Oysters--love 'em or hate 'em. There's no in-between.

[smoogatz]

Best oysters in the world: Wellfleet, MA. The local variety are spectacular--small, firm and briny.

[crim son]

1. Hate them raw, love them smoked.

You probably think that smoking defeats the purpose.

[smoogatz]

4. No, I'm no purist. I like them raw, roasted, steamed, poached, in stew,

in dressing, you name it. The best cooked oysters I've ever had were actually grilled in the shell on a bed of salt; had 'em at this great little place in New Orleans called Matt & Naddie's. I suspect it no longer exists--a small tragedy in the midst of a great one.

[crim son]

8. Grilled sounds fantastic.

Nothing is the same any more.

[smoogatz]

14. Got it wrong--should have said Matt & Nattie's.

But God, yes, what glorious food. I guess a lot of the good places are still around--the big names like Commander's Palace, Galatoire's and the Grill Room at the Windsor Court (where my wife and I had our wedding dinner--astonishing food/service/atmosphere). But I fear that a lot of the little neighborhood places are just gone--and I don't know if New Orleans will ever regain its old vitality.

[mentalsolstice]

21. And the hole-in-the-walls were the best!

My husband was born 'n raised in NOLA, so we used to go frequently. Ever been to Mother's for breakfast?

[smoogatz]

28. Nope--missed it.

One of my favorite FQ hole-in-the-wall breakfast places was called The Coffee Pot (IIRC); they served a fabulous oysters rockefeller omelette, as a matter of fact. One of those babies, three cups of coffee and two bloody marys will cure any hangover in the world.

[mentalsolstice]

36. And get you primed

for the day's festivities and on your way for the next hangover. That's NOLA eating and drinking your way to the next hangover.

[Lost-in-FL]

2. Smoked, raw...

even on ice cream... ummm, not really on ice cream but I love oysters.

[wildhorses]

3. love 'em

straight out of the sea:bounce:

[smoogatz]

5. There you go.

The fresher the better. A squeeze of lemon juice and you're good to go.

[wildhorses]

9. lemon is nice

sorta like icing on the cake;)

[conscious evolution]

48. Lemons take time

when eating straight out of the water.
This brings back memories.I grew up on the Moon River just south of Savannah Ga.Me and friends would be out in our boats and when we caught the munchies we would just lean over the side and start munching on oysters right out of their beds.Yummy!

[GenDem]

6. Had them fresh out of the water when I was in Ireland

They gave me just lemon to drizzle on. I was kind of looking for a cocktail sauce, but they were fresh, chilled, and I really enjoyed them.

[MonkeyFunk]

7. love 'em love 'em love 'em

nummiest little shelled snotballs ever.

Lemon, pepper... mmmmmmmmmmm...

[Left Is Write]

10. Actually, I've never eaten them, so I don't know.

They really do not appeal to me at all.

[u4ic]

24. Same here, on both counts

:hi:

[realisticphish]

11. Snot in a shell

However, I DO like Oysterhead

[Pushed To The Left]

12. I love just about all kinds of seafood! n/t

[racaulk]

13. Agreed. Count me in the "hate 'em" category.

The thought of eating one makes me want to :puke:, but to each his own. :)

[mainegreen]

15. Mmmm, fresh live cold oyster.

Good stuff.

[IntravenousDemilo]

16. You know when you have a cold and you cough up a mouthful of lung-butter?

That's a raw oyster.

But the smoked ones in the cans are fine.

[racaulk]

23. .

:spray:

I'm currently getting over a "head cold/sinus drainage/allergies/hayfever/general air in March crud" right now, and the stuff I cough up is exactly what oysters remind me of! Thanks for the visual--you're so right!

[bicentennial_baby]

17. Never had them?

:shrug:

[Hotler]

18. I love'em raw, fried....

just about any way I can get them. In the winter there is nothing like a bowl of oyster stew. My grandma would make scalloped oysters a layer of crackers, oysters, crackers, oysters, and soon in a deep baking dish and cover with milk and dot with butter, a little salt/pepper and bake.

[peekaloo]

19. No thank you. Like sucking the tongue out of a shell.

NOT that I'm opposed to tongue sucking, mind you, just THAT tongue in particular.

:-)

[mentalsolstice]

20. Love our homeys (gulf)

Raw...dipped in a fresh horseradish mixed with cocktail sauce and Tabasco (none the "Texas Pete" shit). Otherwise, we'll take them anyway we can get them. My DH recently had a week long seminar in Orange Beach (near Pensacola), we ate oysters everyday, and sometimes twice a day! We also had a lot of nookie...hmmm!

[smoogatz]

27. Oysters and sex--practically the same thing.

Anybody that doesn't get it, doesn't get it.

[schrodingers_cat]

22. If you're grilling the big fat briny ones open shelled,

fill the shell with tequila. When they're ready for eating, dab a little horseradish and cocktail sauce (the hotter the better) on the top, and pour 'em warm and steamy down your gullet. Best done with the smell of ocean air in the nose, mixed with mesquite smoke. And beer.

[spiderpig]

25. Fried oyster sandwiches at the Olema Farmhouse

Tomales Bay oysters (Marin County). Yum!

Now you've got me dying for one.

