Slip slidin' away

Slurp your share of oysters at these spots

By Ellen Fox

October 22 2003

Thanks to air-delivery, which zips the little buggers from their beds to your plate in no time, Chicago is blessed with dozens of varieties of live oysters year-round. The old saw about never slurping during months without an "r" is supposedly a holdover from
rail-delivery days (though at least one wholesaler believes West Coast varieties taste bad during summer).

An oyster's taste and texture is really a matter of the environment it grows in, rather than which coast it's from, but experts agree that there's no shame in forgoing the fork and slurping straight from the shell: It's the best way to get every last drop of
precious elixir.

Here are some other spots around town where you can indulge in half-shells whole-heartedly.

Shaw's Blue Crab Lounge
This favorite seafood spot offeres a variety of seasonal oysters and weekday deals ($5.50 per half-dozen, 3-5 p.m.).

Bluepoint Oyster Bar
This classy, vintage-looking supper club and bar always has about a dozen varieties of oysters--including its namesake--on the menu ($1.85 each if you mix and match, $10.25 half-dozen, $20.50 dozen). Try Prince Edward Island's clean, medium-sized
Pickle Point or British Columbia's strong, briny Malaspina variety.

Bob Chinn's Crabhouse Chicago
Actually, the best deal for lovers of the plump, mild Bluepoint oyster is offered at this seafood spot: all-you-can-eat Bluepoints for $10 from 3-10 p.m. every Thursday. Or upgrade to a plate of premium daily oysters, like the delicate Fanny Bay variety, for
$6.95 per half-dozen. Wash 'em down with a $10 bucket of 7-ounce Heinekens.

Captain Hard Times Dining
For real Southern flavor, this Chatham restaurant breads and fries its oysters (either regular or spicy Cajun-style), serving them as a six-piece appetizer ($6.50) or as a twelve-piece dinner ($10.95), accompanied by salad, hot rolls and sides like greens and
mashed potatoes.

Goose Island Brewpub
This beer-nerd's bar and restaurant supplements its weekday "hoppy hour" on Fridays with 50-cent oysters on the half-shell, served from 4-6 p.m. (or until they run out). Varieties are usually of West Coast origin, like Malaspina or Coromandel, served on ice, with Tabasco and homemade cocktail sauce.

Benz Bar
This North Side bar boasts seven varieties--like New Zealand's sweet, buttery Tatamagouche--and a daily discount (4-7 p.m.) on its house variety, the large, salty, Bluepoint-like James River. But for a bit of zing, try the Cajun twist: six oysters grilled
on the half-shell and seasoned with lemon and Cajun seasoning ($6.99).

Ellen Fox is a metromix special contributor.

Copyright 2004 Metromix.com