On the halfshell and waiting, waiting....

[Mayhaw Man]

When is the best time of year to eat oysters?

Here in the states bordering the Gulf of Mexico, the wintertime is probably the best, as the bacteria that causes the majority of oyster related illness is more or less dormant as it needs warm water to thrive.

That's why the old rule of thumb is that you should only eat oysters in months that have the letter 'R' in them - September, October, November, December, January, February, March, and APril.

[johnnyd]

Tommy, the foulness of a bad oyster is unequaled, to the point that it could ruin the palate so completely that having dinner after such an event is out of the question. I would have been ripshit at that kitchen for letting such a disgusting item leave the premesis and be put in front of you. The shucker/chef/manager should know better.

Still, an average-level restaurant with high-volume seafood and an under-paid, hungover garde manger won't really give a shit, so [everybody now!] don't be shy and make the server stand there until you are satisfied that those oysters are in line with your standards, cuz once they leave, you are tacitly accepting the consequences[/everybody now!]

Next Chapter: What to do when you eat a bad oyster...

Edited August 18, 2004 by johnnyd (log)

[tommy]

Tommy, the foulness of a bad oyster is unequaled, to the point that it could ruin the palate so completely that having dinner after such an event is out of the question. I would have been ripshit at that kitchen for letting such a disgusting item leave the premesis and be put in front of you. The shucker/chef/manager should know better.

i guess i should have said something for their own good. my assumption, until now, has been that they really can't have that much control over the product. but if you're assuring me that this isn't the case, and that this was almost certainly negligence on the restaurant's part, then yes, i should have said something. it weren't no cheap meal, either.

[Mayhaw Man]

Next Chapter: What to do when you have a bad oyster...

Chapter 3

What to do when you have a bad oyster-Helpful hints for throwing up gracefully in public.

[tommy]

Next Chapter: What to do when you have a bad oyster...

Chapter 3

What to do when you have a bad oyster-Helpful hints for throwing up gracefully in public.

i managed to purge the thing at a table of 4 without being noticed. luckily it was at the end of the course and the server had cleared the plate before i even got back from the restroom (where i washed out my mouth with water and even a little soap).

my guests assured me that wine would help kill the baddies. i did what i could on that front.

[johnnyd]

When is the best time of year to eat oysters?

Today in the Gulf of Maine, the water temperature is 62*F off shore, and about 3*F more in the rivers where the best oysters are farmed. The farming takes place at a depth of at least a dozen feet, lowering the temp a bit more. This is the warmest it gets here on the Maine Coast so the oysters here are never really threatened with Vibrio Vulnificus while in their natural habitat. It's after harvesting that things can get dangerous. State shellfish regs are rigorously followed by harvesters because they want Maine Seafood to be successful on the marketplace.

Maine Oysters are therefore edible year-round. Virginia/Chesapeake oysters get dicey in summer as it's mighty soupy down there at that time.

Lucy, When are huitres francaises available at their best?

[johnnyd]

they really can't have that much control over the product. but if you're assuring me that this isn't the case, and that this was almost certainly negligence on the restaurant's part

Think about how awful that oyster was... ... ...yeah, that's right!!

How could anything as gross and disgusting as maybe what's in the grease trap make it out the kitchen door and on to your plate?

Dude, that crew was on crack last night!

[tommy]

Think about how awful that oyster was... ... ...yeah, that's right!!

dude, it's 10 in the morning. i'm trying to get it *out* of my mind.

[bleudauvergne]

Lucy, When are huitres francaises available at their best?

Around mid July many of the oyster bars on Croix Rousse close. They open back up in September. Some stay open, though, only closing for a couple fo weeks in August (normal) like at Les Halles. I can't decide if it's the vacation culture that make certain ones close for months, where they're sourcing them, or what.

Before I knew any better, I had some really fabulous oysters in Hong Kong, at the oyster bar on the peak. I actually did it a few times. I know, I know, taking my life in my hands and everything, but they had them flown in from everywhere and you could get combination platters and sample them from Ireland, France, Australia, etc. They were all different.

[Chef Fowke]

I had great Malpeque (spelling?) last night ! What a great east coast oyster...I believe from Raspberry Point...

I researched on the web and found that it was the off season!

Okay, here is the kicker! I was at Rodney's Oyster House in Yaletown and they only had two oysters that they would serve yesterday and they where Malpeque and Gorge Inlet. 99% of their business is oysters and they usually have 10 types of oysters!!! WOW, great commitment to the customer...they pulled all oysters and offered only two. This speaks volumes!

[johnnyd]

I don't know about the rest of the east coast but here in the Gulf of Maine there is a short moratorium on harvesting shelfish until the rain run-off from Hurricaine Charley's remnants plays out. Not sure if that affected Rodney's or not.