We finished the last of our events here in New York last evening and decided to go out for a bit of culinary relaxation for lunch today. We ended up at Aqua Grill. The menu was simple; really, I was there for the oysters. As we looked at the menu, we ordered some French fries to take the edge off. OK, finding parking took longer than anticipated and we were ravenous. The fries came and went and somewhere amidst our eating, we ordered a dozen oysters and a bottle of wine. Midway through the fries, our waiter returned saying the wine we had chosen was not in stock and asked if we had another choice. We chose a Marcel Deiss 2003 Beblenheim Riesling. Before I put the menu down, I noticed an oyster sampler on the menu: try one of each oyster for a base price. In actuality, I think they just added the price of the individual oysters, but so what. The opportunity to taste 25 oysters at once is rare and the fact that the oysters are arranged so that the diner can put a name to a taste and an oyster is truly remarkable. As we waited for the oysters, the wine arrived and we decompressed reminiscing on the past week’s events and sipping the refreshing wine.
When the oysters arrived—two giant platters—a second plate of fries showed up, I guess I ordered them, and we began a truly special tasting, working our way along the nautilus-like arrangement of oysters. Each bite brought us flavors, textures, tastes, and ideas from all over North America. If you truly enjoy oysters, I recommend taking the journey we traveled today.
The Oysters (from the oyster to the right of the lemon, working inwards):
– Blue Point – Connecticut
– Pearl Point – Washington State
– Skookum – Washington State
– Sisters Point – Washington State
– Dungeness – Washington State
– Falmouth – Massachusetts
– Malsapina – British Columbia
– Narragansett – Rhode Island
– Piper’s Point – Prince Edward Island
– Imperial Eagle – British Columbia
– Whaletown – British Columbia
– Buzzards Bay – Massachusetts
– Duxbury – Massachusetts
– La St. Simon – New Brunswick
– Martha’s Vineyard – Massachusetts
– Moonstone – Rhode Island
– Watch Hill – Rhode Island
– Willapa Bay – Oregon
– Eastham – Massachusetts
– Pacific Blue Point – Washington State
– Kumamoto – Oregon
– Kumamoto – Washington State
– Wellfleet – Massachusetts
– Royal Miyagi – British Columbia
– Simpson Bay – Alaska
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