“Oysters are sustainable but the demand is growing,” said Lee.
(Pure Spirits Oyster Bar, 37 Mill Street, 416-642-0008, http://www.purespirits.ca/home)
Pure Spirits Oyster Bar is located in the Distillery District, an area with more than 70 culinary, cultural and retail establishments in restored red brick, Victorian-era buildings of the Gooderham & Worts whiskey distillery. Stylish and casual, the place was quiet at the early hour of 5:30 but I imagine the place gets packed at a later hour. We sat at the bar, surveying the iced selection of seven varieties, and chatted with Calvin Lee, junior sous chef. We ordered a plate of eight oysters, two each of four varieties, and I wheedled commentary from John Baby: Virginicas, an Eastern oyster grown in Washington State (“Front of tongue tastes Eastern, middle…Western, then metal kicks in.”); Lucky Limes from PEI (“Single source, clean, crisp, salt in middle, balanced salinity.”); Kusshi, B.C. (“Grassy, grassy, grassy, like you just cut the lawn. The taste of renewal.”); Colville Bays from PEI (“Johnny Flynn is the only grower in the bay, on the south and east end of island. The shells are green.”) What did Lee think of the booming oyster business? Are there enough to go around for all the voracious diners?
“Oysters are sustainable but the demand is growing,” said Lee. (Pure Spirits Oyster Bar, 37 Mill Street, 416-642-0008, http://www.purespirits.ca/home)
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Wow. Toronto is an awesome town for eating oysters. I’m not talking about your standard buck-a-shuck plate (though I never turn those down). I’m talking about high-quality, boutique bivalves expertly shucked and served in a variety of establishments from homey and casual to slick and shiny. My guide for the three-day oyster-eating extravaganza in Canada’s largest city was chef and oyster shucking judge extraordinaire John Baby (pronounced ‘Babby’). He generously squired me around town—to 11 destinations—and introduced me to almost everyone in the biz. I had previously met a few of Toronto’s World Oyster Opening champs, in my travels to competitions in Charlottetown, Tyne Valley, Miami Beach and Galway, and it was great to reconnect and visit their restaurants and oyster bars. Oyster people are a generous, competitive, fun loving lot, and I’m happy to have met more new friends. And a learned something too: The oyster biz is booming and growers are having a tough time keeping up with demand. What that means for the future is hard to say. FIRST STOP: DIANA'S SEAFOOD A thirty-minute drive north and east of town, Diana’s is a family-run seafood market--founded in the 1970’s--operates a separate seafood restaurant (in a former donut shop!) in front. Did I gasp when entering the market? Possibly. I’ve ever seen so many oysters from so many different places in one location. Check out this wall of cases oysters! According to GM Chris Pipergias, whose parents started the business, the wall houses anywhere from 20,000 to 25,000 oysters. (I immediately began scheming—unsuccessfully—about ways I could sneak a case home.) Pipergias estimates he buys 85,000 oysters a week for his retail shop and wholesale clients, offering between 20 and 40 varieties every day. We tasted three straight out of the case: Eel Lake from Nova Scotia (sweet, fat, not too salty); wild Belons from Maine—a personal favorite—(pungent, metallic finish); and Shigoku, a gigas species from Washington State (small, plump, zinc and cucumber with huge finish). Pipergias, who watches trends, predicts that in the next five years “oyster prices will skyrocket, if not double” due to interest from the Chinese market. His shipments arrive on Thursday and Friday, and customers line up out the door. “The demand for Canadian oysters has gone through the roof,” he said. Yikes! Better eat more oysters now. Before leaving we stopped by Diana’s Oyster Bar and Grill, a sleek and comfortable space, for a light late lunch. We didn’t want to eat too much as more oysters were on our agenda.
(Diana’s, 2101 Lawrence Ave E., 416-288-9286, www.dianasseafood.com) Gearing up here for my three-day oyster-eating extravaganza in Toronto next week. I’ll be toured around town by shucking judge extraordinaire John Baby, and hope to meet up with Canadian champs Patrick McMurray and Eamon Clark.
