We love oysters. They are wholly unique in flavor and texture, their very nature demands a freshness and special handling we wish applied to all foods, and their presentation in any form is pure theater.

Our instincts were right when we launched our ambitious oyster program in Autumn 2010. Customers have been scooping them up in dozens from the start, and we continue to expand the selection so that peak seasonal availability meets that customer demand. 

For a long time it was suggested that oysters were only in season during months that contained the letter “r.” Part of this notion is somewhat dated, going back to the pre-refrigeration days when warm-weather shipping could be hazardous. (No “r”s in May through August…) The more contemporary explanation is that oysters spawn in those summer months, when the ocean waters are warmer. Oysters harvested at that time are softer, spongier and more watery. They’re simply weaker in every way. For that reason, oysters should be seen as seasonal, because they are at their best when gathered in cooler times.

Raw oysters are treasured by many, and feared or disdained by as many more. Few comestibles have a reputation that runs the gamut like oysters. They are regarded as everything from an aphrodisiac to deadly poison. Like their mollusk buddy, the clam, they are one of the only foods that’s eaten live.

Here are some of the varieties we always like to have on ice:

Bluepoint
The Local Hero! A big, briny oyster with silky, tender flesh, with distinct notes of licorice and pine. Originally discovered off the south shore of Long Island, now masterfully cultivated in both the sea and the sound.

Kumamoto
Prized Pacific Northwest oyster, considered by many to be the perfect oyster. A smaller oyster with a dramatic appearance: a deep well for the meat and a striking fluted shell. Sweet and fruity, with a relatively light saltiness. Tiny, tender and tasty.

Kusshi
Japanese for “precious,” the Kusshi  is exceptionally meaty for a small oyster. It’s well-balanced and sweet with a pillowy, soft flesh. Grown in trays, tumbled frequently to control the size of the shell, cultivated of the coast of Vancouver, British Columbia.

Wellfleet
Probably Cape Cod’s most famous mollusk, Wellfleet are plump and meaty, have a milder, sweeter flavor accented by their brininess, with a clean, refreshing finish.

Malpeque
Hailing from Prince Edward Island, a larger oyster with a robust flavor that’s both sweet and briny, often compared to fresh greens. A clean, almost pickly finish.

Island Creek
From Duxbury Bay, Massachusetts, a cousin of the Bluepoint, with a sweet, buttery but still-briny flavor, firm texture and a clean, refreshing aftertaste. Named Best Oyster at the largest blind oyster tasting ever!

Mattaki
A relatively new player at the oyster bar, cultivated in British Columbia. A very juicy, semi-firm, medium large oyster, perfectly balanced in strength, sweetness and saltiness.

Chincoteague
Chicoteague Island, off the Virginia coast, where the wild horses run, and the Atlantic/Chesapeake Bay waters run cool and clean. Super-crisp, distinct, briny flavour with a sweet finish.

Sewansecott
From Hog Island Bay at the mouth of the Great Machipongo River, this Virginia oyster is big and meaty, wonderfully chewy with a balanced, hearty flavor that has more sweetness to start and brininess at the finish.