Hotel Delmano, I got MAD LOVE for ya!

When I crave oysters in Williamsburg I head to Hotel Delmano. Call me a simpleton but it is much less important to me to have a list of 100 different species from all over the country than it is to have just a few different species of REALLY fresh, REALLY well-shucked oysters. Hotel Delmano masters the art of the raw bar in my opinion because they take a lot of care in what they buy, how they store their bi-valves and how they shuck. It doesn't hurt that they have incredibly delicious cocktails and a super-fine staff as well as super-fine customers. Steppping into the bar room you feel as if you have been whisked to Havana, Cuba ca. 1950. Often you will find a sweet little jazz quartet with a very hip, sultry red-lipped female singer leading her troupe. We were with Cream the Pitbull when we went for our afternoon bloodies and so we sat outside where you can smoke and drink to your hearts content.

Spicy and Fresh, just like the patrons at Hotel Delmano.



Master Shucker Marco and Gabe the Fish Babe.

Fluke Ceviche, Costa Rican style.
This dish and others are inspired by lovely and well-traveled Tessa, Hotel Delmano's manager.

Bi-valve heaven on earth.

Shuck away my friend, keep on shuckin'.



This is what I call an oyster platter. Hell yeah Marco, YOU ROCK!
Beausoliel - New Brunswuck, Kusshi - British Columbia, Wellfleet -Cape Cod
All oysters by Pierless Fish Corp.



A dog named Cream, and his vices.

John Dory, Beausoliel Oysters, Pemaquid Oysters11/16/10

John Dory Story of Glory:

"Zeus Faber" was an ambitious John Dory that lived off the coast of New Zealand. He was always easily distinguishable with his minute sharp scales and a large black dot on the side of its head. All of the other fish made fun of Zeus because of his pathetic swimming capabilities and his funny scientifical name.  The only thing he really had going for him was his olive green camouflage coloring, sharp spiny fins for defense against predators and long expandable snout used to capture his prey. One day Zeus was meandering around his favorite reef munching on sardines, cuttlefish and the occasional squid when BAM! He was caught, packed into a box on ice and shipped off to New York City. When he arrived he was pronounced dead as a doornail, in a state of rigor mortis.  From fish heaven his soul peered down upon his lifeless mortal cadaver. Instead of feeling depressed about leaving this world, he was thoroughly psyched about having ended up at the market. At first he was a little worried that whoever tried to fillet and cook his delicate flesh would screw up, forever foiling his fish legacy. However, upon reminding himself that all chefs who buy his species are highly capable of such a feat, he calmed down. Finally he could "rest in peace" knowing that he would be forever canonized as a prized and beloved morsel. Breaded and lightly seared, plated next to diver scallops and organic asparagus, his body ended its stint on this earth. He was then served to an overworked and underpaid female attorney on the Upper East Side attending a slightly awkward first date with a dude she met on Match.com.


Pemaquid Oysters: Another brilliant oyster from the deepest holes of the Damariscotta River, Maine.
This briny and lemony delight of an oyster is sure to turn heads this season as it struts its stuff down the runway. Have you been looking for a exciting East Coast oyster that will leave your patrons saying "HUZZAH!"?  Well, here it is.

Beausoliel Oysters: New Brunswick, Canada
The so-called "pinnacle of perfection" among oysters. This East Coast bi-valve can't really be blamed for constantly one-upping its brethren. Chicks dig the perfectly formed, adorable little shell of the beausoliel. The firm, not-too-briny and not-too-sweet meat of this oyster tastes so balanced and harmonious that after only one, you will find yourself living in a world of underwater nirvana.