Sunday, January 5, 2014

The Brooklyn Oyster Scene

Happy New Year! I hope everyone slurped a few to shake out the cobwebs. 2013 was quite a year for the oyster. We lived through the closing of some of the most trusted, and coveted, oyster beds in Massachusetts. Virginia also struggled with its first shutdowns from Vibrio. We saw scientists and local governments genuinely working together to solve complex erosion and pollution issues. We worried in earnest that the Japanese nuclear disaster would further hurt the Pacific oyster. We saw boutique oyster farms proliferating from New York to Maine. We witnessed the governor and both senators of Florida unite to save the waterways for oysters. And we continue to follow the legal struggle of Drakes Bay Oyster Co. (This week, they filed a brief asking that the entire Ninth Circuit rehear their case to reverse an earlier decision that would make it possible for Drake's Bay to remain open while their case is being tried against the federal government.)

What's up next? 2014 will be the Year of the Oyster. The cool kids will be trying them. The adults will be lauding them. Environmentalists and politicians will be working to save them.  Researchers will be continuing to find potential cures with them. And we can all sit back and say, "I told you so."

Here at Oyster Stew, we'll start 2014 with a stop in Brooklyn, NY, the epicenter of cool kids jumping on the oyster bandwagon. First stop: Marlow & Sons. (Click here for our full New York City Oyster Tour.)


MARLOW & SONS

Inside Marlow & Sons, Brooklyn 

I arrived at Marlow & Sons a few minutes before the place opened at 5p when the waitstaff was still still in their pre-dinner meeting. Eating Dodge Cove oysters at Marlow & Sons is on my oyster bucket list, so I was a little eager to get started. The bartender either took pity on me or was uncomfortable with my furtive glances, so she plopped down a wine list, the oyster list, and the yummiest rustic bread. Four oysters were available: Little Shemoque, St. Simon, Little Bay, and Beach Point. I had two more stops that evening before dinner, so I settled on three of the four.

Oyster List: Little Shemoque, St. Simon, Little Bay, Beach Point



Little Shemoque (Tormentine Peninsula, New Brunswick, Canada)

 I loved these little guys from the beginning. First, they're just so darn cute. And their name - Little Shemoque. Nickname? Little Shem's. Cuter than cute. This is an up-and-coming little oyster that's going to be huge on the oyster scene. Seek it out.

Little Shemoque
(New Brunswick, Canada)
Little Shemoque




St. Simon (New Brunswick, Canada)
St. Simon's are like the less cool friend of Little Shemoque's. They obviously grew up in the same neighborhood, but they don't have the same swagger.


St. Simon
St. Simon
(New Brunswick, Canada)



Beach Point (Barnstable, Massachusetts)
Beach Points reminded me of a Catholic school girl who wears leather underwear and a belly ring under her uniform.  From the looks of it, the Beach Point was a buttoned-up East Coast oyster with good salinity and meaty bite.  But hello - look underneath and you'll find a rebel inside.  It finishes with a bold metallic taste.  If you like Pacific oysters, this one's for you.

Beach Point
Beach Point
(Barnstable, Mass.)

Alas, no Dodge Coves at Marlow & Sons, which means I HAVE to go back. I'm looking forward to it. Next stop: Maison Premiere.

The walk from Marlow & Sons to Maison Premiere takes less than 10 min.
Make sure to bring the address for both.


MAISON PREMIERE

The shucking bar at Maison Premiere.

So close. Yet so far. I walked to Maison Premiere (B) from Marlow & Sons (A). Next time, I'd take a cab or find a buddy. The "up-and-coming" Williamsburg neighborhood in Brooklyn is still "coming." Also make sure to bring the address. There's no sign to mark the restaurant as Maison Premiere. There's just an understated placard hung just a little too high on purpose. It's clear they want to be found and sought out, not stumbled upon. On the day I visited, it was easy to find the place, owners Joshua Boissy and Krystof Zizka were being interviewed by a TV crew.

Maison Premiere owners Joshua Boissy and Krystof Zizka.
The hot entrepreneurs are in demand.
I waited to interview Boissy and Zizka while I waited for a spot at the bar. An hour later, I was still waiting for both. That's because, Mon-Fri from 4p-7p, Maison offers $1 oysters (almost any variety!). Given my time crunch - that meant no oysters for me. I did pop in for a self-directed tour. I have to admit, Maison has game if you're in the mood.  Start with the smartly dressed bartenders shaking up retro cocktails. The restaurant claims to have the "largest collection of premium absinthe in New York City." Absinthe - like our forefathers drank - is illegal in the US because it contains Thujone, absinthe's secret sauce. So, they probably have the largest collection of absinthe-like drinks.

(What is absinthe? A distilled, highly alcoholic beverage.  It is an anise-flavored spirit derived from botanicals. (Wikipedia) What's anise? It's a licorice-like herb. Think fennel. Antoine's famous Oysters Rockefeller is said to contain absinthe.)

After watching the bartenders, I stopped at the oyster shucking bar and then, in the back of the restaurant, I found myself in an atrium. Huge tropical plants in the middle of Brooklyn. I'm not sure if it's totally cool or totally weird. (Was I was still bitter about not getting a seat?)

The back of Maison Premiere opens onto a lush atrium.

Next time, I'll arrive before 4p to wait for a prime spot at the oyster bar. On the day I visited, the dollar menu included Mermaid Coves, St. Simons, Naked Cowboys, Sewansecotts, plus 16 other varieties.  For a quarter more, they offered Fanny Bays and Royal Miyagis! Next stop: Grand Central Oyster Bar Brooklyn.

It's a 15 min cab ride from
Maison Premiere to Grand Central Oyster Bar Brooklyn.



GRAND CENTRAL OYSTER BAR BROOKLYN

I had heard rumors that Grand Central Oyster Bar was planning its first New York franchise and got a tip that they were taking over a spot in the upscale Park Slope neighborhood. In December, Grand Central Oyster Bar Brooklyn opened on Fifth Avenue and features a walk-up oyster bar to slurp oysters on the spot. Did I just dream about this? Hope you get to be one of the first to give it a try.


256 Fifth Ave.
Brooklyn, NY  11215

Grand Central Oyster Bar & Restaurant on Urbanspoon





298 Bedford Ave. (Between 1st and Grand St.)
Brookyn, NY 11211



81 Broadway
Brooklyn, NY  11249





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2 comments:

  1. AnonymousMarch 21, 2014 at 4:54 PM

    Hi ,

    Your first post just appeared on Urbanspoon! Check it out:
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  2. UnknownMarch 19, 2022 at 12:35 AM

    Dear Greg,

    I know that's right. A blog piece with hard to find nom de plum. Fancy that.

    Sincerely,
    Amy H. Zizka
    Amy H. Brody

    Ps. @pagesix #pagesix #zizkabrody #bloodcousins

    Pps. #amishproblems amh2230@columbia.edu

    ReplyDelete

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