[Drum]

26. Yummmmmm!

Oysters very very good :9

[GoddessOfGuinness]

29. Mmmm...Raw, fried, and in oyster stew are my favorites

:9

[Skittles]

30. hate 'em

totally f***ing gross

[xchrom]

31. love 'em -- in the category of sex food.

there are some foods that just resemble, taste, feel, like great sex -- oysters may very well top that list.

i like 'em raw.

[Courtesy Flush]

32. What do you pay for oysters up there?

We were in a restaurant in New England once, and the raw oysters were about $2.50 EACH!!!

We pay five or six bucks a dozen here in Louisiana. We're on the coast, and they're fresh!

We bought a whole sack not long ago for $20.

[smoogatz]

33. Depends where you go.

Fancy restaurants in Boston will charge you an arm and a leg. On the Cape, they're typically a buck a piece on the half-shell, give or take. IIRC, a half-bushel at the fish market costs in the neighborhood of $30 out of the water that day.

[Courtesy Flush]

34. Good price

We paid the $20 to the boat captain at the wharf. I would expect to pay $30 in a market here too.

[MissMillie]

35. terrified to try them

I'm allergic to mussels... but not to clams.

I never know whether an oyster is closer to a mussel or to a clam, and I'm terrified I'm going to be sick as hell.

So I've never had them.

[BOSSHOG]

47. Its probably a good idea you stay away from them

I do enjoy them baked, I'd never eat them raw but only for health reasons. On occasion you can see them delivered to the restaurants in the quarter and the handling sometimes leaves one without an appetite; especially during a warm Summer afternoon when the temperature is pushing the century mark.

[northzax]

37. and nothing fancy, please

the best oysters are experiential, they just don't work in restaurants. serve them straight up, right from the market.

I love this story: http://www.toomanychefs.com/archives/001734.php sums up how to eat oysters, do other things, and then stop to savour the experience, but move on, the pleasure is fleeting and best kept tight.

[Akoto]

38. Oysters are the boogers of the sea.

Blech. :P

[BOSSHOG]

39. Baked Ersters at Remoulade on Bourbon Street

A joy to the palate.

[KamaAina]

43. Went to Remoulade, didn't try those

Did manage to satiate my palate with a plate of fried ones at Maspero's, not to mention huitres en brochette at Antoine's brunch (stepdad may be a repuke, but he did insist that Mom do as much damage to the credit card as possible while she was there).

The guy at the next table at Remoulade (an offshoot of Arnaud's around the corner) appeared to be from France. The waiter turned out to be able to serve him en francais! At the risk of repeating myself, despite everything, N.O. still delivers as much city per square inch as anyplace else (on this side of the pond, anyway).

Like Ahh-nuld would say, "I'll be ba-ack..."

[BOSSHOG]

45. They have a nice

entree of three different kinds of baked oysters. Very nice. And a killer blackened chicken pizza. Oh my! We travel somewhat but I have no need to go anywhere on the planet for fine dining. Its 50 miles down the highway. We are going down Saturday to hopefully find some St Patty's fare and maybe view some green tittys. Then the French Quarter Fest in April. And the cycle begins anew.

[SPKrazy]

40. Um, No!

:puke:

raw especially

but not particularly at all

[cloudbase]

41. Love 'em

Long ago, I lived in Baltimore for three years, and had never had an oyster before living there. They're like crack. Glad I can still get them here in Houston.

[Zuiderelle]

42. Love 'em.

:thumbsup:

[deucemagnet]

44. I guess I'm kind of in-between.

I love clams. I L-O-O-O-V-E mussels. I like oysters.

[Zavulon]

46. Hate 'em

I can't see how any human being can eat those things.

[tonkatoy57]

49. Love Them

Raw. The best I ever had were at an old girlfriend's parent's house on Christmas Eve. They lived in Norfolk and her dad got them straight off the boat. It was close to zero out and they were in the bed of his pickup truck on the ride home. He brought them in, still in the saltwater, poured some hotsauce on them, and we ate them up. They were so cold and fresh. I've never had anything like it since.

Fried. My parents have a house on a little island off the coast of North Carolina. At the fishing pier there is a hole in the wall bar called the, "Oar House". They serve lightly breaded fried oysters with a butter, hotsauce, and crab dipping sauce. Cold beer. Crashing surf. Funky dead fish smell from the pier. Panties stapled to the ceiling of the bar. Good times.

Baked. My sister makes the best wild rice and oyster dressing in the world.

[CTyankee]

50. Smoog you are right. Wellfleet's ARE superior! I had them at Legal Seafoods

in Boston 3 weeks ago. I was all set to order the PEI oysters, which I love for their brininess, but the waiter suggested the Wellfleet. They were fabulous.

[bigwillq]

51. Hate Em

:puke:

[ceile]

52. Love 'em any way someone

other than me fixes 'em. (or doesn't)

[LSK]

53. you are wrong, I am in-between

I cant remember the last time I ever had an oyster, if ever.

[BreweryYardRat]

54. Love them.

Didn't try them for years and years, but once I did, I was hooked. There's an awesome oyster bar/seafood restaurant here in St. Pete - The Central Avenue Oyster Bar. Along with the standards, it does a truly excellent Mexican preparation: baked oysters with tomatoes, onions, and lots of garlic, cumin, and cilantro.

[Maineiac]

55. Oysters are the only food that can crawl their way down your throat.