Island Creek Oyster Bar. WOW!

Island Creek Oyster Bar has been on my oyster bucket list for a while so I was thrilled when I finally got the chance last week to stop by for a visit.  Wow, wow, wow!

Island Creek Oyster Bar
Boston, MA

Island Creek Oyster Bar is beyond good.   In fact, the restaurant would be a little intimidating if the staff weren't so friendly, the menu so approachable and the atmosphere so cozy.  The chef is pretty cool too.  It's all part of the secret sauce that has made this a hotspot for oyster newbies and ostreaphiles alike.

Jeremy Sewall, chef and co-owner
Island Creek Oyster Bar

I sat down with Jeremy Sewall, the chef and co-owner of Island Creek Oyster Bar, to talk oysters.  It turns out he's a quiet champion of the bivalve, intent on elevating and innovating the oyster experience.  He's inventing modern recipes, preaching the importance of knowing the oyster growers, introducing Northeasterners to impossible-to-get oysters, and stretching the palettes of his diners.

Sewall opened Island Creek Oyster Bar with acclaimed Island Creek Oysters owner/farmer Skip Bennett and restaurateur Garrett Harker in 2010.  The trio are heavy hitters on the Boston food scene.  In a line of many firsts, Sewall was the first chef to visit the Island Creek Oyster farm when he was searching for oysters to serve at Lineage, the restaurant he owns with his wife, Lisa.


What's the fascination with oysters?

He says he "riding the wave" of the oyster's growing fan base.  Cultivated oysters are sustainable and they're carbon negative, he says.  "And there's tons of health benefits." Oysters are high in zinc, are packed with high quality protein, and are a natural source of Vitamin D.  (I'll blog soon about all the health benefits from eating oysters.)

Located just a stone's throw away from Fenway Park in downtown Boston, Island Creek Oyster Bar has quickly become a favorite pre- and post-game spot for Red Sox fans. "Oysters, beer and baseball," he grins.  "Come on."  A perfect combo.

Raw bar at Island Creek Oyster Bar
The restaurant offers 8 - 12 varieties a night

The raw bar features 8 - 12 varieties of oysters per night.  Island Creeks are a staple, as are locally cultivated oysters from New England.  "It's not uncommon for people to eat through the list," he says.  The list of available oysters is updated online every night by 5pm.  Check out the available selections and the rest of the menu.

Another Sewall first: Island Creek Oyster Bar is the first and only East Coast restaurant that serves the infamous Hog Island Oysters.  (Visiting Hog Island Oyster farm is another entry on my bucket list).  The restaurant receives a bag of Hog Islands a week and when they're gone, they're gone.  Sadly, they were gone when I visited, but Sewall did treat me to a half dozen local oysters.

Ichabod Flat from Plymouth, MA

Island Creeks

Chef's choice: Island Creeks, Beach Points, Chathams, Rocky Nooks, Ichabod Flats and wild Wellfleets.  I'll write more about them in a future blog, but the quick take away is Yum!  My favorite was the Island Creek, but a close second was the Ichabod Flats from Plymouth, MA.    Both have an elevated briny flavor that I prefer.  I also enjoyed the wild Wellfleet, which were lettucey, a nod to their cousins on the West Coast.

Which one does Sewall prefer?

"Island Creeks, of course!"

The Ichabod Flats also happen to be Sewall's favorite at the moment.  That's the thing about oysters, you always get to try new ones and choose a new favorite.

Oysters Gregory
Recipe by Jeremy Sewall and Shore Gregory

Sewall's favorite oyster recipe?

 Oysters Gregory.  It's a dish he created and it boasts a following online.  Freshly shucked Island Creek Oysters sit on a a bed of creamed leaks topped with garlic, bacon, panko breadcrumbs, lemon zest and paprika.  They are then baked and served hot.  I tracked down the recipe for you thanks to the foodies at how2heros.com.  You can watch a video of Sewall himself making the dish he loves.

So now I cross off another item from my bucket list.  I think I've found my new favorite oyster bar.  Thanks for the oysters Chef Jeremy!

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Island Creek Oyster Bar

500 Commonwealth Ave.

Boston, MA  02215

p. 617-532-5300

www.islandcreekoysterbar.com