Lunchtime rolled around, and somehow the usual sandwich or salad was just not going to cut it. We wanted some oysters. Deciding this was a great opportunity to try out a new place, we hopped on the 1 train and headed down to Jeffrey’s Grocery in the W. Village. A charming little grocery store/restaurant/bar on the corner of Wavelry and Christopher Street, it was just the kind of spot we were looking for. Among other things like salads, sandwiches, cheeses and charcuterie, they carry six types of oysters with a variety that changes daily. There are always three from the west coast and three from the east. For today’s selection they had Blue Points ($1.50), Malpeques ($2) and Beau Soleil ($2) from the east coast, and Hood Canals (2.50), Nootka Bays ($2.50) and Kusshi ($2.50) from the west.
As always, we began by sampling one of each.
The Blue points were on the bigger side, very crisp and surprisingly in a deeper shell then we’re used to seeing them in. The Malpeques weren’t terribly exciting. Typical to this type of oyster they were very salty, briny and on the lacey side. The Beau Soleil were surprisingly not salty, very mild and had a lingering taste of the sea. From the west coast, the Hood Canals, which ended up being our favorite, were also on the bigger side, had a salty start with a lingering metallic finish. The Nootka Bays were briny, simple and also had a metallic finish. The Kusshi were very small, as they always are, with a strong taste of the sea.
For round two we ordered a few more Blue Points, Hood Canals, and Nootka Bays.
Overall, the shucking was very good, the oysters were very fresh, and the price was great. We really enjoyed our afternoon and will definitely be back soon.
Jeffrey’s Grocery
172 Waverly Place
New York, NY 10014
(646) 398-7630
