’t delivering on Sunday July 2 thru Wednesday July 5, so plan accordingly.)
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Contest: Name That Oyster Bar!
Okay, it’s not technically an oyster bar, but it’s definitely one of the best places in the world to eat oysters. Among those in the know is Barack Obama, who recently dispatched a healthy plate of bivalves there. Be the first to email the correct answer to oysterater@gmail.com and you’ll receive a free box of twenty oysters, courtesy of Real Oyster Cult. Winner and location to be revealed next newsletter.
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You deserve an oyster. Kiss & tell
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