Our schedule is shaping up to include the following oyster-eateries: Diana's; Hopgood's Foodliner; Pure Spirits; Starfish; Oyster Boy ("Mollusks for the Masses"); Fishbar; Wallflower; Chase Fish + oyster; John and Sons; Ceili Cottage; Rodney's Oyster House; and Big Daddy's. That’s allota oysters! Oyster and seafood festivals kick into high gear this season, and in addition to great eats there’s always high drama at the shucking competitions where speed must be matched with perfectionism. Cut an oyster or leave grit in the shell and penalties will ruin a quick time. Shells are sure to fly when the pros take the stage at these events, armed with custom made knives, to compete for glory and sometimes cash. How many will you attend? Three, two, one: SHUCK! CANADA: 5th Annual Montreal Oysterfest—September 8, 1-9 p.m. The 5th Annual Montreal Oysterfest is a culinary celebration of beautiful bivalves. The extravaganza features oysters handpicked by the Old Port Fishing Company; food prepared by the town’s top chefs; food-related products, crafts and books; the Mott’s Clamato Caesar Throwdown; and a highly-competitive shucking contest. It’s all happening in a new location this year: Terrasses Bonsecours, a moated island in the heart of Old Port. Mais oui! (Photo by Riccardo Cellere) http://mtloysterfest.com/ CANADA: 17th Annual PEI International Shellfish Festival-- September 12-15 An enormous white tent hosts thousands of foodies who flock to the Prince Edward Island International Shellfish Festival, a four-day event packed with culinary demos, celebrity chefs, chowder championships, and oyster shucking competitions. (In a new location this year: the Charlottetown Event Grounds on the corner of Water and Grafton Street.) I don’t know who’ll be showing up to shuck, though you might meet “Oyster Bob” from Vancouver, current Canadian champ Mike Langley, Toronto chef, Patrick McMurray, and Montreal’s Daniel Notkin. Sample all the PEI shellfish you can eat. Live music all day and night. www.peishellfish.com IRELAND: 59th Annual Galway International Oyster Festival—September 26-29 The crème de la crème of shuckers from America to Singapore compete for the world title at the World Oyster Shucking Championship in Galway. (This year the U.S. will be represented by Robert Daffin from Panama City, Florida.) Party the Irish way at this four-day gala event that starts with a shuck-off to determine the Irish competitor. The medieval city is a striking backdrop for the non-stop events including sumptuous buffets, a parade with pom pom-shaking young colleens, live music, Irish step dancing, Guinness galore, dancing on chairs, and the crowning of the new world champ. www.galwayoysterfest.com USA: 13th Annual Wellfleet OysterFest—October 19-20 Now in its 13th year, the Wellfleet OysterFest has grown into a 2-day street fair where thousands flock to slurp down succulent bivalves and sample chowder and other specialties prepared by local restaurants. In addition to its famous oysters, Wellfleet is home to shellfisherman William “Chopper” Young, two-time national shucking champion, and the first American to win the internationals in Galway (2008) in 32 years. Other activities include live entertainment, a 5k race, cooking demos, arts and crafts, and lectures on the marine environment. www.wellfleetoysterfest.org USA: 47th Annual St. Mary’s County Oyster Festival—October 19-20 Leonardtown, Maryland hosts this two-day extravaganza on the third weekend of October. The shucking competition attracts those who vie to claim the title as best in the nation, and win the grand prize ticket to Galway, Ireland for the international championship. In true country-fair tradition, there are arts and crafts, a livestock barn, entertainment tent, historic displays, amusement park, and the National Oyster Cook Off. Enjoy oyster chowder, grilled oysters, raw oysters, Maryland ham, BBQ beef, and deep-fried funnel cake. http://usoysterfest.com/ USA: 50th Annual Florida Seafood Festival—November 1-2
Kellie Pickler is headlining this year’s Florida Seafood Festival in Apalachicola, but the true stars are the shuckers who’ll open eighteen Apalachicola Bay oysters and compete to win a spot in the national competition in 2014. Weekend festivities also feature an oyster-eating contest, blue crab races, a parade with bands and floats, a blessing of the fleet, 5k road race, fireworks and more. www.floridaseafoodfestival.com If I ever needed a reason to move to coastal Rhode Island this might be it: Dockside Aquaculture. Rhode Island’s Coastal Resources Management Council and Roger Williams University are launching a grow-your-own (and eat-your-own) program that includes a recreational shellfish education course with each participant receiving about 2,000 seed oysters from the University’s Luther H. Blount Shellfish Hatchery.
