Before I moved to the East Coast the only oysters that were on my radar were either fried or of the Rocky Mountain persuasion. When I moved, fresh seafood was seen as a treat. Never turning down a new taste, I saw oysters on the half shell as something of a challenge.
On my birthday Liz took me to a reputable seafood restaurant around the way. We were treated to three different kinds of oysters before our meal. Thoughts included: Do I chew? Do I take it like a shot? Do I put condiments on them? Briny, meaty, mild… huh?
Some were swallowed. Some were chewed. Some included condiments. Some went down just the way they were. The briny types were weighed against the mild types. Chesapeake. Gulf. Native, North Carolina.
Five days later, we found ourselves at the same restaurant enjoying Oyster Tuesdays. After testing the saline waters, oysters are something this Oklahoma boy could get used to.
