In all of my “first date” experiences, cameras have yet to be involved. At least up until this past Wednesday. Set up by a friend, I expected nothing more than the ordinary; drinks, maybe dinner. Turns out, I was wrong, but definitely in a good way. Having taken interest in theoysterblog, my date suggested that we go to a restaurant with oysters. I believe his exact words were “I want to see you in action”. Hoping that he was referring to my passion for oysters, I decided to go with it. As awkward as I anticipated things might get, I knew this was not an opportunity to turn down.  I was immediately impressed with his selecting Lure Fishbar, a great seafood restaurant with a distinguishable oyster selection, headed by the talented and amusing Chef Josh Capon. It is consistently good, with great service, and a menu filled with so many goodies, deciding what to order is always a challenge. So here we were, I with my notepad and camera, and my date awaiting his lesson on oysters.

Although Lure Fishbar had seven different types of oysters on their menu, I decided that we should stick with just the three from the West Coast. This was my opportunity to impress, and I was going to make sure we would taste some luscious, savory oysters. We ordered the Kumamotos from Washington, Kushi from British Columbia and their oyster of the day, the stunning Shibumi, from Washington as well. Being with a neophyte, I figured we would start with the Kumos. If he did not appreciate these, I was sure I would be eating the rest by myself. We each tasted one without any garnish, and another one with a just little lemon. Long and behold, my date loved the oyster! True to its reputation, it was creamy, sweet and divine. Ready to explore further, we had the Kushi next. They were firm, meaty, and with a much stronger metallic finish than the Kumos. Although it looked very similar to the Kumamoto, I was pleased that my date could easily distinguish the taste. For the final tasting, we had the amazing Shibumi. It was by far the best of the three types. Deep cupped, with a plump belly, they had a sweet start, rupturing creamy middle, and a satisfying clean finish. My date scored major points when he declared it as his favorite, and even elected to eat them completely naked, not even with a hint of lemon.

Choosing a beverage to accompany our oysters, we decided to try something new. Rather than sticking with the traditional white wine or beer, we opted for a bottle of Pinot Noir from the Willamette Valley. Perfectly chilled, it beautifully complimented our oysters. Turns out it was an educational dining experience for us both.

To continue our meal, we started by sharing the fried blue point oysters and grilled octopus salad. The blue point oysters were perfectly crisp, not greasy and went very well the with the caper tartar sauce. The grilled octopus was tender, and a refreshing alternative to our other appetizer. For our entres, we had the roasted sea scallops, and grilled salmon. Both were appetizing in their presentation and taste. And finally, to conclude our already incredible meal, we shared the cookie plate and two (well, actually four) glasses of Frangelico.

Perhaps it was the aphrodisiac of the oysters, the excitement of learning something new or maybe just the great company, but our night seemed to only get more and more exciting, and ended with dancing at the club Ten June. I guess it’s sometimes worth trying something new. Thank you theoysterblog!

Lure Fishbar

142 Mercer Street
New York, NY 10012-3806
(212) 431-7676