A Guide to Maine Oysters (and How We Serve Them)

Merroir is a real thing

Two oysters can come from the same species, grown twenty miles apart, and taste nothing alike. Salinity, tide and cold do most of the work — which is why a Damariscotta in November is a different animal than the same oyster in June.

How to order at a raw bar

• Start briny, finish sweet. Work from the saltiest toward the mildest so nothing gets buried.
• Skip the cocktail sauce first. Try one naked, then decide what it needs.
• Ask what got shucked last. Freshness beats a famous name every time.
• Order fewer, more often. A half dozen twice beats a dozen sitting on melting ice.

The best oyster on any given night is the one that came in that morning — ask the person behind the bar, not the menu.

This is sample content for a demo site. On go-live we tailor every article to your kitchen, your menu and your voice.