Of course one needs to live on the water—and have an approved registered dock—located in waters approved by the Department of Environmental Management for “the taking of shellfish for human consumption.” After taking three farming courses on three consecutive Saturdays, the wannabe-farmers receive equipment (“growout gear”), seeds, and the possibility of harvesting their own oysters for consumption by Fall 2014. The $2,500 fee (of which $2,000 counts as a charitable contribution to RWU) is used to support the state’s Oyster Gardening for Restoration and Enhancement program (RI-OGRE), aimed at restoring Rhode Island’s natural oyster population. How cool is that? If any Half Shell readers register to participate, please let me know. I'd love to come and visit! Details are available on the Roger Williams University website. Just found this terrific 30-second video from the Travel Channel about the Wellfleet OysterFest. If you haven't been and are curious...take a look. This year's festival is scheduled for October 19th and 20th. Mark your calendars and look for me there!
World champion oyster shucker Chopper Young pops open Wellfleet’s finest bivalves while marching in the 4th of July parade in Wellfleet, Mass. File this in the “Best. Parade. Float. Ever.” category!
Seems like it rained for half of May and all of June in Boston this year. One way to stay sane in all the drizzle was to zip over to Roslindale on Friday nights to partake of the weekly oyster happy hour (5-7) p.m. at Redd's in Rozzie, which is exactly what I did, hanging one eve with my good pal, the artist Franklin Einspruch. (See some of his luscious paintings of Roslindale here.) Snagging a seat at the L-shaped bar we ordered an even dozen, six each of the evening’s two oyster offerings, Duxbury’s and Bagaduce’s. (Sorry for the fuzzy photo!) Served in a round aluminum pan on a bed of ice, accompanied by lemon wedges and a homemade mignonette, these one-dollar oysters brought sunshine to my day. I’d never had Bagaduce’s, so I tried them first. I found them mild with low salinity, and guessed they were raised near a river. A quick search on the internet informed me they’re “sourced through the brackish waters of the reversing falls of Bagaduce River, which is located in mid-coast Maine.” The farmers work hard, it seems, at keeping an overall consistency to their product, likening them to Beau Soleils, and I’d agree. The salinity, they say, stays 28 (ppt) year-round, rain or shine. To my palate, they make a great “beginner’s oyster,” mild and plump with a kiss of salt and not much brackish overtones. And check out the beautiful shell! For flavor, the Duxburys were my fave of the night, as they often are: clean, fresh, with bright salt and a hint of sweet. So good we ordered another full dozen of ‘em. At some point in the evening, the chef came by for a quick hello. Charlie Redd (aka Chef Delicious) cooks up an ever-changing array of locally-sourced, farm fresh foods, and one of these days I’ll have to go back to taste his other wares. As seven p.m. approached the patrons around us were soggy, but all were happy with their oysters and beverages. And, in such a cozy spot, who wouldn’t be? Especially with such a friendly bar staff, and a chef named Delicious.
True story: Today, inching along Mass Ave in traffic in Beantown—trucks, buses, cars, cycles, horse-drawn carriage, you name it—the car on my left was beeping it’s horn. Incessantly. I glanced over and the woman driver had rolled down the passenger side window and was gesticulating wildly, and shouting.
