Election day this year happened to fall on the same day as the launch of  theoysterblog.  Just as the citizens of New York had to cast their vote, we too had a choice to make; where were we going to celebrate?  After some deliberation, the decision was clear. We were going to our very favorite-Aquagrill in Soho.

Upon arriving at the restaurant, we took seats at the bar, ordered two glasses of Cava, and faced the ultimate decision of the night: which of the twenty-five varieties offered were going to make it onto our plate. After scoping out the list, we figured it was best to consult with the oyster sommelier (or bartender as some may have called him). As always, preferring the west coast to the east, our first round went as follows.

2 Hood Canal, 2 Hunter Point, 2 Willapa Bay, 2 Eagle Creeks, 2 Mattaki, and of course 2 Kumomoto from California.

All oysters were flawlessly shucked. Each perfectly separated from its shell, fully intact, in brine, and at just the right refreshing temperature. Where do they find their shuckers???

The Hood Canals were the biggest of all the varieties, meaty, with a strong lingering seaweedy finish.

The Willapa Bays were extremely deep, sweet, clean with a crisp finish. Just pure pleasure. The perfect dessert oyster if there was one.

The Eagle Creeks were not as deep, about medium in size, and also very refreshing.

The Mattaki, were on the smaller side, and also not as deep, but definitely the richest and buttery of them all, and with the most metallic finish.

And our favorites of the night-the Kumumotos from California; they were sweet, plump, with just the right amount of cream.

The celebration continued. The second round consisted of our top picks from the first round, which was accompanied by a very pleasant Sauvignon Blanc from the Pumanok Vineyard on Long Island. And since we didn’t want to neglect the east coast all together, this time around we threw in two blue points. They were delightful, and a nice change of pace from the west coast oysters we had been enjoying up to this point.

As for dessert, we went with the highly recommended grilled octopus, which wonderfully rounded out our celebratory meal.

Unlike the election, at Aquagrill every oyster is a winner.

Aquagrill

210 Spring Street
New York, NY 10012-3601
(212) 274-0505

www.aquagrill.com