“Oh crap,” I thought. “She wants to squeeze into my lane.” I opened my window and leaned out to hear what she was trying to say over the clang clang of construction activity. “Hey! Where’d you get the sticker?” The what? “The sticker! The oyster sticker!” “In Wellfleet,” I hollered back. Thus began our shouted conversation. I learned she’s heading down to Wellfleet next week to tour the oyster flats. She’s from somewhere nearby—Winthrop?—and had heard about the Wellfleet oyster cooperative, and wants to learn more. My lane started moving and we waved goodbye. Two blocks later, we were side by side again. I put the van in park, jumped out, and handed her my Half Shell Blog card. “Send me an email!” I called, jumping back in the van as the knot of traffic loosened and moved. “It was meant to be!” she shouted. Is she an oyster farmer? Oyster eater? Who knows. But this I know: Oyster lovers are EVERYWHERE! Made an overnight stop May 1st in Richmond, Virginia—on my South-to-North yearly migration—for the sole purpose of checking out Rappahannock, the farm-to-table restaurant serving (what else?) Rappahannock River Oysters. Virginia native and fellow oyster lover Dabney Oakley joined my driving pal and chief navigator Sterling Mulbry and me at the table. In fact, Dabney is the person who told me about this restaurant—via Facebook—and this was our first live in-person meeting. (One of many I hope. Take that, you FB naysayers…!) On the menu that eve: four varieties of oysters, all farmed in Virginia. Our informative waiter, Craig, explained the geography of the oysters on our plate, from those most inland to nearest to the sea. Basically, the further inland from the waters of the bay the oysters are farmed, the less salty they are. Clockwise from lower right, in above photo: First up: Rappahannock River Oysters. “Tiny little things,” say my notes. These deep cupped bivalves were farmed in Topping, the most inland of the bunch. Sweet, very mild with just the slightest hint of salt, they’d make a good “beginner oyster,” sure to please a cautious palate. Second: Stingrays, grown in Ware Neck in the pristine waters of Mobjack Bay. A balance of sweet and briny, with a crisp finish, these were my faves and I ordered more. Third: York River Oysters, farmed in—take a wild guess—the York River, a tributary off Chesapeake Bay. Moderate salt with a sweet finish. No complaints. Fourth: Olde Salts. Grown off the coast of Chincoteague Island. (Rappahannock peeps: Do you really need that last “e” on old?) These were said to be the briniest—usually my faves—and they were indeed tasty with a clean finish, though not nearly as salty as those on Olde Cape Cod. Salty or not, my heart that eve belonged to the Stingrays. (Named after the Bay oyster's chief predator.) In fact, one of the Stingrays in my second batch had significant sized babies growing on the shell, large enough for me to whip out my trusty oyster knife, designed by Canadian oyster shucking champ and Toronto restaurateur Patrick McMurray, and slurp a couple of bonus bivalves. Rappahannock River Oysters is a family affair, owned by cousins Ryan and Travis Croxton whose great-grandfather, James Arthur Croxton, Jr., started the company in 1899. They have two other venues I’d like to make a detour to: The Rappahannock Oyster Bar in Washington, D.C., and Merroir, a “tasting room,” on the banks of the Rappahannock River overlooking where they grow their oysters in Topping. So many oysters, so little time!
RAPPAHANNOCK, 320 East Grace St., Richmond, VA, 804-545-0565 |
Necee Regis
I grew up spending part of every summer in Wellfleet, Massachusetts, which included eating many oysters. After stumbling into an oyster shucking competition in Miami Beach in 2006, I’ve become a fan of the sport and have written about local, national, and international competitions for the Boston Globe, Los Angeles Times, American Way Magazine, and the Huffington Post. I've also written oyster-centric stories for Rustik and Modern Farmer. I’ve never met an oyster I didn’t want to eat. Archives
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